Chicken Fried Rice

Ingredients

• 2 teaspoons sesame oil
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1 cup uncooked brown rice
• 1 tablespoon reduced-sodium soy sauce
• 1 cup diced carrots
• 2 1/4 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup frozen green peas, thawed
• 1/4 cup chopped green onions

Directions


Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and sautée 2 minutes, until soft. Place chicken in saucepan and sautée 5 minutes, until browned on all sides, stirring frequently. Add rice and cook 1 minute, until translucent. Stir in soy sauce to coat rice.

Add carrots, chicken broth, salt and pepper and bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer 30 minutes, until liquid is absorbed and rice is tender.

Stir in peas and green onions and heat through.

Arroz Con Pollo (Chicken n Rice)

Ingredients

• Chicken, cut into serving pieces -- 2 1/2 to 3 pounds
• Lemon or lime, juice only -- 1
• Sofrito -- 2 tbsp
• Sugar -- 2tbsp
• Garlic, minced -- 3 to 5 cloves
• Salt and pepper -- to season
• Olive oil -- 3 tablespoons
• Onion, chopped -- 1
• Garlic, minced -- 3 to 5 cloves
• Rice -- 3 cups
• Tomato paste -- 4 tbsp
• Chicken stock or water -- 2 1/2 cups
• Green olives -- 10 to 15
• Oregano -- 2 teaspoons
• Salt and pepper -- to taste
• Cilantro chopped -- 1/2 bunch
•  Beer or Wine (optional or just water) 1 Cup

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, toss the chicken pieces with the lemon or lime juice, garlic, Sofrito, salt and pepper and marinate for at least 1 hour or overnight.
2. Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy bottomed pot over medium flame. 
3. Add Sugar till it turns brown (stirring occasionally so not to burn)..
4. Pat the chicken pieces dry and sauté then in to brown on all sides. 
5. Add a little more oil to the pot if needed and sauté the onion, peppers, garlic and optional ham until the onion is translucent but not browned.
6. Stir in Tomato paste, till it looks a little brown.
7. Stir in the rice and add the stock or water, olives, oregano, salt and pepper. 
8. Bring to a boil, and once no water is left above the rice reduce heat to low and cover
9. cover tightly and simmer for about 30 minutes.
10. Remove from heat and let rest, covered, 10 minutes. Toss all the ingredients gently with a fork, garnish with the chopped cilantro and serve.

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White Rice

Good rice can make or break your meal. The basic rule for fluffy rice is 1 cup of water more than the amount of rice. For example, if you are cooking 3 cups of rice, add 4 cups of water. So, basically, measure your rice (We prefer Long grain), add the water, salt, and a few tsp of cooking oil. Place on high heat, till the water is no longer visible above the rice. Now, cook on low heat and place the lid on, turning the rice now an then. I have also found that the pot in which you cook it, can make all the difference. Now, if you are like my husband and prefer sticky rice (must be a Filipino thing and short grain rice) use 1 1/2 cup of water over, and no salt.

Moro de Gandules (Rice with Peas)

Moro de Gandules (Rice with Pigeon Peas)

• 3 cups long grain white rice
• 4 cups water
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 4 tablespoons sofrito (see recipe for sofrito)
• 2 tablespoons spanish olives
• 1 can green or dry pigeon peans, drained
• 1 envelope sazon with annato
• 1/2 teaspoon ground oregano
• cilantro
• 2 bay leaves
• 1/2 teaspoon tomato paste
• salt and black pepper to taste

Start by heating the oil in a pot at high heat, and when the oil is nice and hot, add the Sofrito. This must be browned, about 1 minute.

After that has been done add the olives, the tomato paste, and all the spices, including the envelope of sazon.

Once that has been well blended, add the water, peas, salt and pepper to taste.

Bring this up to a boil then stir in rice and leave uncovered.

Once most of the water has evaporated, lower heat and stir 1 more time, then cover.

Let this cook for about 30 - 40 minutes on a low heat setting, stirring occasionally (every 10 minutes) until the rice is tender.

Serve.

Rice A Roni (Arroz con Fideos)

 

Ingredients:

2 cups rice (rinsed and drained)
1/2 cup angel-hair pasta, broken into small pieces - or vermicelli if you can find it
3 tablespoons butter or margarine
1 cube Knorr bouillon chicken
3 cups hot water

Directions:

In medium skillet (with lid), melt the butter or margarine over medium heat. Add pasta (crumbled up) , stirring, until lightly browned. Dissolve bouillon cube or soup mix in hot water and add to skillet.  Also add Rice. Bring to a simmer and once there seems to be no water visible ABOVE the rice cover. Simmer on low heat, covered, approximately 20 minutes, or until water is absorbed and rice is tender.