Buttery rice scented with cinnamon gets cooked with apricots, spinach and onion for a dish that channels the rich, nutty, subtly sweet flavors of Middle Eastern rice dishes. It’s a great accompaniment to lemony pan-seared chicken breasts.
| Level: | Easy |
| Total: | 40 min |
| Prep: | 10 min |
| Cook: | 30 min |
| Yield: | 4 servings |
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 1 1/4 cups basmati rice
- 1/4 cup dried apricots, roughly chopped
- 3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Kosher salt
- 5 cups loosely packed baby spinach (3 ounces)
- 1 1/4 pounds thin-cut skinless, boneless chicken breasts
- Freshly ground pepper
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 1/4 cup fat-free plain Greek yogurt
- 3 tablespoons almonds, roughly chopped
Instructions
- Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until just softened, 3 minutes. Add the rice; cook, stirring, until slightly toasted, 2 minutes. Add 2 cups water, the apricots, cumin, cinnamon and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Increase the heat to medium high; bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to low; stir, then cover and simmer until the rice is tender, about 15 minutes. Remove from the heat. Add the spinach (do not stir). Let sit, covered, until wilted, about 7 minutes.
- Meanwhile, season the chicken with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Melt the remaining 1 tablespoon butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cookuntil golden, about 3 minutes per side. Drizzle with the lemon juice.
- Fold the spinach into the rice and serve with the chicken. Divide the rice and chicken among plates. Thin the yogurt with 1 teaspoon water; drizzle over the chicken. Sprinkle with the almonds.
Nutrition Facts
| Calories | 445 |
| Total Fat | 8 grams |
| Saturated Fat | 4 grams |
| Cholesterol | 97 milligrams |
| Sodium | 503 milligrams |
| Carbohydrates | 97 grams |
| Dietary Fiber | 4 grams |
| Protein | 38 grams |
Reviews
In addition to some of the other comments, I found the apricots to be a little too tough when just thrown in with the rice. Perhaps cooking them down a little bit beforehand would be helpful. And I also seasoned my chicken a bit more than they said – salt, pepper, coriander, and lemon. Overall a good recipe though. For a yogurt sauce – use Chobani plain greek yogurt and add a little squeeze of lemon and some pepper. Simple, quick, and delicious addition.
I agree with the above comment. More water and longer cooking time for rice, little more salt, and little more apricots (I have never had apricots before and this was a perfect way to introduce them). If you leave the spinach in longer,then mix it with the rice, and then leave it in a little longer it does wilt but honestly it would be much easier and faster to just cook it separate.I could take or leave the the almonds. Otherwise it was great and I will be making it again! 🙂
Really, Wow! My whole family of picky eaters ate seconds! I am making it again this week! Thank you for introducing different textures and flavors to a family of individuals who like to play it safe. A little time consuming but do-able. Enjoy!!!
Has good potential but needs modifications. The chicken came out bland, so next time I will add seasoning beyond what recipe lists, maybe some coriander. Also, the spinach did not wilt even though I left if for far longer than recipe states. I ended up removing it from the pan with the rice and sauteing separately in a little olive oil. Worked fine. Some liked the amount of yogurt sauce and some felt it was too much. Recommend putting some on top and serving the rest on the side. Also with how thick Greek yogurt is, adding just 1 tsp water is not enough to get it anywhere near drizzling consistency.
Really yummy. The rice is awesome – but I had to increase the water to 3 cups and the time to 20 minutes, just to make sure it cooked. Will definitely make it again!!!