Run-Away Wild Rice & Veggie Stuffed Chicken Legs

Organic/natural ingredients taste best.

chicklegsServes 6-8

A salad side is all you might want to round off this easy-to-make delight for your family & kids.

Looks like a lot but it’s not. Not much time? Refrigerate and make later.

You’ll need:

1 Cup Wild Rice
2 Cups Water or Organic Chicken Broth
1/2 teaspoon Salt

1 Medium finely diced Onion
1 Stalk finely diced Celery
2 Cups shredded Zucchini, about 2 medium
1 Cup Corn Niblets (frozen or fresh unsweetened)
3+ Tablespoons Pure Olive Oil (light)
Juice of 1/2 Lemon
2 teaspoons Dried Basil
2 teaspoons Dried Marjoram
1 Tablespoon fresh Parsley, finely chopped
1/4 Cup grated Parmesan (sweet) OR Romano (tangy)
1/2 – 3/4 teaspoon Pure Honey
Salt & Pepper
Cayenne Pepper, Pinch
1 Rounded Tablespoon Organic Cane or Brown Sugar
Sweet Paprika or Spanish for more heat
Cinnamon
About 3/4 Cup Organic Chicken Broth or till thin layer in baking dish
8 Bone-in and skin-on whole chicken leg quarters, salt rubbed and washed

*NOTE: You can add golden raisins or dried cranberries for a more complex taste layer. Even some wine. Experiment with white or medium bodied red. I left out garlic from this one, but, of course put it in to your taste if you want. Make it and then make it yours.

400 degree oven
Baking time: About 1-1/2 hours or until juice is clear from leg/thigh joint
One medium saucepan w/ cover
One heavy skillet (NOT nonstick)
One large mixing bowl
Glass or heavy ceramic/cast iron baking dish oiled, sprinkled with salt, pepper, paprika.
Aluminum Foil

To prepare:

Preheat oven. Wash wild rice through a strainer and turn into a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir/roast rice till dry and aromatic. Before adding water/broth run sides and bottom of saucepan under cold water tilting away from running water going around outside of pan only. This cools pan and prevents splattering when you add water/broth to rice. Add water/broth and salt. Cover. Bring to boil then turn down to simmer for about 45 minutes till rice is slightly al dente. When done turn out into large bowl to cool.

While rice is cooking heat 2 Tablespoons olive oil in heavy skillet on medium heat. Add onion and celery and sauté till onions are translucent about 5 minutes. Add zucchini and nibblets and sauté additional few minutes with pinch of salt adding more oil if necessary. Remove from heat and turn mixture into bowl. Add next nine ingredients adjusting to your taste, and mix thoroughly. When rice is cooled, add to veggie mix and allow to cool until you can handle it. Carefully insert fingers between skin and meat of each leg gently opening up a pocket as far down the leg as you can go. Fill each pocket with rice mixture pushing it back gently under the skin being careful not to tear it. As each leg is filled place in baking dish. When dish is filled, brush each leg with olive oil, top with salt, pepper, paprika, a very light sprinkling of sugar and cinnamon. Add chicken broth and cover. Bake 45 minutes. Uncover and bake additional 15-20+ minutes. Skins should be browned and crunchy. Leg/thigh joint juice should be clear. Serve with salad for a scrumptious one plate meal!

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ABOUT: Wellness Chef Helen Sandler
Lecturer, personal chef, teacher, wellness coach, & speaker, Helen promotes a healthier lifestyle through common sense, organic / natural approach to a happier, positive life.

Helen Sandler is used to being an innovator and at the cutting edge of whole foods whole grains awareness. After graduating from SUNY, New York with a teaching degree, she began to follow her real passion for healthy cooking which took her from Los Angeles to Boston to attend the cooking school of the late and great master Japanese natural chef, Aveline Kushi. Later that passion took her to Kyoto, Japan to continue her studies, where she spent four more years learning the art of healthy Japanese cooking (Seishoku).

As Wellnes Chef Helen she is the featured authority at CTNgreen /wellness with articles in the library there and the virtual paperless magazine at CTNGreen Magazine



970-618-0731
helskitchen@gmail.com