Arroz con Pollo a la Chorrera (Soupy Chicken and Rice)

One of my favorite Cuban comfort food is Arroz con Pollo. Chicken and rice is one of those dishes that I can eat, over and over, and never get tired of.

This dish is very popular all over Latin America and Spain, but every recipe will be different. The recipe below is the same recipe my grandmother makes for us, and now I make for my family.

Ingredients:

2lbs of chicken thighs (drumsticks are also good)
1 pckg Valencia Rice (Pearl Rice)
2 medium onions, chopped
3 cloves of garlic, crushed
5 tbsp cooking oil
1/2 green pepper (optional)
1 8 oz can tomato sauce
1 cup dry wine or beer (yes, beer)
3-4 cups of chicken broth
1 can sweet peas
yellow rice coloring (bijol)
salt & pepper to taste
1 tsp Sazon Total (total seasoning)


Saute onion, garlic and green pepper in hot oil.

Add chicken and let slightly brown.

Add tomato sauce, salt, seasoning, 2 cups of broth, and yellow coloring, and cook for about 10 minutes.


Add washed rice and lower heat. I usually put it on medium heat.

Add 1 cup of wine (or beer) and simmer covered. DO stir every few minutes so it won't stick. If it sticks, it will make what we call "raspita" and it will ruin the whole dish. Although I know people who love the "raspita".

This is where the CHORRERA part comes into play. Usually rice is meant to be nice and fluffy, but with this style of cooking, you want it cream like.

Depending on how soupy you want it, you continue adding broth, simmering, and stirring until rice is tender and of course meets your likings.

Once served, add a spoonful or 2 of the peas. I made this really late at night and didnt have any.

New Cookbook!

Should I be worried if a cookbook has a warning label?

This past Christmas I received a cookbook different than all the other ones I have. I get really happy whenever I get cookbooks! Very happy!

I thought these were going to be recipes that everyday Joe's were eating in their kitchen. By the way, I was so excited to get it, I neglected to completely read the cover and missed that warning label. After breifly skimming through it, I realized this was going to be an adveture book.

I actually found it a bit intimidating at first, and have looked through it quite a few times since Christmas. Regardless the number of times I look through it, I always end up finding something new thats either really complicated, gross, intriguing, interesting, and every once in a while, something very doable.

A couple of the recipes are just mouth watering. Crab souffle. Perfect Macaroni Cheese, and yes, thats the actual name. Paella di Marisco. Fava beans & Chorizo. Easy, finger-licking garlicky shrimp and the list goes on.

But then comes the 2nd warning.

Let me just start off by saying, yes, I have seen these items on the the Travel Channel, but in all honesty, it never crossed my mind to want to cook them someday.

I am one that is always willing to try somethings at least once. Why not? If people have eaten it for thousands of years all over the world, why can't I? However, I don't think I really thought it through or perhaps I imaged them looking differently.




Some things just don't look or sound thats great. Maybe they could have fancied it up a bit and added Yak's Penis in a Red Wine Reduction or something.

YAK'S PENIS.

Thats all you're getting. Then again, I don't think you can do much with it. The picture doesn't help it either. Don't you think if it were in nugget form, battered with a bit of panko, and fried it would be a bit more appealing to the eye? Maybe not.

Palm Weevils, Cane Rat, Duck Feet Webs, and 1,000 year old eggs are just a couple of the other recipes listed under the "WILD" chapter of this book. I'm not even sure where to get some of these, and probably, unless its in some far off land, I'll never cross paths with them

.

Oh, and there's a 3rd warning.

Under any circumstance, do not try making 1,000 year old eggs at home.

I really do enjoy this cookbook, and eventually will start posting yummy treats from it, genital free ones.

Zimmern, no need to worry, I'll leave your bizarre food all to yourself.

Cuban Picadillo (Cuban Minced Meat)

When I was growing up, there was no way I would ever eat picadillo. Was it bad? Well, no. Was I being a stubborn child? Yes

In hindsight, I probably did it to convince my mom to get me some fast food.

It has now become a weekly meal in my house. It's one of my husbands favorite dishes. I originally got the recipe from a very old book that belonged to my grandmother, Cocina Criolla by Nitza Villapol. This book was to Cubans, what Julia Child's book was to Americans. Everyone had one and the author was a household name. It was wriiten in 1956. She was also the host of one the longest running televison shows in history. It ran from 1951-1997.

I did tweak the recipe a bit to better suit us. In the original recipe, she asks for 3 kinds of ground beef. Realistically, I only have regular ground beef in my house, and it's how I have always had it. She also doesn't add raisins, but my mom has always added them, so there.

Picadillo

1 1/4 lb ground beef

1 medium onion minced

1 green pepper

1-2 cloves of garlic

Olives or capers (optional)
Raisins
Salt and pepper to taste
1-2 tsp all seasoning (pour a little at a time, and taste in between.)
2/3 can of tomato sauce
1/4 cup dry cooking wine.


Saute onion, pepper, and garlic in a pan. Once onion is translucent, add the meat and the raisins. Cook on medium-high heat until it starts losing its pink color. Stir continuously so it doesn't stick.

Add the cooking wine and let the meat simmer in it for a few minutes. When almost all the wine is gone, add the tomato sauce, olives or capers. and the rest of the seasoning. Continue stirring, occasionally on medium heat, for about 15-20 minutes.

Serve with white rice.

French Onion Soup

I have made French onion soup before, but this recipe has been my favorite so far. It takes a while to make, but that's what gives it such great flavor.

Pardon my French, but in all honesty, my other soups have been a bit half-assed (pun definitely intended!).

Pardon my French, get it?

OK, OK, on with the recipe.

French Onion Soup

6 large yellow onions sliced thinly
4-5 tbsp butter
1/4 teaspoon of sugar
2 cloves garlic, minced
8 cups of beef stock
1/2 cup cooking white wine
1/4 teaspoon of dry thyme
Salt and pepper to taste
1 loaf french bread
Sliced Swiss cheese

In a large saucepan, sauté the onions in butter(3 tbsp) on medium high heat for about 10 minutes. Add sugar and stir. Continue cooking on medium heat for 20 minutes.

Add remaining butter and turn the heat on high. DO NOT LEAVE UNATTENDED. At this point they can easily burn. Brown doesn't equal burned.

When the onions get a nice brown color, add in the garlic, and saute for 1-2 minutes. Add in the wine and let the onions cook in it for about 3 minutes. Add the broth and thyme and stir. Continue cooking for 10-15 minutes.

Add salt and pepper

Cut bread into thick pieces and place in the center of the oven proof bowls. Ladle soup over the bread. Cover with 1-2 slices of cheese, and stick in the oven for approximately 5-10 minutes, or until cheese is melted.

Bowls will be EXTREMELY hot! Serve immediately.

Servings depend on the size of your bowl.