Food that Tastes Like Happy

Okay, so last night I had some friends over for dinner (well, really I had one friend over and then my two housemates, but y'know..). I made breaded chicken, chicken rice, lemon chive brussels sprouts, and peach cobbler. These are some of my favorite things, and oddly, I'd never made any of them before. In any case, they turned out pretty well, although the casserole dish I used for the rice wasn't the right shape, so it got a little crunchy. The rice I made, by the way, is really easy and REALLY delicious. Recommend a double recipe for more than 3 people:

Chicken Rice

Ingredients:

-1 cup rice (uncooked)

-2 tbsp butter/margarine (cut up in little cubes)

-2 tsp instant chicken bouillon (2 cubes)

-2 1/4 cups boiling water

Directions:

-Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

-Put all of the ingredients in an oven safe casserole dish and mix together.

-Put in oven for 1 hour.

(Bonus: You can also cook breaded chicken in the oven at 375 for one hour. Sweet!)

Awesome! Now the brussels sprouts recipe I made was one I'd never tried before, and it was soooooooooooo good. I thought I was going to botch it though, because halfway through I realized I didn't have as many brussels sprouts as the recipe called for...so there might have been a little too much butter in mine, but they were still delicious. This recipe comes from the Land O Lakes Treasury of Country Recipes:

Lemon Chive Brussels Sprouts

Ingredients:

-1 lb brussels sprouts, trimmed

-1/4 cup butter or margarine

-2 tbsp chopped fresh chives

-2 tsp grated lemon peel

-1 1/2 tsp fresh dill weed (1/2 tsp dried dill weed can substitute for 1 1/2 tsp fresh)

-1/4 tsp salt

-1/4 tsp pepper

In 2 qt saucepan place brussels sprouts; add enough water to cover. Bring to a full boil. Cook over med. heat until brussels sprouts are crisply tender (12 to 15 min.); drain. Return to pan; add remaining ingredients. Cook over med. heat, stirring occasionally,, until heated through (4 to 6 min.)

Microwave Directions: (this is what I did) In 2-qt. casserole place brussels sprouts and 1/4 cup water. Cover; microwave on HIGH until crisply tender (3 to 4 min.). Add remaining ingredients. Cover; microwave on HIGH, stirring after half the time, until heated through (2.5 to 4 min.).

I hope you get a chance to try these recipes!