Recipe(tried): Chicken and Rice Arthur

Julee - Here's my favorite throw together meal. Arthur is the name of the person who gave me the original idea. Alas, it doesn't have exact measurements because it's more for using stuff up, but I'll try to give some ideas.

1 cup of long grain rice
2 cups of chicken or beef broth (depending on meat used)
1 pat of butter or margarine

Bring rice and broth to a boil, add in the butter, cover and turn the pot down to a simmer. Cook for as long as the package directions say for your rice. In the US, using Uncle Ben's Converted rice that would be 15 minutes. Turn off the fire and do NOT open the pot, but let it sit for another 5 minutes or more to steam.

Chop about 1/2 to 1 cup each of bell pepper, onion and celery. The amounts can vary with your own tastes but it's important to use all three.

Saute either boneless and skinless chicken breasts, tender beef or shrimp, even fish fillets work in this recipe. Add in the vegetables and saute until the onion is clear and the celery and pepper are tender.

Add in the cooked rice and season with Worcestershire sauce and soy sauce, salt, freshly groung black pepper and cayenne (red) pepper to taste.

If you want a more Italian taste, add in some drained canned tomatoes with the rice. If you want a mor Mexican/Southwestern taste, add in some chili powder with the salt and peppers or if you want a mor Cajun taste, add in some garlic powder and onion powder.

The whole complexity of the recipe changes with each thing you add to it. The only real constants are the soy and Worcestershire sauces and the Cajun trinity of bell pepper, onion and celery. It's great to throw in left over veggies or to use left over meat. It's a marvelou "dump" recipe that will clean out the fridge or just make a filling and wonderful one-dish supper on a Sunday night.