Curried Chicken Legs with Carrots, Rice, and Lime

Serves 4
Recipe from Martha Stewart Everyday Food Magazine
Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen

This tasty dish was really quick to make with just a few ingredients. Here I’ve packed a portion of it in my Easy Lunch Box http://www.easylunchboxes.com/ along with kiwi (which I scoop out with a spoon) and a mixture of dried apricots, pecans and golden raisins for a very healthy and satisfying lunch. The curry powder really adds a wonderful flavor to this dish. When your family comes home and this dinner is baking in the oven, they will run to the kitchen to see what smells so good!
In this tasty chicken recipe, lime zest adds fragrance to rice, while lime juice gives carrots a citrus kick. I have a rice cooker, so I made the rice by following the rice directions beneath the chicken recipe. If you don’t have a rice cooker, follow the recipe as written or make No-Fail Big Batch Brown Rice.
2 packages of chicken drumsticks, about 3 pounds (You can also use chicken thighs.)Cooking spray (I used olive oil cooking spray)1 tablespoon curry powder
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
2 pounds carrots, cut into 2-inch lengths, halved or quartered lengthwise, if thick
1 cup brown basmati rice or make No-Fail Big Batch Brown Rice
2 limes (zest the limes and set aside the zest for flavoring the rice later)
Directions
Preheat oven to 475 degrees.
Rinse the drumsticks and pat dry. Place chicken in the center of a large rimmed baking sheet; spray with cooking spray and then season with curry powder, salt, and pepper. Scatter carrots around chicken. Roast, occasionally brushing chicken and tossing carrots with pan drippings, until chicken is cooked through, and an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part of thigh (avoiding bone) registers 165 degrees, about 35 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a small saucepan with a lid, bring 2 cups water to a boil; season with salt and pepper. Add rice; return to a boil. Stir, and reduce heat to low. Cover, and simmer 18 to 20 minutes. Remove from heat, and scatter lime zest over rice. Cover pan, and let steam 5 to 10 minutes.
Transfer chicken to a plate. Sprinkle lime juice over carrots (still on hot baking sheet); toss, scraping up and incorporating any browned bits. Fluff rice gently with a fork; serve with chicken and carrots.

Rice Cooker Brown Basmati RiceRinse 1 cup brown basmati rice well and drain. Add to the rice cooker. Pour 2 cups water over the rice. Add ¼ teaspoon salt and 1 Tablespoon unsalted butter to the rice cooker. Close the lid and set the rice cooker on the brown rice setting and press the cook button. When the rice is done, open the lid and scatter the lime zest over the rice. Cover and allow the rice to steam for 5 to 10 minutes.

No-Fail Big Batch Brown Rice in the Oven