When my online grocery order arrived home last night, I had some curious substitutions. I do not blame anyone. The personal shoppers are doing the best they can these days with the supply they have to work with. They quite often give us something unexpected yet, in the end, it turns out to be very welcomed. One happy find in my grocery bags was canned fire-roasted tomato salsa in place of regular diced tomatoes. I would not have chosen them myself, but now that they are in the pantry, I figured I’d try them out in tonight’s dish.
Since the tomato salsa contains peppers and some of the spices called for in Arroz con Pollo, a bit of the prep work is accomplished for me, another plus on a busy evening. And considering my continued quest to get back on track with WW (formally known as Weight Watchers), I am using chicken breast along with brown and red Jasmine rice in this one-pot recipe. That will make it nearly zero Smart Points for me and very nutritious for anyone who wants to eat well. [Happy Dance.]
Arroz con Pollo
Ingredients
- 2 large chicken breasts, cut into one-inch cubes
- 2 tablespoons oil
- 1 large onion, diced
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons cumin
- 2 teaspoons oregano
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 ½ cups brown rice, rinsed
- 3 cups chicken stock
- 1 14.5-ounce can Fire-roasted tomato salsa or fire-roasted tomatoes
- 1/4 cup diced green chilis
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Mix the first four spices in a small bowl. Sprinkle over chicken cubes then toss chicken until evenly coated.
- In a Dutch oven, heat one tablespoon of oil over medium heat. Add chicken and cook until no longer pink. Remove from Dutch oven.
- Add remaining oil to Dutch oven, add onions and sauté for about two minutes. Add garlic, salt,cumin, oregano and black pepper. Cook one minute longer.
- Push onion mixture to one side, add rice to the pot. Cook, slightly toasting rice for about two minutes.
- Add the stock and salsa or tomatoes to Dutch oven. Add cooked chicken and give a stir. Bring to boil and reduce heat. Cover with a lid and place in oven. Cook until the rice is tender, and most of the liquid is absorbed about 1 hour and 15 minutes. Let the Dutch over stand uncovered, about 10 minutes before serving.
Never tell people how to do things. Tell them what to do and they will surprise you with their ingenuity.
George S. Patton