Arroz con Pollo

Succulent chicken is cooked in latin spiced tomatoes and rice, for a fantastic one pot meal!

Over the years there has been many things I've learned about working in the kitchen. Things like making sure to read a recipe in it's entirety before starting, or mise en place to be certain that you have all necessary ingredients for the dish you'd like to prepare. The most important thing though is a good sharp chef knife!

With the correct sharp knife you can easily break down a whole chicken. Let me tell you, I had that chicken apart in less than 5 minutes! With all these chicken pieces, I decided to make some chicken and rice, or Arroz Con Pollo. The kids are really into Mexican flavours and I knew that this dish would be a great hearty meal, perfect for the colder weather we've been having.

Arroz Con Pollo

Adapted from Good Housekeeping Cookbook 1955

1- 4lb roaster chicken, cut up

1/2 C flour

1/4 C olive oil

1 onion, minced

2- 14 oz cans diced tomatoes

2 small jars pimentos

1 C pimento stuffed olives

2 C raw white rice

2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

2 bouillon cubes

1 pkg breakfast sausage links, cut into thirds

Coat chicken pieces with flour and set aside; discarding remaining flour.

Heat olive oil in a dutch oven or large skillet, over medium high heat. Once oil begins to ripple, gently place in a few chicken pieces at a time and cook until golden on all sides.

In same oil, sautee the onion until translucent. Drain tomato liquid into a measuring cup and add enough water to make 2 1/4 cups. Add liquid, tomatoes and pimentos (with liquid), olives, rice, bouillon cubes and sausage to the pan. Mix to combine well. Season with salt and pepper and place chicken on top. Cover, reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes; lifting the rice occasionally with a wooden spoon to prevent sticking. If there is any liquid in the pan, cook uncovered for 10 minutes.