Arroz con Pollo (Chicken and Rice)

The first time I tried this next dish was in 2010, when I made my first trip back to Cuba; this was my first trip back in over 10 years.  I stayed a couple of days with my parents at one of their friend’s house.  There Odalys, the nice lady whose house we stayed at, made this awesomely delicious meal for us.  I was watching her chop onions, dice red peppers and mince garlic.  I asked her what she was preparing for us and she told me “Arroz con Pollo” (chicken and rice). The chicken and rice I knew was when my mom cooked chicken in a tomato sauce (Pollo en Salsa) poured over white rice.  She explained that Arroz con Pollo was and infusion of chicken and rice.  

It was so flavorful and delicious that I still remember it until this day, so I decided to take a shot at and make it myself.  I had never made Arroz con Pollo before, but it turned out surprisingly delicious considering it was my first time cooking it.  I will definitely cook  Arroz con Pollo more often now.  Well here is my recipe.

Ingredients:

     2lbs of chicken (skin on)

  1 8oz can of tomato sauce

    1 small bag of frozen peas

   1 bay leaf

2 tsps of cumin (divided)

 1 red bell pepper

4 cups of rice

6 cups of chicken stock

 ¼ cup of oil (olive, vegetable or whatever you prefer)

 Salt and pepper to taste

 ½ tsp. of oregano plus a pinch more for chicken

I added half of a large Hillshire Farm smoked sausage link*

1 tsp. of turmeric or 1 packet of Goya with Saffron (found on the Hispanic Foods isle at most supermarkets).

Instructions:

• In a bowl combine the chicken, pinch of oregano and 1 tsp. of cumin, add salt and pepper to taste.  Let it stand for a few minutes.

• Then mince the garlic, chop the onion and cut the red pepper into strips.  Turn the stove to medium and in a wide, shallow pan add the oil and heat it. Make sure the pan has a tight fitting lid.

• Add the chicken and cook until brown all over (about 8 to 10 minutes).  Remove the chicken and set aside. Then add the onion, garlic, and pepper to the oil, cook for about 2 minutes. Be careful not to burn the garlic.

• At this point add the chicken stock, can of tomato sauce, and beer.  Add the bay leaf, cumin, oregano, peas, turmeric or packet of Goya with saffron, and cooked chicken.  (If you included the sausage like me add it at this point too).

• Add the rice and more salt and pepper to taste.  Stir everything and place a lid on the pan. Reduce the heat to low.

• Let the rice cook for about 20 minutes or until the liquid is absorbed and the rice is cooked.  Fluff the rice with a fork and Enjoy!

Arroz Imperial/ Imperial Rice

Arroz Imperial/ Imperial rice is my go to comfort food.  It is composed of layers of rice, mayonnaise, shredded chicken or beef, ham, and cheese.  The preparation process is lengthy but definitely worth it.  Whenever I make it I try to invite a few people over since I make a lot of it  because is very easy to go overboard with the portions. 

It is definitely not the typical Arroz con Pollo (chicken and rice) but a delicious rice, chicken, and ham bake.  This recipe calls for two of my favorite things to eat, one is cheese and the other one is red bell pepper. I can eat one whole red bell or even two at a time (raw, grilled, etc...).

I’m obsessed with cheese so I always put a little extra on anything that calls for it. Remember when cheese is involved there is no way you can go wrong when adding tons of it.  I know adding mayonnaise to rice is a bit strange, but mayo helps the rice stay nice and moist during the baking time. I accompany with a cucumber salad (just cucumbers with vinegar and salt) and fried sweet plantains.  Enjoy!

Ingredients

·  3lbs. chicken breast

·  1 cup medium onion, chopped and divided into two ½ cups.

· 1 red bell pepper, chopped

· 4 large garlic cloves, minced

·  2 tbsp. cooking wine

·  5 cups long grain rice

·  1 cup mayonnaise

·  2 cups shredded cheese(as preferred, I use mild Cheddar)

·  1 8oz can tomato sauce

·  salt & pepper, to taste

·  1 tbsp. cumin

·  1 tbsp. oregano

·  1 bay leaf

·  About 3-4 tbsps. Extra Virgin Olive Oil

·   pimento peppers, for garnish

·   2 cups of Hickory smoked ham (processed in a food processor so is very fine)

·   1 1/2 tbsps. Turmeric

 Instructions

1. Wash chicken and place in a heavy pot with enough water to cover the chicken. Add ½ cup onion and 2 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped. Add salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil, then simmer uncovered until the meat starts to fall apart.
2. Remove the chicken and reserve the broth to cook the rice with. After chicken has cooled, shred the chicken using a fork. Set aside.
3. Make the “Sofrito” by first setting the heat on medium, pour in enough olive oil to cover the bottom of your saucepan and add the chopped green peppers first. Sauté for about 5 minutes and then add the rest of the onions. Continue to sauté for another 5 minutes then add salt, pepper, cumin, oregano, bay leaf and garlic. Sauté an additional 2-3 minutes, making sure not to burn the garlic. Your onions should be transparent. Raise your stove top temperature to high and immediately add your cooking wine and tomato sauce cook for about 1 minute.
4. Add the chicken to the Sofrito mixture and cook on high for about 2 minutes. Set aside the chicken mixture.
5. Cook the rice either in a rice cooker or a heavy pot. First wash the rice and drain the dirty water.  Then add 5 cups of the chicken broth you had set aside to the rice, stir. Add the Turmeric until rice is a nice yellow color. Bring rice to a boil, then cover and reduce to a simmer for about 20 minutes, until the rice is cooked. 
6. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
7. In a 13x9 foil pan, start by spreading one medium layer of rice across followed by a layer of evenly spread mayonnaise and a layer of the 2 cups of ham. Then repeat another layer of rice, mayonnaise and add a layer of the chicken that was set aside. Top it off by adding another layer of rice followed by a layer of the cheese.
8. Bake for 15-20 minutes. The cheese should be melted.
9. Garnish the completed dish with strips of pimento.



Camarones al Ajillo (Garlic Shrimp)

I chose Camarones al Ajillo or Garlic Shrimp for my next recipe.  This recipe is one of my top 5 favorite dishes to cook, for I am a seafood lover; of course, being born in an island is always a plus. The recipe consists of shrimp marinated in a garlic butter sauce with lemon juice, and in my case a few tablespoons of cooking wine to give it a boost of flavor. 

I’m not a big fan of garlic, but this recipe is simply to die for (what a contradiction). Camarones al Ajillo is just an extremely easy dish to make, but is nothing short of decadent; I’m sure all of you will be pleased with the outcome.  My boyfriend loves it so much that I have to buy three pounds of shrimp, so I can make enough for us two. I like it over white rice accompanied with an avocado salad (avocados peeled and seeded dressed with vinegar and salt) and fried sweet plantains which are ripe plantains deep fried until nice and brown (the longer they fry the sweeter they get). I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!

 

 

Ingredients

 

 

3 pounds of uncooked shrimp (clean and peeled)
1 Lime
6 tablespoons of butter
3 tablespoons of cooking wine
9 cloves of garlic
3 tablespoons of Italian Parsley
salt and pepper to taste

 

 

Instructions

 

 



1.       Start by  mincing (finely) the cloves of garlic. Then mince the parsley leaves into three tablespoons.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2.       In a pan melt the butter on medium heat and brown the garlic. Do it carefully so the garlic does not burn because the dish will taste bitter.

 

 

  

3.       Add the cooking wine and let it cook on medium for 1 minute. 

 

 

 

 4.       Squeeze the entire lemon and combine the juice in the pan and let it cook for a 30 seconds.

 

 

 

 

5.       Now add the shrimp and mix well with the rest of the ingredients.  Add pepper and salt to taste (I love pepper so I add about 2 teaspoons of it) cover the pan for at least 2 minutes on medium heat.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

6.       When the 2 minutes are up turn the heat to high and let it the shrimp cook for about 5 to 10 minutes depending on how well you like your shrimp cooked. Do not cover the pan at this point so the liquid can reduce a bit. Once the liquid is reduced to your liking you can poor it over rice and enjoy!



Ropa Vieja

This next recipe is one of Cuba’s most famous dishes called Ropa Vieja which literally translates to Old Clothes, funny name but a seriously delicious dish. Like the flan recipe, the recipe for Ropa vieja differs from province to province in Cuba. I’m from the province of Pinar del Rio which is located at the western end of Cuba.  Pinar, as we call it, is well known for its beautiful natural settings and tobacco cultivations. The most notable natural setting in Pinar is the Valley of Viñales. With soaring pine trees and and limestone cliffs it is the perfect setting for hiking and outdoor activities. In the valley you will also find luscious farms of tobacco crops. Tobacco farming is the number one source for Pinar’s economy as it produces 70% of Cuba’s tobacco crops. Along with the recipe I will also include pictures of my last trip to Pinar del Rio, Cuba, so you can see for yourself the beauty that is my Pinar. Enjoy!

                   Ingredients

1.       2 ½ pounds of beef ( bottom round roast)  

2.       2 cloves of garlic

3.       ½ red pepper

4.       ½ green pepper

5.       1/3 cup of green olives

6.       1 teaspoon of cumin

7.       ¾ of an onion

8.       1 8oz can of tomato sauce

9.       ¾ cup of cooking wine

10.   1 bay leaf

11.   3 tablespoons of oil

 

 

 

Directions

 





 

 

1.       First, start by turning your stove to high and filling ¾ of a pot with water. Place the beef in the pan pot and let it cook for about 1 to ½ hours or until the meat is tender. Once it is tender take the meat out and let it cool.

 

 

 

 

2.       Once the meat is cool start to pull it apart to shred it.

3.       Mince the garlic, cut the onion in rounds, and cut the peppers.

4.       In a large pan heat the oil on high. When the oil is hot, cook the garlic and onion for one minute making sure they don’t burn. Incorporate the peppers and cook for another minute.

5.       Add the cooking wine, tomato sauce, cumin, bay leaf, and green olive and cook for 3 minutes.

 

 

6.       Now add meat and mix with the sauce and cook for an additional 5 minutes on medium heat. Make sure there is a lid on the pan so the vapor is trapped in.

 

7.       Now that the meat is done you can pour it over white rice and enjoy!