When you are a kid in any part of the world it seems like “chicken and rice” is a staple type of food. How those components are dressed is different depending on time of year, climate, and culture but all those aside we can all agree we kinda love the simplicity of this dish. It is fall and I had a few friends show up unexpectedly at my house last night. I literally had NO idea they were coming with their two kids and fairly large German shepherd – coyote mix (Ryder) who is my tiny 9 lb rat terrier – chihuahua mix’s (Lola) best friend (I know it’s odd but adorable. Pics of Lola are posted below). That being said I had to make up food in a snap for an all omnivore crowd with one child that is citrus and citric acid intolerant. That means no tomatoes or lemon or orange or lime. Which, oddly, I use quite a bit. So I figured a nice chicken and rice dish with a pumpkin cream sauce sounded easy enough. I grabbed my steamer and away we went. I steamed Rice Select Royal Blend with Red Quinoa on the brown rice setting of my steamer/rice cooker with water salt and earth balance per the cartons instructions and then went off to make my pumpkin sauce.

The upside? They brought a raw vegan pumpkin pie that was sooo delicious. Thanks guys!

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(Lola and Ryder having dinner at Ryder’s house a few months ago)

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Chicken with a Creamy Sage Pumpkin Sauce

Ingredients:

• 1 Container Beyond Meat Chicken-less Strips (lightly salted)
• 1 can Pumpkin
• 2 tbsp dehydrated onion
• 1-2 tbsp Salt
• 2 pinches Ground Pepper
• 4 tbsp ground sage
• 1-2 tsp Thyme
• 2 tbsp granulated garlic
• 1/2 cup Daiya Mozzarella
• 1/4 – 1/2 cup Nutritional Yeast
• 1/2 cup Soy Creamer
• 1/4 cup Pacific Natural Foods Hazelnut Milk

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Cook:

1. Place medium to large sauce pan over medium heat.
2. Add all ingredients to sauce pan except chicken.
3. Dice chicken set aside.
4. Stir ingredients until mozzarella melts into the sauce.
5. Add chicken. Simmer covered for 15 minutes.
6. Serve over or beside rice.
7. Garnish with parsley and unsalted raw chopped pecans.

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Serves: 6.

WW Points for Chicken and Sauce: 4

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Food is Love.

The Hippie Gypsy

PHOTO of MY DOG LOLA with my Husband and I: