recipe review: skillet chicken & rice with corn and tomatoes

what happens when boneless skinless chicken breasts go on sale? you buy lots of them, and then you find yourself asking "wtf are we gonna do with all this chicken?" ok, maybe not in those exact words, but you get my drift.

anyway - i had this america's test kitchen recipe in my files and figured it was worth trying out. i'm copying it here b/c atk requires a login to view recipes and i'm guessing that some of y'all (myself included, actually) don't have an account with them.

Serves 4

To remove corn kernels from the cob: Use a chef’s knife to cut the cobs in half horizontally, and then stabilize the cobs by standing them on their cut ends before slicing the kernels from the cob. You can substitute 1½ cups frozen corn if fresh corn is not available.

1 cup long-grain white rice
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
Salt and pepper
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1½ pounds)
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
8 scallions, white parts minced, green parts sliced thin
3 ears corn, kernels removed from cobs
2 garlic cloves, minced
1½ teaspoons ground cumin
1 pint cherry tomatoes, quartered
1 teaspoon grated zest plus 1 tablespoon juice from 1 lime

1. Combine rice, 1 cup broth, and ¾ teaspoon salt in microwave-safe bowl. Cover and microwave until liquid is absorbed, 10 to 12 minutes. Pat chicken dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Cook chicken until golden brown, about 4 minutes per side. Transfer to plate.

2. Heat remaining oil in empty skillet. Cook scallion whites and corn until softened, about 3 minutes. Stir in garlic and cumin and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

3. Stir rice and remaining broth into skillet and bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, nestle chicken into rice, and cook, covered, until liquid is absorbed and chicken is cooked through, about 10 minutes. Transfer chicken to platter. Stir tomatoes, lime zest, and lime juice into skillet with rice and cook until heated through, about 1 minute. Stir in scallion greens and season with salt and pepper. Serve with chicken.

i used frozen corn - it is february, after all, but if i made this during farmers market season, i'd probably go with fresh. i think i only used 4-5 scallions, instead of the 8 called for the recipe. i think i had the stove turned up too high and the rice was starting to stick, so i added a little more chicken broth toward the end; maybe 1/2 cup or so. i'd make this again. when sweet delicious swine is back in my life on a quasi-regular basis (read: when i once again have a place of my own), i'll probably try it with boneless pork chops or sliced pork tenderloin.