A family meal always poised to become an all-time favorite is undoubtedly the colorful, exotic and Latin-American, Arroz con Pollo, or Chicken with Rice. The dish itself is super easy to cook and takes less than an hour. Not just popular in Latin-America, Americans love it for its low fat and high protein content, as well as its wide availability.
There is no question poultry has been a popular choice for the busy family and the supper table for many. A good pot of chicken and rice can be served as leftovers and also frozen if prepared in large quantities for future meals. It’s great all year round, but a special winter favorite.
Most families are well-versed in food-safety, and it is still helpful to keep in mind some tips for healthy preparation and consumption of poultry. Many people thaw frozen chicken on the kitchen counter at room temperature overlooking bacteria thrives in that environment.
The all- around safest way to thaw chicken is in the refrigerator. If you are in a hurry, try placing the frozen chicken in a bowl of water and let it stay at room temperature for about thirty minutes. You can continue the process by replacing the water several times until the chicken is thawed. It’s safer, but does take awhile. Alternatively, take the chicken out of the freezer the night before and place in the refrigerator overnight to thaw completely.
Another way to handle poultry safely,, is to check the “sell by” date on the package. Also keep in mind poultry should not be dry looking, but rather soft and smooth. When shopping in the supermarket, pick up your poultry last and make sure it is bagged separately from other foods to avoid getting raw poultry juices on them. You want to take care to prevent salmonella contamination whenever possible.
To prepare Arroz con Pollo you will need:
3-4 pounds of assorted chicken pieces (I love to use the breast and legs)
Use a ¼ of extra virgin olive oil, or vegetable oil
One chopped red onion, one chopped red pepper
Two cloves of minced garlic
1 cup of uncooked rice
2 1/2 cups of chicken broth
½ cup of tomato sauce
1/8 tsp. Of saffron
¼ cup of pimento stuffed olives, if desired
One cup of frozen peas( or any green vegetable of choice)
Use salt and pepper to taste and saffron for color
As an option, you can add a little bit of curry powder, if available.
You can brown the chicken in a large, heavy skillet over medium heat and then remove the chicken and drain off the oil on paper towels.
Stir in the other ingredients after sauting the onion and minced garlic.
Add the rice, the chicken broth and drained chicken parts.
Bring to a boil, cover and reduce heat so you can simmer mixture for about 25 minutes until chicken and rice are tender.
This mixture makes four servings.
-Written by Jackie O’Neal (You may not reprint this article.)
To learn more, check out the Mom’s Talk eBook’s Freezing It & Loving It!
