Chicken and rice

The five or less things:

• One chicken breast. About 8 ounces / 225 grams. Cut into bite sized pieces. Not frozen. Thaw it first. Frozen chicken takes longer to cook.
• One cup / 2.5 dl of white rice. Long grain or jasmine. The rice does not care. It just wants to be eaten.
• One cup / 2.5 dl of chicken broth or water. Broth adds more flavor. Water adds nothing. Use broth.
• A sprinkle of garlic powder.
• A sprinkle of salt and pepper.

Directions:

1. Step one: Rinse the rice in the inner pot. Add water, swirl, and pour it out. Repeat until the water runs mostly clear. This removes excess starch.
2. Step two: Cut the chicken into bite sized pieces. Use kitchen scissors. Faster than a knife. Fewer dishes.
3. Step three: Put the rice, chicken pieces, and broth into the inner pot. Add the garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Give it one stir. Just enough to combine.
4. Step four: Close the lid. Press the cook button. Walk away. The rice cooker will handle the rest.
5. Step five: When it beeps, leave the lid on for 10 minutes. The steam finishes the job. Do not peek. Peeking lets steam escape.
6. Step six: Open the lid. Fluff with a fork. The chicken should be cooked through. The rice should be tender. Cut a piece of chicken to check. If it is pink, close the lid and let it sit for 5 more minutes.
7. Step seven: Serve hot. This is a complete meal in one pot. No sides needed. Just a fork and a hungry stomach.

Note: This is the simplest one pot meal in the book. Chicken and rice. That is it. Swap the chicken for turkey or tofu. Swap the broth for vegetable broth. Add frozen vegetables for color. Add a splash of soy sauce for flavor. The recipe is a starting point. Make it your own.

Prep time: 5 minutes. Cook time: 20 to 25 minutes (depending on your rice cooker). Rest time: 10 minutes.