Steamed Wild Rice with Butternut Squash, Chestnuts & Pancetta

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This dish is so yummy with a little kick. Perfect for Christmas dining as you can make as much as you need. I do love 1 pot meals.

Makes about 4 large portions or 8 smaller side portions.

1 x Butternut Squash – cubed

1 tbsp olive oil

1 tsp chilli flakes

100g cooked chestnuts, quartered

½ small pack sage leaves, chopped (or 1 tsp dried)

8 slices of pancetta – chopped

2 shallots, finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

150g basmati & wild rice mix

300ml veg stock

Parmesan to serve

  1. Heat oven to 200 deg.
  2. Toss the squash with 1⁄2 tbsp of oil, chilli flakes and some seasoning on a large roasting tray. Roast for 15 mins, then add the shallots, garlic, chestnuts and nestle the sage and pancetta around the squash so that they touch the baking sheet.
  3. Return to the oven for 10-15 mins until the pancetta and sage are crisp. Remove from the oven and set aside.
  4. In the Steam pot place the Rice with the 300ml stock and steam for 20 mins on rice setting.  Or you can use a pan on the hob, bring to boil the stock , add rice, cover, reduce to a simmer for about 20 minutes or until all the water is absorbed.
  5. Remove steam pot and add the ingredients to rice and mix through to warm through.
  6. Serve with grated parmesan.

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Steamed Chinese Chicken & Rice

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I got a Steam Pot with my Hotpoint Combi oven, so I decided to try something different to the normal fish and vegetables. Steam cooking is such a healthy way to cook as it keeps all the nutrients, moisture and structure in the food.

 

For the Chicken:-

2 Chicken Breasts – season with salt & pepper & crushed spiced red pepper (or chilli)

  1. Place 200ml of water into the steam pot and place the grid in the pot.
  2. Place the chicken breasts onto the grid plate and put on the lid.
  3. Select Steam Cooking and steam for 10 minutes.

Result:- perfect succulent juicy chicken

 

For the Rice:-

150g of Long grain and wild rice (approx 75g per person)

300ml of Chicken Stock

  1. Place the rice into the steam pot (remove the grid)
  2. Pour the stock into the rice and cover with the lid
  3. Cook on the rice setting for 18 minutes

Result:- perfectly cooked rice

 

I slightly cheated and bought some ready made Chow mein sauce which I heated up in a pan for a few minutes and poured over chicken and rice…..so yummy!

Serve with a Fortune Cookie! (For a bit of fun!)