Spanish Chicken and Rice with Vegetables

Arroz Con Pollo - Rice with Chicken in Spanish is a traditional dish of Latin America.   This  one pot dish is so delicious, satisfying and comforting, it's no wonder it is a staple throughout Latin America.  I have found a quick and easy way to make this stove top meal using a package of Vigo Yellow Rice.   Vigo Rice is wonderfully flavored yellow rice that is seasoned with saffron, vegetables, tomatoes, salt and garlic.   All that's left to do is saute all the vegetables you choose to add and the chicken, then cook all together to develop it's sweet and spicy delicious flavors.  I love to add lots of vegetables to this dish to boost the flavors, color and nutritional value, making it a complete and healthful meal.   Feel free to improvise with different vegetables, - red peppers work very well too.   For the peas I used sugar snap peas I just bought from my local farmstand :)


Recipe:

• 1 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs cut into approximately 1 1/2 -2 inch pieces
• 1 10 oz package Vigo Yellow Rice Mix
• 4 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 green pepper diced
• 1/2 spanish onion diced
• 2 carrots sliced
• 1 large russet potato peeled and cut into 1/2 inch cubes
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 garlic glove minced
• 1 tomato diced
• 1/2 cup fresh or frozen peas
• 1/2 cup fresh cilantro chopped                                                                                                                                                       
• Use a large and deep skillet with a cover. Add 2 Tbsp olive oil to skillet and set to medium heat. Add pepper, onion, carrots and potato, sprinkle with salt and pepper and saute and stir until lightly golden. Add garlic and saute 30 seconds, then add tomato and saute 30 seconds. Remove vegetables from skillet and set aside.Add remaining olive oil to saute pan and cook chicken pieces, sprinkle with salt and pepper and brown on both sides, about 10 minutes. Then add to pan 1 3/4 cups water, package of Vigo Yellow Rice and sauteed vegetables. 
• 
• Stir and bring to a boil, then cover and reduce temperature to low and let simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add peas and cilantro during last 5 minutes of cooking, stir and cover pan, and let simmer 5 more minutes. 
• 
• Uncover pan and fluff rice and serve. Garnish with guacamole and sour cream if desired. Yield: serves 4-6

 

Enjoy!

Fresh Strawberry Cupcakes

It's strawberry season here on Long Island, yay!!!!  I'm so happy.  I visited my local farm stand and bought my first batch today :) :) :)

We ate some fresh and I used the rest to make a recipe for Strawberry Cupcakes from The Loveless Cafe Cookbook.  They came out so good, full of fresh strawberry flavor in the cake and the buttercream, yummy!

Cake

2 cups fresh and ripe strawberries, washed, stemmed and hulled

2 1/3 cups cake flour

1 3/4 cups sugar

3 1/2 tsps baking powder

1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature

4 egg whites

1/3 cup sour cream

1 tsp vanilla

Buttercream

3 sticks unsalted butter at room temp

4 1/2 cups confectioners sugar, sifted

1/4 cup fresh strawberry puree reserved earlier

1 1/2 tsp vanilla

 Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Place mini paper cupcake liners into mini muffin pans, makes about 72 mini muffins or 20 standard cupcakes.  Puree the strawberries in a food processor. Measure 3/4 cup for the batter and reserve 1/4 cup for the buttercream.  Caution - stick to these amounts for good consistency in batter and buttercream - I used a little more in the buttercream and it came a little too loose.

Sift the cake flour into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment.  Add the sugar and baking powder and blend on low just until combined.  Add the butter and puree and mix on low until combined.  In a separate bowl whisk together the egg whites, sourcream and vanilla.  Add this mixture to the flour mixture and mix on low, scraping bowl as needed.  Mix on medium a few more seconds until well combined.  Using a 1 tablespoon scoop, scoop batter into mini cupcake liners. 

 Bake for about 10-12 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.  Bake about 20 mins for standard cupcakes.  Remove from pan and allow them to cool.  

 

For buttercream:  Cream butter in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment.  Add the confectioners sugar about a cup at a time and beat until blended.  Add the puree and vanilla, scrape bowl as needed and beat until the buttercream is light and fluffy.

Place buttercream in a pastry bag fitted with a start tip and decorate tops of cupcakes.  If desired garnish each cupcake with a piece of fresh strawberry.

Adapted from: "Desserts from the famous Lovelss Cafe" book available here:

http://astore.amazon.com/rosscoubak-20/detail/1579654347

 

And here is one more great strawberry cupcake recipe, decisions, decisions  - this one is very similar, but instead of pureeing the strawberry you use strawberry pieces - chopped small, a great Martha Stewart recipe found here: http://www.marthastewart.com/338183/strawberry-cupcakes-with-strawberry-butt

Enjoy!