Arroz Con Pollo Lightened Up Food

ARROZ CON POLLO, LIGHTENED UP

Steps:

• Season chicken with vinegar, 1/2 tsp sazon, adobo and garlic powder and let it sit 10 minutes.
• Heat a large deep heavy skillet on medium, add 2 tsp oil when hot.
• Add chicken and brown 5 minutes on each side. Remove and set aside.
• Place onion, cilantro, garlic, scallions and pepper in mini food processor. Add remaining teaspoon of olive oil to the skillet and sauté onion mixture on medium-low until soft, about 3 minutes.
• Add tomato, cook another minute. Add rice, mix well and cook another minute.
• Add water, bouillon (be sure it dissolves well) and remaining sazon, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot.
• Taste for salt, should taste salty enough to suit your taste, add more as needed.
• Add chicken and nestle into rice, bring to a boil. Simmer on medium-low until most of the water evaporates and you see the liquid bubbling at the top of the rice line, then reduce heat to low heat and cover. Make sure the lid has a good seal, no steam should escape (You could place a piece of tin foil or paper towel in between the lid and the pot if steam escapes).
• Cook 20 minutes without opening the lid. Shut heat off and let it sit with the lid on an additional 10 minutes (don't peak!!!) Fluff with a fork and eat!

ARROZ CON POLLO

Steps:

• Combine the salt, garlic powder, cumin, black pepper and cayenne in a plastic gallon bag. Shake until the mixture is well combined.
• Pat the chicken dry and place in the bag with the spice mixture. Shake the bag, making sure the chicken is well coated.
• Heat the oil in a 12-inch high-sided skillet over high heat until hot but not smoking. Add the chicken and brown on all sides, about 6 minutes each side. Transfer the chicken to a plate, using tongs.
• Add the onions, green peppers, red peppers and 1/2 teaspoon salt to the skillet. Cook the vegetables over moderate heat, stirring, until softened and fragrant, about 7 minutes. Add the rice and garlic and cook until the rice begins to turn gold in color and fragrant, about 1 minute.
• Meanwhile, combine the stock, tomato sauce and remaining teaspoon salt in a medium bowl. Add 1 1/4 cups water and the stock mixture to the skillet and stir to make sure the rice is covered in liquid. Nestle the chicken in the rice, adding any juices from the plate. Bring the rice to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cover. Cook until the chicken is cooked through, the rice is tender and most of the liquid is absorbed, about 35 minutes. Let the skillet stand covered, about 10 minutes before serving.

ARROZ CON POLLO

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Heat vegetable oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat; cook and stir chicken pieces until browned, 5 to 10 minutes. Remove chicken with a slotted spoon and place on a plate. Cook and stir onion, green bell pepper, minced garlic, and whole garlic cloves in the same Dutch oven until onion is softened, about 5 minutes.
• Return chicken to the onion mixture. Add tomatoes, rice, salt, oregano, black pepper, and bay leaf. Pour in enough chicken stock to cover all the ingredients.
• Bake chicken-rice mixture in the preheated oven until rice is tender and chicken is no longer pink in the center and the juices run clear, about 1 hour and 30 minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted near the bone should read 165 degrees F (74 degrees C).
• Stir peas, olives, raisins, and pimento peppers into the chicken-rice mixture. Bake until warmed through, an additional 15 minutes.

ARROZ CON POLLO

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Put the chicken in an ovensafe baking dish. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Use tongs to turn the chicken and evenly coat. Bake for 15 minutes until browned but not cooked all the way through (it will finish cooking with the rice).
• Meanwhile, add the remaining tablespoon olive oil to a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the rice and stir to coat.
• Toast the rice, stirring occasionally, until it is lightly golden, about 2 minutes. Stir in the onion and garlic and continue cooking until the rice is just lightly browned and the vegetables are starting to soften, about 2 minutes more. Make sure the garlic does not brown.
• Add the tomato sauce, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, bouillon and 3 cups water. Stir to combine. Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce to a simmer and add the chicken to the rice in an even layer, skin-side up and not overlapping. Cover and cook until the rice is tender and the chicken is cooked through, about 20 minutes.

GOURMET ARROZ CON POLLO

Steps:

• Place 1/2 cup of olive oil in small pan and add the achiote.
• Heat on medium heat until bubbles form, then remove from heat and let steep.
• Drain achiote seeds from oil (should be a vibrant reddish-orange color).
• Place oil in large stockpot.
• Heat oil on high and place chicken pieces in pot and brown; this is done just to brown chicken NOT to cook it.
• Remove chicken from pot.
• Place diced onions, garlic, and peppers in pot with the achiote.
• Saute until soft (do not burn garlic).
• Put capers in pot and cook for a while with the onion mixture.
• Add rice to the pot with garlic, peppers, garlic and capers, then swirl rice into the mixture.
• Let the rice cook for just about a minute.
• Place cut up cilantro (or parsley) and basil in pot.
• Add in chicken broth and make sure you scrape the pot.
• Add chicken pieces back in.
• Put olives in and mix.
• Place bay leaves in pot.
• Check for seasonings (Please note: add salt and pepper at the end).
• Let the mixture cook on medium heat until the rice is done.
• Add peas just before serving.
• In another medium pot place peeled asparagus in water and boil until they turn bright green.
• Place in ice bath to stop the cooking process.
• To serve, place rice and chicken in a large platter.
• Arrange chicken pieces around platter and rice in the center.
• Place cooked asparagus around the platter and then place pimentos in the center.
• Enjoy!