Chicken, Bean & Rice Bowl & 10 Things You Didn’t Know About Me with The Parsley Thief

I first met Katherine at a Frigidaire Save the Children event in October 2010. As soon as I saw her, I knew I would have to get to know her better for two reasons: She is as cute as a button and I adore the name of her blog. Considering she lives in Connecticut, I need to plan a meet-up with her soon.

Without further ado, 10 Things You Didn’t Know About Me with Katherine Vitucci of The Parsley Thief….

1.  Cooking is something I developed a love for later in life.  In fact, I didn’t really become a ‘foodie’ until I started having kids and was thrown head first into a world where I was suddenly responsible for feeding other people.

2.  I have a very bad habit of biting off more than I can chew.  A chronic over-achiever who thinks things will take much less time than they actually end up taking.  This is something that’s getting worse – not better – with age!

3.  My first love was and is – Design.  I love anything having to do with Design, whether it be Interior, Graphic, Product or Fashion.

4.  I love reality TV.  Unfortunately, I don’t have as much time to watch it as I would like!  Thankfully, the DVR was invented, because now I can feed my need whenever I can find some spare time.  In general, the trashier the better – my favorites are Real Housewives of Beverly Hills and The Bachelor/Bachelorette series.  Does anyone remember Temptation Island?  Best. show. ever. [LOL]

5.  I come from a family with 4 sisters/1 brother and always saw myself with daughters.  I love braiding hair, coloring, making arts & crafts, playing dress up…all things I envisioned someday enjoying with a daughter[s].  However, I ended up with two rambunctious boys…and got exactly what I needed. 

6.  As a kid my least favorite food was meatloaf.  When I say least favorite, I mean that I seriously gagged at the smell of it.  My mother used to make me eat it even though I would’ve rather eaten dirt.  I used to hide the bites I took in a napkin under the table, or feed them to the dog.  Now?  I love meatloaf!

7.  I have a BFA in Design, but many people do not know that my concentration in college was actually glassblowing!  Like real, working molten glass in front of a 2000 degree gloryhole, glassblowing.  It was fun and exciting to learn, but not exactly a realistic career choice.  One of my pieces is featured in a glass art coffee table book, titled Glass Art from UrbanGlass.

8.  I’ve only traveled outside the U.S. twice in my life…in my teens, to Aruba and in my twenties, to Costa Rica.  I always thought that by now I would have traveled many more places.  But I’m not giving up hope that someday I will!  First up – I would love to go to Europe.

9.  When I was young I always wished I could get braces, but never needed them.  I also always wanted to have glasses, or break a bone, so I’d get to come to school with a cast on.  The third one came true – twice.

10.  I met my husband when I was 16 years old and we started dating about a year later.  We dated for 10 yrs before we got married.  In 2011 we celebrated our 10th year of marriage and our 20th ‘first date’ anniversary.  We have two young boys and live by the water in Connecticut.

Chicken, Bean & Rice Bowl (Adapted from Bon Appétit, January 2012)
Serves 4
The real stars in this dish are the black beans and apple salsa.  The beans are perfectly seasoned and just get better as they sit – making them a perfect make ahead option.  The apple salsa goes so brilliantly well with the spiciness of the beans and really should not be omitted.  This recipe can easily be adapted for a vegetarian by substituting another protein, such as tofu or tempeh, or simply serving the beans, rice and salsa as is – just substitute vegetable broth for the chicken broth.  For the rice, any leftover cooked rice will do – you can substitute white rice if that’s what you have available, but personally, I love the brown rice here.  I used the breast meat from a rotisserie chicken but you can also poach or grill some chicken breast, if desired.

2 granny smith apples {peeled & diced}
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1/4 cup finely chopped red onion {divided}
juice of 1 lime
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/2 medium red bell pepper, diced
1/2 jalapeno pepper, seeded & minced {for more heat leave the ribs & seeds in}
3 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon ground coriander
3/4 teaspoon cumin seed
3 cups chicken broth
2 {15 ounce} cans black beans, rinsed & drained
kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper
4 cups cooked brown rice
2 cups shredded cooked chicken breast

1.  Apple Salsa – add the apples, cilantro, 2 tablespoons of the red onion, lime juice and a pinch of kosher salt to a small mixing bowl.  Toss to combine and set aside until ready to serve.  Note: the addition of lime juice will prevent the apples from discoloring – therefore, the salsa can be made many hours ahead of time and refrigerated until ready to use. 

2.  Black Beans – add the vegetable oil, bell pepper, jalapeno and the remaining 2 tablespoons of red onion to a skillet, or saucepan.  Saute over medium-high heat, stirring regularly, until softened – about 5 minutes.  Stir in the garlic, chili powder, coriander and cumin seeds – continue to cook for an additional few minutes, stirring constantly, so the spices don’t burn.  Add the chicken broth and beans, bring the mixture to a boil, reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for about 10 minutes, or until the mixture has thickened.  While the mixture is simmering mash some of the beans with the back of a wooden spoon – this helps thicken the mixture.  Season with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste.

3.  Assemble – Arrange the brown rice, shredded chicken and black beans in a bowl.  Garnish the top with some of the apple salsa and serve.
Make Ahead: All of the elements of this dish can be made well ahead of time and even last for days as leftovers in the fridge.  Chill, in individual airtight containers, and assemble just before serving.  This makes a great to-go lunch too!