Ingredients
- For the creamy Parmesan spinach rice:
- 1 cup long‑grain or jasmine rice
- 2 cups chicken or vegetable broth
- ½ cup milk or half‑and‑half
- 2 cups fresh spinach, chopped
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp butter
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
- For the spicy garlic chicken:
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tsp paprika
- ¼–½ tsp cayenne pepper or red chili flakes (adjust to taste)
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
- Juice of ½ lemon (optional garnish)
Instructions
- Season chicken on both sides with salt, pepper, paprika, and cayenne/red chili flakes.
- Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium‑high heat; cook chicken for 6–7 minutes per side until golden and cooked through. In the last minute, add garlic and sauté until fragrant. Remove chicken and let rest.
- Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat; sauté garlic until soft.
- Add rice and toast for 1–2 minutes, stirring.
- Pour in broth, bring to a simmer, then cover and cook until rice is tender (about 15 minutes).
- Once rice is done, stir in milk, chopped spinach, and Parmesan; cook for 2–3 minutes until creamy and well combined. Season with salt and pepper.
- Slice the chicken and serve over the creamy spinach rice. Optionally, squeeze lemon juice over chicken.
Notes
- Add mushrooms or peas to the rice for extra veggies.
- Substitute quinoa or orzo for rice if preferred.
- Adjust heat by varying cayenne or adding hot sauce.
- Use frozen spinach—thawed and drained—for convenience.
- For a vegetarian version, replace chicken with pan‑seared tofu or roasted chickpeas.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30–35 minutes
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Modern American / Fusion
- Diet: Gluten Free
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 plate
- Calories: 550
- Sugar: 3g
- Sodium: 700mg
- Fat: 22g
- Saturated Fat: 9g
- Unsaturated Fat: 11g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 54g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 36g
- Cholesterol: 95mg
