Arroz con Pollo (Rice with Chicken)
February 15, 2009 | Filed Under Ecuadorian Recipes, Poultry, Rice | 20 Comments
We all know that there are different variations of Arroz con Pollo (Rice with Chicken) and depending on the country or region, it is made a little differently.
Ever since I discovered this particular rice recipe below, I’ve been making it at least once a week. Each time, my rice becomes better and better. I HEART it. Actually, I PUFFY HEART it. This Ecuadorian-style rice with chicken recipe has become my favorite rice recipe. When I first saw it, some of its ingredients, like beer or wine, intrigued me. Rice cooked with beer or wine? I used the wine and found that worked really well. The rice had an extra special taste.
I enjoyed everything in the rice — the seasoned chicken, the carrots, the tomatoes…. Thankfully, I didn’t have much trouble with the amount of water in relation to the amount of rice. Normally when I make these chicken rice dishes (see my jollof rice), I usually end up with too much water or too little water, making my rice soggy or dry. Uggh! Fortunately my rice turned out very well with this recipe and the more I made it, the better it turned out.
As suggested, I served the chicken rice with ripe fried plantains and pickled onions. Other times, I served it with a side salad, avocado slices and aji criollo (Ecuadorian hot sauce). It depended on what I had in the kitchen.
When one of my brothers stops by and I prepare this rice, he makes sure to take some home in some tupperware. The boy never brings back the tupperware. *sigh*
Now. I have a confession about the Arroz con Pollo photo above. While I’ve made rice and chicken several times, in this particular instance, you are looking at rice with turkey wings (the only part of the turkey that I like). I can happily write that the rice with turkey turned out just fine. The photo is of my leftovers, which I took to work the next day. Thanks, Laylita for the recipe.
Paz (the riceaholic)
Arroz con Pollo (Rice with Chicken)
Ingredients:
3 lbs chicken, assorted pieces
1 tbs achiote powder
½ tbs ground coriander
10 garlic cloves, crushed
2-3 tbs oil or butter1 white onion, diced, about 2 cups
2 celery stalks, finely diced
4 roma tomatoes, peeled and diced
1 cup beer or white wine
1 to 1 ½ cup water or broth
2 medium carrots, diced
1 cup peas, fresh or frozen
3 tbs finely chopped cilantro
Salt and pepper
Sides – ripe fried plantains, pickled onions or side salad, avocado slices and aji criollo
Preparation:
- Mix the crushed garlic, achiote, cumin, coriander and salt together.
- Rub the garlic seasoning on the chicken pieces.
- Heat the oil or butter on medium high heat in large sauté pan, add the chicken pieces (skin side down) and cook until browned on each side.
- Add the diced onions, tomatoes, bell pepper, and celery, mix well and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add 1 cup of beer or white wine, cook for about 20-25 minutes over medium heat until the liquid is reduced by half, stir frequently.
- Add the broth or water, rice, peas and carrots, mix well.
- Cover and cook over medium heat for about 20 minutes.
- Reduce the heat to low and cook for an additional 10-15 minutes or until the rice is tender but still slightly firm.
- Stir in the chopped cilantro and serve with ripe fried plantains, a small salad, pickled onions, avocado slices, and hot sauce on the side.
Sopa de Quinua con Queso (Quinoa and Cheese Soup)
July 28, 2008 | Filed Under Cheese, Guest Bloggers, Quinoa, Soups/Chowders/Gumbos, South American Cuisine | 40 Comments
Please help me welcome guest blogger, Layla of Laylita’s Recipes. Thank you, Layla, for being here!
Paz
2008 © Laylita’s Recipes – All Rights Reserved
This is my first time as a guest blogger and I’m very happy that it is for Paz, who has been one of the warmest and friendliest people I’ve met since I started my food blog. I wanted to make something that I would make for her if I lived nearby and could bring it over to help her recover, too bad Seattle is kind of far away from NY, so I made a quinoa and cheese soup that is both tasty and healthy. Soup is the answer to all problems, at least that’s the way it seemed when I was growing up in Ecuador: you’re not feeling too well? Eat your soup. You want to get bigger, taller, skinnier, smarter, etc? Eat your soup. You want dessert? Eat your soup. You want to go outside and play? Eat your soup. You would think I would have ended up hating soups, but I actually really enjoy a good bowl of soup, it’s one of those things that I crave when I’m feeling sick and wish my mom lived next door –instead of 4,500 miles away –so that she could make me some homemade soup.
2008 © Laylita’s Recipes – All Rights Reserved
Sopa de Quinua con Queso (Quinoa and Cheese Soup)
7. Serve warm with diced or sliced avocado and hot sauce.
2008 © Laylita’s Recipes – All Rights Reserved
Spiced Shrimp and Peas Pullao
May 15, 2007 | Filed Under Indian Recipes, Rice, Seafood, Shrimps | 21 Comments
In the mood for shrimp (and always in the mood for rice), I found the above-titled recipe that satisfied my mood. So, I went out to buy some shrimp. There was a time when I felt intimidated to buy seafood (I’ve never really cared for food shopping in general). I never knew which fish to pick or what size shrimps to choose, etc… But since I started cooking, that discomfort has now passed. Now, I’m more confident food shopping. Strangers actually ask me food questions while I’m picking my groceries and I actually know what to tell them. Wow! It’s a miracle!
So, I pointed to the shrimps I wanted and the fish guy (what do you call him? Fishmonger? Way too formal for me.)? picked them out and weighed them for me. I bought my rice and green peas and I was on my way to cooking.
After knowing how to cook, only, with salt and black pepper, I’ve been having fun learning to cook with other spices. The spice of the week for me is garam masala. Until this recipe, I’d never used it before. Oh, how I love the smell of this spice. Put it on the list of ingredients that will make me doing my kitchen dance as soon as I get a whiff of it. I only used a tiny bit of the garam masala, as the recipe called for. Yet, it was sufficient to make the rice fragrant and special. It blended well with the other spices.
My rice turned out really well. Delicious. The only thing I didn’t care for, while preparing this meal, was peeling and deveining those damned shrimps. It took forever. Grrr! Perhaps next time, I should buy them already deveined and peeled. Of course, that’s at an extra cost… Hmmm… I’ll have to think about it. I guess, at least, I have the option.
Once the shrimps were deveined and peeled, there were no problems cooking. Putting the cooked shrimps and rice together, I was able to enjoy my meal. Not bad at all.
Paz
Spiced Shrimp
rachaelraymag.com
4 Servings
Prep Time 15 min (plus marinating)
Cook Time 5 min
3 scallions, thinly sliced crosswise
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 teaspoons ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
½ teaspoon turmeric
1½ pounds large large shrimp, peeled and deveined (tails left on)
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1. In a large bowl, mix together half the scallions, the garlic, coriander, cumin, cayenne and turmeric. Add the shrimp and stir to coat. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
2. In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the shrimp and cook, stirring constantly and seasoning with the salt, until nearly opaque, about 2 minutes. Add the lemon juice and continue frying until the shrimp are cooked through, about 1 minute more. Top with the remaining scallions.
Peas Pullao
rachaelraymag.com
4 Servings
Prep Time 5 min
Cook Time 30 min
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 onion, thinly sliced
¼ teaspoon garam masala
1/8 teaspoon turmeric
1½ cups long-grain rice
1½ teaspoons salt
1 cup frozen peas, thawed
1. In a large, heavy saucepan, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook until browned, about 10 minutes. Add the garam masala and tumeric and stir to combine. Stir in 3 cups water and bring to a boil over high heat. Add the rice and salt and return to a boil, stirring briefly to break up any clumps. Lower the heat, cover the pan and simmer, without disturbing, until all the water is absorbed and the rice is cooked through, about 18 minutes.
2. Uncover the pan and mix in the peas while fluffing the rice with a fork; cover and set aside for 5 minutes, until the peas are heated through.
Rice with Pigeon Peas (Arroz con Gandules)
January 27, 2007 | Filed Under Latin Recipes, Pigeon Peas, Rice | 7 Comments
My name is Paz and I’m a riceaholic. Yup, I love rice. It’s a staple in my home and I have to eat it at least once a week.
In All God’s Children Need Traveling Shoes by Maya Angelou, the author writes about her stay in Ghana, West Africa. I don’t remember why, but for some reason, the cafeteria at the YMCA, where Dr. Angelou ate, did not serve rice. The non-rice menu continued for several days, till one of the other boarders, a dignified-looking woman from Sierra Leone almost went crazy from lack of eating rice.
The next time the cafeteria served lunch and there was no rice in the plate, the woman’s entire demeanor changed. “I want some ri’,” she insisted.
“I want some ri!” She got bolder and crazier.
In order to calm her down the staff had to run out and buy rice, cook it, and serve her on the spot. She wasn’t the same until she got her rice.
Haha, I could relate! I want my rice!
Now that I’m learning to cook, instead of the plain white rice, which I’d normally eat (and the occasional brown rice when my health conscience kicks in), I’m learning to cook different types of rice. My rice repertoire includes Jollof rice, which I used to eat as a child in Africa. I’ve mentioned that my Auntie Toshie made the best Jollof rice (she made the best everything, actually). I’ve made Basmati and Nut Pilaf (I really love this one), Forbidden Rice, Yellow Rice with Corn (Arroz Amarillo con Maiz – I really like this one, too!), Garlicky Rice, Rice and BeansRice Water, and Paella. (Moros y Cristianos)
When I first made rice it was touch and go because I’d either add too much water or not enough. Uggh! I’m happy to say that things are looking up. My rice turn out pretty good.
I came across an interesting-sounding rice prepared by celebrity chef Daisy Martinez called Rice with Pigeon Peas. It was definitely something I wanted to try.
My cooking adventure wasn’t bad. There were a few things I had to prepare first before making the rice. I had to make achiote oil, which gives the color to the rice. It’s not hard to do – fry achiote seeds in oil and be careful not to leave it in the oil too long otherwise it will turn green and bitter. Second, I made sofrito, which flavors the rice. Oh, how I love to prepare that. I love the smells of the fresh herbs, especially the cilantro. I love the smell and taste of cilantro, which makes me start doing my happy dance in the kitchen when its fragrance is released into the air. Yes! You can buy ready made sofrito from the store but I prefer the homemade one, which is so much fresher and tastier.
The recipe calls for using smoked pork neck bones, smoked turkey wings or smoked ham. With the exception of the occasional bacon and eggs or bacon, lettuce and tomato sandwich, I don’t normally eat ham but I was curious about the taste of the smoked pork neck bones and decided to use that in my rice. Ummm… I didn’t like it.
Next time I make this rice, I’ll use the turkey wings instead. I liked the pigeon peas, the alcaparrado and everything else in the rice.
The recipe also mentions banana or plantain leaves but I didn’t use them because I couldn’t find them at my local grocery store.
So now you know I love rice. I’m curious: What foods do you need to eat? What foods will drive you crazy if you couldn’t eat it after a couple of days?
Rice with Pigeon Peas (Arroz con Gandules)
Daisy Cooks
Makes 10 to 15 servings, as part of a larger meal
1/2 cup Achiote Oil
1 cup Sofrito
3 tablespoons alcaparrado or coarsely chopped pimiento-stuffed olives
3 tablespoons fine sea or kosher salt
1 tablespoon cracked black pepper
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1-1/2 pounds smoked pork neck bones or smoked turkey wings or one smoked hamhock
One 13-ounce bag frozen pigeon peas OR one 15-ounce can pigeon peas, drained
6 cups long grain rice
Beef Broth, homemade or store-bought and/or water as needed (about 8 cups)
1 banana leaf*, optional
*Note: Banana leaves and/or plantain leaves, are large, pliable, dark green leaves that are used quite a bit in Latin American cooking. Here they lend the rice a subtle flavor. They are available, usually frozen in 1-pound packages, in Latin markets and some specialty stores.
Heat the achiote oil in a heavy 5-quart pot or Dutch oven over high heat until rippling. Stir in the sofrito, alcaparrada or olives, salt, pepper and cumin. Cook until the sofrito stops boiling and starts to sizzle, about 5 minutes.
Add the pork bones and stir until they’re coated with oil, then stir in the rice until everything is mixed together and the rice is coated with oil.
Stir in the pigeon peas and enough broth and/or water to cover the rice by the width of two fingers. Top with the banana leaf, folding it up as necessary to fit over the rice. Bring to a boil and boil without stirring until the level of liquid meets the rice. Take the banana leaf off, give the rice a big, healthy stir and put the leaf back on top. Reduce the heat to low, cover the pot, and cook until the water is absorbed and the rice is tender, about 20 minutes.
Remove the banana leaf, give the rice a big stir and fluff it with a fork. Serve hot.
Every Kitchen Tells Its Stories: Recipes to Warm the Heart by Ruth Daniels
January 7, 2007 | Filed Under Cookbooks, Every Kitchen Tells its Stories blog, Rice, Vegetables | Leave a Comment
Garlicky Rice
Our fellow food blogger and friend, Ruth Daniels has a recently released cookbook. It’s called Every Kitchen Tells Its Stories: Recipes to warm the heart. Months ago, I had the pleasure of being one of her recipe testers and I liked the recipes I tried.
The cookbook is filled with favorite family recipes and personal stories. I like how each recipe comes with a “Tips and Variations” section. There’s also a “Cooking Primer” section. All are helpful to the reader.
The first recipe to jump out at me from this new cookbook was the Garlicky Rice. I’m a rice eater, so this recipe called my name (“Paz, Paz! Make me first! Make me first!”).
The ingredients consist of rice, butter, onions, carrots, chicken stock and most important of all, garlic. The recipe calls for 8 cloves of garlic. Who’s afraid of a little garlic? As long as it tastes good, I say, “Bring it on!” Besides, garlic is good for you. 
Years ago, I’d read the memoir of two American sisters called Having Our Say: The Delany Sisters’ First 100 Years. At the time they were age 101 and 103 and part of their health regiment consisted of eating a clove of garlic (raw, I think) daily. So, I’m not afraid of garlic.
The combinations of the ingredients were delicious! Ruth recommends serving this rice with grilled steaks and chicken, other slow cooked roasts or your favorite shrimp or scallop dishes.
If you’re looking for a different version of rice to make, try this Garlicky Rice.
Congratulations Ruth on the release of your cookbook!
Paz
Garlicky Rice
Every Kitchen Tells Its Stories – Ruth Daniels
Ingredients:
4 tbsp butter
8 cloves garlic, minced – This is not a typo!
1 large onion, coarsely chopped (1 cup)
1 medium carrot, peeled and chopped or grated (1/2) cup)
2 cups plain white raw rice, preferably Italian, well rinsed and drained
4 cups chicken stock
1- In large skillet, melt butter and cook carrot and onion until golden, about 5 minutes.
2- Add garlic now so it will be aromatic. If you cook garlic in step 1 with onion, mixture it will become bitter.
3- Add rice to the pan with an additional tbsp of butter if needed. Stir to coat the rice.
4- Add chicken stock, bring to a boil then lower the heat to medium-low and cover. Simmer for 20-30 minutes.
5- Remove from heat, fluff/stir gently with a fork. Re-cover and let rest for 5 minutes or so.
