Beguiling Bites with Barricks: Arroz Con Pollo

Rachael Ray Recipe #6

This is a classic Spanish dish. But don't be fooled! Just because it is Spanish, does NOT mean that it is spicy. It is something that gets me EVERY time! Spanish food, by nature, is rather bland. A good flavor, but no kick to it. And I do believe after making this, I will remember that, FINALLY. Despite my trip to Spain, I still have a hard time remembering that. I just think: Spanish=Spicy. But alas...

Aaaanywho

This is a recipe I have been looking forward to, and it didn't disappoint! It had a wonderful flavor, with LOTS of yummy veggies! It even got TheHubby to eat the veggies, INCLUDING tomatoes!

It is an easy recipe to make, and I did all the prep-work the day before, which made it super easy!

And Now I Present:

Arroz Con Pollo (Rice with Chicken)

The Crew

Preheat a large skillet (or a wok) with oil.

I cut the chicken breasts in half (height wise, so that they are thinner) then cut them into strips

Season it with salt, pepper, and paprika, don't be shy, use as much as you want!

Then place the chicken in it, and cook until browned

Once it is browned, remove to a plate, drain the fat from the pan, add the butter and let it melt.

Brown the pasta for two minutes, and remove from the pan.

Place the saffron and the chicken stock into a small pot and let it steep for about 10 minutes

*Moment of Truth* Saffron is freaking expensive, and I don't cook with it that much to justify spending $15 dollars for two sticks of it. (I was watching a show on it a few months ago, and saffron comes from the middle of a flower that grows in the Spanish Mountains, but only blooms for like 4 days per year. That's why it is so expensive!)

Once the browned pasta has been removed, add some more oil to the pan, and cook the ham. (I didn't add ham to this dish) Add all the veggies (except tomato) and bay leaf and cook for a few minutes until the start softening up.