Dinner Ideas: Chicken and Rice - Persian Style

Got rice? Got chicken? Let's do this!

Many cultures have a chicken and rice recipe.  It's a universal comfort food combination found all over the world.  A recipe that I really like is "Chicken and Rice - Persian Style".  It's the saffron spice and the dried cherries that make this rice super good!!

Persian Sour Cherry Saffron Rice (Polow)

• Persian Roasted Chicken with Cherry-Saffron Rice
• Tah-Chin - Persian Upside Down Layered Saffron Rice & Chicken
• World Cuisine : Potatoes or Rice? Rice! It Has Jewels!! (Instead of cherries, this recipe uses pomegranate.)

White Ceramic Bowls Set of 4

Here are some well-known versions from different regions:

🌍 Asia

• Hainanese Chicken Rice (Singapore/Malaysia) – Poached chicken served with fragrant rice cooked in chicken fat and broth, accompanied by chili sauce and ginger paste.

• Arroz Caldo (Philippines) – A rich, gingery rice porridge with chicken, often topped with scallions, garlic, and calamansi.

• Chicken Biryani (India/Pakistan) – Fragrant basmati rice layered with spiced chicken, saffron, and fried onions.

• Congee (China) – A comforting rice porridge sometimes made with chicken and flavored with soy, ginger, and scallions.

🌍 Middle East & North Africa

• Kabsa (Saudi Arabia) – Spiced rice and chicken dish with cardamom, cinnamon, and raisins.

• Maqluba (Levant) – A layered rice, chicken, and vegetable dish that’s flipped upside down before serving.

• Chicken with Yellow Rice (Morocco) – Often cooked with turmeric, saffron, and preserved lemon.

🌍 Europe

• Arroz con Pollo (Spain/Latin America) – Literally “rice with chicken,” featuring saffron or annatto and bell peppers.

• Risotto con Pollo (Italy) – Creamy Arborio rice with chicken and Parmesan.

• Greek Lemon Chicken and Rice (Avgolemono-inspired) – Roasted or simmered chicken with lemony rice and herbs.

🌍 Americas

• Southern Chicken and Rice (U.S.) – A creamy casserole or stovetop dish with chicken, broth, and vegetables.

• Arroz con Pollo (Latin America) – Varies by region — Cuban, Puerto Rican, and Colombian versions differ in spices and vegetables.

Do you have a favorite chicken and rice recipe?

Home Cooking: Dishes My Mom Used to Make: Oxtail Stew

Are there any dishes that your mom used to make when you were growing up that you thought were incredibly delicious? Real comfort food. Dishes that are even more comforting when you think back fondly on that dish or those dishes and realize that you never learned the recipe or how to prepare it for your own family!

My mom used to cook oxtail stew.

My mother is passed away now. I never got her recipe. Of course, you can Google oxtail stew and find a bazillion recipes. But I’ll bet none of them will taste like the stew my mom used to make. Nevertheless, if you’ve never eaten a hearty bowl of oxtail stew and would like try, here are a few recipes.

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Southern Slow Cooker Smothered Oxtails https://t.co/n86Qfb75VV #comfortfood pic.twitter.com/v0BG2fnMuM

— Everyday Exotic Spices Presents Food Ways (@EverydaySpices) April 4, 2024

" Slowly braised oxtail" is a dish made by braising oxtail in a rich sauce with vegetables and other ingredients.... Braised Oxtail Recipe https://t.co/OmjDzQLY1J @thespruceeatss @EverydaySpices pic.twitter.com/Ge38H0XQD2

— Treathyl Fox (aka cmoneyspinner) ~ #Freelancer (@cmoneyspinner) April 4, 2024

Korean Oxtail Soup (Kkori Gomtang) https://t.co/KMYm9vlX5B via @HipFoodieMom1

— Everyday Exotic Spices Presents Food Ways (@EverydaySpices) April 26, 2018

Spanish-Style Oxtails Braised with Chorizo Recipe | Epicurious https://t.co/HmGFjzVXQm @epicurious @EverydaySpices pic.twitter.com/lBUfZkUKlS

— Treathyl Fox (aka cmoneyspinner) ~ #Freelancer (@cmoneyspinner) April 4, 2024

SICHUAN PEPPERCORN RED BRAISED OXTAIL – Lady and Pups #foodblogs https://t.co/9GbVH4mlxB pic.twitter.com/JI6oizMYWi

— Treathyl Fox (aka cmoneyspinner) ~ #Freelancer (@cmoneyspinner) April 4, 2024

Chinese Braised Oxtail Recipe - The Woks of Life https://t.co/gev3K2ANA9 pic.twitter.com/mFxWMjgGag

— Treathyl Fox (aka cmoneyspinner) ~ #Freelancer (@cmoneyspinner) April 4, 2024

New Oxtail Recipe just went live https://t.co/JHe7o2twws pic.twitter.com/jl4guSpvw9

— Matt Price (Mr. Make It Happen) (@MrMake1tHappen) March 31, 2024

Saboriza Fresh Meats Supply - Healthy, Clean & Organic Beef - Fresh #Groceries for #QuickAndEasy #Cooking - Ideal for Everyday #Family Meal at Home (Oxtail, 1 lb - 2 Pack) https://t.co/z25HpjGqTb via @amazon pic.twitter.com/SnhhPG6eOe

— Everyday Exotic Spices Presents Food Ways (@EverydaySpices) April 4, 2024

Grace Caribbean Traditions Oxtail Seasoning (2 Pack) 5.43 oz Shakers https://t.co/HJTBzcVFw1 via @amazon #groceries #Seasonings #Cooking #soulfood pic.twitter.com/5EkagD84Ea

— Everyday Exotic Spices Presents Food Ways (@EverydaySpices) April 4, 2024

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Recall fond memories of the smells from your mother’s kitchen? Ready to fill your bowls?

* * *
NOTE:  This is my original content first published April 2018 at Virily, a social blogging community ~ Dishes My Mom Used to Make: Oxtail Stew

Food Blog Spotlight : A Fall Neapolitan Style Dinner | jovinacooksitalian (Reblog)

Have you ever found a food blogger or food blog that is undeniably magnificent? Several years back I came across this woman's blog and am so happy to find that it is still being published. Her posts not only have great recipes but great food history too!


This one that is being shared as a reblog is perfect because it's for the fall season and it's about Italy, one of those places on my bucket list of "Places to Visit".  Will likely never realize that dream but dreaming about it is a wonderful thing.

Dream Italian?  Think Italian.  Be Italian!

The post begins by giving the reader a quick history of Neopolitan cuisine.  Neopolitan is a cuisine?  Only ever knew it to be a flavor for ice-cream!  In 3 short paragraphs, she took me from ancient Greece and Rome to modern-day Italy and the United States.  Then she set forth an entire Neopolitan dinner, recipes and all, from the first course to the dessert.  Of course, I skipped the courses and went straight to the dessert.  But that's just me!  :)


This blog post is dated 2013.  Liked it then.  Like it now!  The image from her post is an Italian Apple cake.  Isn't it gorgeous?!!

 

A Fall Neapolitan Style Dinner | jovinacooksitalian

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Which do you choose? Potatoes, Pasta, or Rice?

No offense to all the potato and pasta lovers out there but if I have to choose, I’ll ask for rice dish any day. I love rice like Oprah loves bread! I know I’m not the only one. All around the world people love to share the rice recipes they serve at home. The dishes are so popular, locals will ask for it even when they’re out dining in a restaurant. It doesn’t matter that they can get the same dish at home.

Rice is the King of Crops

You could say that rice is the king of crops. Here’s why. According to historical records and documents, rice cultivation began in China and spread across Asia. As empires expanded and foreigners came to know one another via exploratory travels, the crop made its way to Africa and parts of Europe. The Europeans brought rice to America. Nowadays rice is everywhere. It is a staple food and many populations survive because the people are given a bowl of rice a day. “Rice has fed more people over a longer period of time than any other crop.” (Quote Source)

Bahamian Pigeon Peas and Rice

My family tree is Bahamian. I grew up eating pigeon peas and rice and always thought it was a uniquely Bahamian dish. But then my Puerto Rican friend told me they eat it a lot where she comes from too! The way they make it in Puerto Rico is slightly different but it’s still delicious. It is my all-time favorite rice recipe because it has ties to my heart.

Rice and peas or peas and rice is a traditional food in Africa. Everybody knows that Africans were brought to the Caribbean, The Bahamas, and the United States, by way of the slave trade. It makes sense that the people simply adapted and modified recipes they remembered from home, to suit their new environment. In The Bahamas, pigeon pea is a crop that is harvested regularly. Peas n’ rice started out as a one-pot meal, a sort of survival food for the islanders and those who farmed the land. Starch, meat, and veggies were all in one pot. The meat included in the recipe was usually salt pork or bacon. (You can change the recipe and do vegetarian or vegan-style. It’s OK!)

Over time, the locals and travelers or visitors to the island country grew to love peas n’ rice and as of today, it has become a common side dish. It almost always makes an appearance at everyday meals served at home and it is expected to be served as one of the sides at any restaurant, much like how American expect their french fries.
Would you be interested in trying this true Bahamian “must eat”? It’s easy to make! Bahamian Pigeon Peas & Rice

Other Rice Recipes and Food History

Even though I am familiar with Bahamian pigeon peas n’ rice because that’s my roots, there are other rice dishes I like eating just as much. Chinese fried rice. Paella. Biryani. Persian rice. ALL YUM!

No doubt each of these rice dishes have their own similar food history. Similar, that is to say, very likely started out as food for the commoners but tasted so good everybody wanted to eat some ~ the commoners and the aristocrats or rich folks.

Below are links to a collection of rice recipes that are sure to please, with a few historical tidbits mixed in to enhance the joy of eating.

Asian Rice Recipes

Chinese Fried Rice ~ You can do vegetarian-style or add small pieces of meat. The recipe actually came about as a way of using up leftover rice. The earliest historical records dates its origination to the Sui dynasty (589–618 CE).

Chicken Biryani ~ There are vegetarian versions, but I like the chicken. There are very strong opinions that biryani should be the National Dish of India, even though “biryani” is derived from the Persian word “birian” which means “fried before cooking.” Many give credit to the Mughals for creating the biryani dish, but some say there were similar dishes being eaten in India long before the establishment of the Mughal Empire. So let’s just say they took a common recipe and made it their own once they took over!

European and Middle-Eastern Rice Recipes

Seafood Paella ~ Paella originated in Valencia, Eastern Spain. It is a fusion of 2 cultures: Arab Moors and the natives of Spain. As to its history? One story goes that this rice dish was created by cooks using leftovers to give to the king’s guests to take home from the banquets.

Persian Rice ~ Also called Persian Wedding Rice or Iranian Jeweled Rice. It’s made with fruits and nuts. Iran which was once known as Persia, and was at one time an “ancient super power”; meaning the rulers conquered a lot of peoples who had different cultures. Iranian cuisine or Persian food has been influenced by many cultures. Hard to tell what originated from what resulted from the fusion or the blend. “Iran’s food has a rich and illustrious backstory that tells the tale of conquerors, explorers, and merchants all leaving their mark on Persian cuisine.” (Quote Source)

Which do you choose? Potatoes, Pasta, or Rice?

Original Source

Foodie Friday: Dinner Idea: Chicken with Blackberry Salsa

In Texas people love their salsa.  They put it on everything!  Breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks!  But it's not the sweet salsa.  It's the spicy made with tomatoes and lime juice.  As I did more foodie research, I began to find that there are many variations for a salsa recipe.  For me, the spicy or the sweet recipe is fantastic!.  They make great condiments and really enhance the flavor of your meats.   If you like sweet and savory dishes you'll probably enjoy this recipe. 

Grilled Chicken With Blackberry Salsa Recipe
| Mix and Match Mama