Rice Kasimir

This is a dish that almost everyone likes in our house. By that I mean, some eat the rice and chicken, no sauce, some want only sauce and rice, and others want the whole shebang. But I can separate it out easily enough, and that counts as something everyone likes in my book. Plus, it is super fast, which is great for those days when you need something to eat in a hurry.

To start, heat up 5 cups of salted water in a large pot. When it boils, add 2 1/2 cups of brown/basmati rice mixed, turn down the heat to low, cover and let simmer for about 25 minutes.
While the rice is cooking, you can prepare the rest of the meal.

Place a large frying pan, or wok, on the stove top and add a tablespoon of oil. It can be olive oil, or vegetable oil, whatever you have on hand. Turn the heat on medium. Take two chicken breasts and cut up into smallish cubes. I only need two since some in my family eat no chicken, or very little. Also, my children aren't teenagers yet. If you have people who love chicken, or have bigger appetites, you may want to add in a third breast. Throw these in the pan with the hot oil. Chop up one smallish onion very fine, and put that in the pan as well, or use 2 teaspoons of dried minced onion if you prefer. Doesn't seem to affect the taste one way or the other. Stir once in a while to make sure the chicken gets nicely cooked on all sides.

When the chicken is no longer pink, add 2 tablespoons of flour to the pan and stir well. Add 1 heaping tablespoon of curry powder and 1/4 teaspoon of cayenne pepper. Pour in 1 cup of chicken or vegetable broth. Add 1 can of coconut milk. There are powdered versions out there, but I find the canned variety is creamier and better tasting. Plus, it's faster! Stir well, and let come to a slight boil. In a separate bowl, I use the can the coconut milk came in, mix 1/2 cup of cold water with 1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch. When it is well blended, add it to the pan and stir well. Let it boil for about a minute, and then remove the pan from the heat. If you don't, the cornstarch will break down again and you won't have a nice thick sauce.

Take the large can of fruit cocktail and add a bit of the juice to the sauce in the pan. I usually do about a 1/2 to 2/3 a cup, but you can add more or less to taste. Add about 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and a 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper and stir well.

Drain the remaining juice from the fruit and place the fruit in a bowl to be added in by the individual diners if they choose. I usually ask the kids to just try one piece of fruit with the sauce, before declaring whether they like it or not. I admit, the thought made me gag at first, but once I actually tried, it was so delicious! By the time you have finished making the sauce and got someone to set the table, the rice will be done and you can all sit down to eat. Start to finish, about 35 minutes.

Once again, for those who like an ingredient list;

2-3 chicken breasts, cubed 1 smallish onion, chopped very fine OR
2 Tbsp flour 2 tsp dried minced onion
1 cup chicken broth 1 can coconut milk
1 Tbsp curry powder 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 cup cold water 1 1/2 Tbsp cornstarch
1 large can fruit cocktail 1 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper 2/3 cup reserved juice from fruit cocktail
2 1/2 cups uncooked brown/basmati rice