Slow Cooker Italian Lemon Chicken over "French" Oven Rice

Here's a recipe that appears frequently in my dinner rotation.  I found a similar recipe on Pinterest and of course I messed with it a little :).  It's really easy, flavorful, and excellent if you LOVE lemon like I do.  I serve it frequently over my "French " Oven Rice that one of my best friends in France makes quite a bit (it's not really a French recipe, I just call it French oven rice because my French friend taught me how to make it). I should also add that my  husband LOVE LOVE LOVES the oven rice.  Every time I make rice he asks me, "is this the oven rice?" It's SO good and SO easy!  Enjoy!

Slow Cooker Italian Lemon Chicken

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 3/4 cup flour
• 1 tsp. ground black pepper
• 4 tbsp. butter
• 1 packet Italian dressing mix (I use an Organic brand I like- you can also easily make it yourself)
• zest and juice of one lemon
• 1/2 cup chicken stock

Mix the flour and pepper together in a shallow dish.  Dredge each chicken breast in the flour so that both sides are evenly coated. Melt the butter in a large skillet and brown the chicken breasts, about 2 minutes on each side.  You don't need to cook the chicken though because it's going in the crock pot.  Place the browned chicken in the crock pot and sprinkle the Italian dressing mix evenly over the tops of the chicken breasts.  In a small bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, zest, and chicken stock.  Pour over the chicken breasts.  Cook on low for 4 hours.  

"French" Oven Rice

• 1 cup high quality long grain white rice - I use organic basmati.  (I've never tried this recipe with brown rice...if I ever do, I will let you know).
• 1 shallot, finely chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tsp. dried herbes de provence (or thyme), crushed
• 1/2 cup dry white wine (I like to use pinot gris or pinot grigio )
• 2 cups chicken stock
• 2 tbsp butter

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees. Rinse your rice for two minutes under cold water using a mesh strainer.  This is important because it releases the starch.  In a large deep sided, oven proof pot or dutch oven saute the shallot and garlic in the butter until very soft.  Add the rice and herbes de provence,  and saute another two minutes, coating the rice with butter, until very fragrant and beginning to toast.  Add in the white wine, and cook down another two minutes, stirring frequently.  Add in the chicken stock, bring to a boil, cover the pot with the lid and stick in the oven.  Bake 15 minutes, remove from the oven, fluff rice with a fork, cover, and let stand 5 more minutes.  Serve hot. YUM!

Until next time, happy and clean cooking!