The mission for a clutter free kitchen continues. Should I call it The Accidental Clean Kitchen Quest? LOL. OK, no. Lets not. Anywho, I’ve moved on to the plethora of spices that I have and I came across an almost empty jar of saffron. I love saffron for it’s flowery smell, cool color, and of course the taste that it gives dishes, but I don’t use it often. I’m not sure why other than I get distracted by all the other spices that scream at me.
I threw together an easy saffron rice dish last week that used up the last of the jar. Adios, spice jar! The kitchen smelled wonderful while it was cooking and the rice turned out a sunny shade that made dinner kinda fun. It almost reminded me of paella but was a nice change and didn’t take much effort. I used grilled chicken, but you could also use shrimp, steak, or pork. Whatever grilled protein you already have on hand is perfect.
Grilled Chicken with Saffron Rice 
- 1/2 cup (50g) chopped onion
- 1 cup (100g) chopped sweet red pepper
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 cup (168g) uncooked brown rice
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 cup low sodium chicken broth
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano
- 1/4 tsp paprika
- 1/4 tsp crushed saffron threads
- 1 1/3 cups (186g) frozen peas
- 16 oz grilled chicken breast, cubed
- 1 Tbsp lemon juice
Heat a large pot over medium heat and spray with non-stick spray. Add the onions, peppers, and garlic and cook over medium heat for about 5 minutes until softened. Add the rice, water, broth, and spices and bring to a boil.
Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for about 30-40 minutes until the rice is cooked and tender and the liquid is mostly absorbed. Check on it and give it a stir every now and then to make sure it doesn’t dry out too fast or stick to the bottom of the pan. If the rice gets too dry before it’s fully cooked, just add a little more water.
Once the liquid is mostly absorbed, stir in the frozen peas and chicken. Stir to combine and cook for another 5 minutes until the peas and chicken are heated. Remove from heat and stir in lemon juice.
Makes 4 servings at approximately 325 calories – 28g protein, 42g carbs, and 5g fat.
If you’re looking for a few more ways to use saffron, try chelo persian rice pilaf, saffron quinoa, or saffron rice risotto. That should take care of your saffron spice jar. It did mine. 😉
Speak Your Mind