I've always thought blueberries have a bit of an earthy taste...almost like basil. So I made a recipe in my head...tasted it in my head for a few days, and made it in real life. And it was good.
And then I went online shopping because I needed a reward (Nordstrom, J.Crew, Gap, AND Anthro have all been having awesome sales this last week. My husband has a voice he does when he's making fun of me explaining that so-and-so had a deal going on....so I bought such-and-such amount and saved such-and such. It's a thing we do.)
Rice pilaf is such an easy side dish, and can be tailored about a million different ways. Do Indian with raisins or currants, and all sorts of yummy, warm spices. I did a mellow, earthy pilaf with coriander, green onions, parsley, and toasted almonds.
Butter, garlic, white onion, and coriander in your pan. Add basmati brown rice, toast about 5 minutes until golden, add stock and a couple grinds of salt and black pepper, cover and simmer 50 minutes. Toss with green onion, parsley, and toasted almond slices.
Cook down your blueberries in a little coconut oil (canola works as well), add a handful or two of chopped basil, a splash of balsamic vinegar (I used white, but regular would work for a stronger flavor), and simmer until they've lost most of their juice.
Buy yourself some happiness and get some thinly-sliced chicken breasts. Whoever said money doesn't buy happiness was wrong. Lies, all lies.
Roll up tightly, secure with toothpicks, set in an oiled pan, cover, and bake about 20 minutes.
My husband hates it when I mix fruity with savory, he just doesn't get it. BUT he loved this. The blueberry takes on this entirely new flavor that just works, really. Not sweet, not fruity, just perfect.
  
Summer called. It wants you to eat all the blueberries.
Blueberry Basil Chicken with Rice Pilaf
Ingredients
Blueberry Basil Chicken
- 4 thinly-sliced chicken breasts pre-sliced, or two chicken breasts sliced in half with a long, thin knife
- 2 c blueberries rinsed
- 1 Tablespoon coconut oil or canola
- 1 Tablespoon balsamic vinegar white or regular
- several handfuls of basil
- salt and pepper
- oil spray coconut or canola
- 2 oz. goat cheese crumbles
Rice Pilaf
- 2 Tablespoon butter or any oil
- ¼ c white onion minced
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- ½ Tablespoon ground coriander
- 1 ½ c brown basmati rice
- 3 c stock chicken or vegetable
- 2 green onions thinly sliced
- handful parsley chopped
- â…“ c sliced almonds toasted
- salt and pepper
Instructions
- For Rice Pilaf, melt butter in large sauté pan over medium heat. Add minced white onion, garlic, and coriander. Sauté 3 minutes. Add brown basmati rice. Cook until lightly golden and toasty, about 5 minutes.
- Pour in stock, season with salt and pepper. Cover and bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Simmer 50 minutes on low heat.
- Turn heat off and let rice rest another 10 minutes. Gently fluff in (with a fork) green onion, parsley, and toasted almonds. Cover and let rest until ready to serve.
- For Blueberry Basil Chicken, melt coconut oil in pan over medium heat. Add blueberries and handful of chopped basil. Let cook until blueberries have lost most of their juices and been reduced. Add in balsamic vinegar.
- Preheat oven to 375. Lay thin chicken slices out and season with salt and pepper both sides. Spray with cooking oil. Spread thin layer of blueberry basil reduction over each chicken breast, top with more chopped basil, then goat cheese crumbles. Roll each breast up tightly, secure with toothpicks, and lay each bundle in baking dish sprayed with oil. Cover with foil, bake about 20 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink. Serve with rice pilaf.
Erin V says
It is sooo pretty to look at, and I love the pilaf idea
Adrian Nypaver says
Chicken turned out too dry. It needs some kind of sauce with it. This is a good concept but needs some tweaking.
Adrian Nypaver says
Also directions need to be more specific about how much to reduce blueberry liquid by. It wasn't very clear in recipe.