Arroz Con Pollo

Although I never use it these days, I spent the better part of my time in K12 studying Spanish. I was lucky to have only 3 teachers from 6th grade to 12th, so I really was able to learn a lot in that time—having neighbors who spoke fluent Spanish and were kind enough to let me come hang out and help me with my homework wasn’t too bad, either. One of the staple meals we learned about was chicken with rice, or arroz con pollo. It is known as a variation on paella, and I found it to be much easier to prepare and cook.

Arroz Con Pollo is a hearty and versatile dish. It was good fresh, as leftovers, served hot or cold. We adapted the recipe to use cauliflower rice, and it turned out great. This was one of the few times I can say I’ve made something with cauliflower rice and not thought, “well this is pretty good for pretend rice.” The flavors and texture of this dish are great, and it goes well with a few dashes of Tabasco, too. We hope you’ll give this a try.

Ingredients
4 cloves garlic, pressed
1 small onion, diced
1 orange/red bell pepper, diced
1 yellow bell pepper, diced
4 chicken thighs
1 Tbsp coconut oil
4 tsp organic adobo seasoning (separated 2 and 2)
6 oz cubed smoked ham
6-8 C cauliflower rice
1 14oz can fire roasted diced tomatoes
1 Tbsp tomato paste
2 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley

Method

Season both sides of chicken thighs with 2 teaspoons adobo, and prepare the onion, garlic, bell pepper, and ham.

In a dutch oven, melt the coconut oil over medium-high heat and then sear the chicken thighs, 3 minutes on the skin side and 5 minutes on the other side.

Remove the chicken thighs and set aside. Add the onion, garlic, and ham to the dutch oven. Sauté until the onion softens, about 2 minutes.

Add the bell peppers and sauté until the peppers start to soften, 3-4 minutes.

Place the chicken back into the pot. Add tomatoes and tomato paste. Top with cauliflower rice and 2 tsp adobo seasoning, and reduce heat to medium-low. Cover and cook 20 minutes, stirring once in-between.

Uncover, mix, and cook for an additional 5-7 minutes. Serve and garnish with fresh parsley.

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