Pre-Holiday Easy Meal: Slow Cooker Arroz con Pollo

This one-pot dinner is inspired by the traditional dish of Spain and Latin America.  Slow Cooker Arroz con Pollo comes together easily, using your crock pot!

Slow Cooker Arroz con Pollo

What can be better than a one-pot meal?  One that features chicken and rice!  Arroz con Pollo is one of my all time favorite dishes.  When it's holiday time I don't have the time or the inclination to fix complicated meals.  With all the work to be done to get ready for Christmas I'm always looking for simple and tasty dishes for dinner.  When I came across this recipe on EatingWell's site I knew that this would be the perfect fit for this hectic week.  

Ingredients bell pepper, onion, garlic, tomatoes, and chicken are laced with Latin spices to create a sumputious saucy mix that cooks away in your slow cooker.  Brown rice is added later and gives this a healthy spin.  Latin flavored juicy and tender chicken with veggies served over a sauce soaked rice is mouth-waterningly good!  It's a dump and go meal that you can start around noon and 6 hrs later you have one heck of a dinner to serve.  

Enjoy!

What Ingredients do I need?

• red, orange, and/or yellow bell pepper

• onion

• fresh garlic

• low sodium tomato sauce

• low sodium diced tomatoes

• reduced sodium chicken broth

• Spices: chili powder, paprika, cumin, tumeric

• boneless, skinless chicken breasts

• instant brown rice

• frozen peas

• cilantro

Substitutions and Variations

• Use white rice instead of brown

• Chicken thighs would work great

• Add additional veggies like chopped carrots, corn, or mushrooms

Kitchen Tips and Notes

• Chicken can be removed to a cutting board and shredded and returned to the slow cooker.

• Instant rice is used for it's quick cooking ability.

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Slow Cooker Arroz con Pollo

serves 8

3 large red, orange, and/or yellow bell peppers, chopped

1 small onion, chopped

3 cloves of garlic, minced

1 15oz can low sodium tomato sauce

1 15oz can low sodium diced tomaroes, with juice

1 1/2 cups reduced sodium chicken broth

2 tablespoons chili powder

1 tablespoon paprika

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1/2 teaspoon cumin

1/4 teaspoon tumeric

2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts

2 cups instant brown rice

1 cup frozen peas

1/4 cup cilantro, chopped

In a 6qt. slow cooker, combine bell peppers, onion, garlic, tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, broth, and all the spices.  Submerge the chicken into the mixture.  Cover and cook on low for 5 1/2 hours.

Stir in rice and peas.  Cover and cook 30 minutes more, until rice is tender.  There may stll be a little liquid in the pot.

Using two forks, shred the chicken.  Serve garnishing with cilantro.

source:  eatingwell.com

Asparagus Multi Rice Blend Pilaf

Asparagus Multi Rice Blend Pilaf is loaded with 4 types of rice, asparagus, cranberries, and almonds.  Doused in the most deletcable vinaigrette this is a delicious side dish perfect for Christmas!

Asparagus Multi Rice Blend Pilaf

Who doesn't love a good side dish?  This one is full of deliscious flavors and is perfect alongside your chosen entree for Christmas dinner.  The base is a blend of four types of rice (texmati white, red, brown, and wild) so you get a wonderful array of colors, textures, and tastes.  Added to that are the mix-ins to make it a pilaf.  I've added sauted asparagus, toasted almonds, and cranberries.  The whole dish is then doused with a fabulous vinaigrette.  

This is one hearty, elegant, and flavorful side dish.  Worthy of your Christmas dinner and any other winter meal.  Make sure to put this one on your "to make" list, it's that good!

Enjoy!

 What Ingredients do I need?

• RiceSelect Royal Blend Texmati White, Brown, Red, & Wild Rice

• Asparagus - 1 bunch

• dried cranberries

• sliced almonds

• extra virgin olive oil

• white wine vinegar

• Dijon mustard

Substitutions and Variations

• Use walnuts or pecans instead of almonds

• Add chopped kale or spinach to the bowl for more greens

• Add dried cherries instead of cranberries

• Don't like asparagus? Add sliced zucchini, mushrooms or broccoli instead

• Make this a bowl meal by adding bite sized cooked chicken pieces

Kitchen Tips and Notes

• Cook the rice first as it takes the longest.

• Serve warm for the best flavors.

• Leftover may be kept in the refrigerator for 2-3 days and may be reheated or eaten at room temperature.

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Asparagus Multi Rice Blend Pilaf

serves 4-6

1 cup RiceSelect Royal Blend Texmati White, Brown, Red, & Wild Rice
1 bunch of Asparagus stems
1/3 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup sliced almonds
Dressing:
2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 Tablespoons white wine vinegar
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
salt & pepper

Cook rice according to package directions.  Once cooked place rice in a large bowl.
Trim the wood ends off the asparagus and cut the asparagus in to 2 inch pieces.  In a large skillet over medium heat add 1 tablespoon of olive oil, saute asparagus for about 3 minutes, stirring ocassionally.  Add sliced almonds and stir constantly for 1 minute, making sure not to burn the almonds.  Add the asparagus and almonds to the large bowl of rice.

Make the dressing in a small bowl.  Add olive oil, vinegar, mustard, a pinch of salt & pepper and which until combined.

Add the cranberries to the bowl of rice and drizzle on the vinaigrette, tossing to coat,  Serve right away.

Apple Almond Farro Salad

Apple Almond Farro Salad is a light yet hearty winter salad filled with whole grains, crisp apples, toasted almonds, and spinach.  All doused with a sweet-tart dressing this salad will be the star of the show.  

Apple Almond Farro Salad

This is one of the best grain salads for winter!  Hearty farro is the base with special add-ins like crisp apples, spinach, and toasted almonds.  The apples should be a little tart to give it some zip.  All this is mixed with a delicious dressing made with apple cider vinegar for fall tartness, and honey for a little sweetness.  The taste is out of this world.  It's a salad that you can snack on for days.

The whole dish comes together in no time, and it is very simple to make.  Use your favorite slightly tart apple.  I love Honeycrisp, but for this version I used a new apple I found that is pink on the inside!  It's called Lucy Rose apples.  They are crisp, light, pink, and flavorful.  If you can't find them, not to worry.  You can use your favorite apple.  Here are some good ones to pick from:  Envy, Pink Lady, Honeycrisp, Opal, SweeTango, Jazz, or Amborsia.

Enjoy!

What Ingredients do I need?

• pearled farro - I use this one

• sliced almonds

• olive oil

• apple cider vinegar

• honey

• Dijon mustard

• spinach

• apple - use your favorite tart/sweet apple

Substitutions and Variations

• Add in some chopped red onion for a more savory bite

• Add in some crumbled feta or goat cheese

• Use chopped fresh kale instead of spinach

• Try chopped pears instead of apples

• Switch up the grain from farro to barley, wheat berries, or quinoa

• Add in some herbs like basil or mint

Kitchen Tips and Notes

• The farro will need to cool so prepare this item first.  

• Look for "Pearled" farro - Pearled farro has had the outer layer of bran removed.  It will contain less fiber and nutrients, but cooks much more quickly.  I use this one.

• The salad will keep in the refrigerator for several days.  Since the farro will soak up the dressing you can add a little olive oil if it seems to dry and toss again.

• Great as a dinner side dish to grilled chicken, pork, or beef.  

• Perfect as a side salad for lunch with a grilled sandwich.

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Apple Almond Farro Salad

serves 4-6

1 cup pearled farro
2 heaping Tablespoons sliced almonds
1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 Tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons honey
1 tsp. chopped fresh thyme
1/2 tsp. Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
2 cups spinach, chopped
1 medium/large Honeycrisp apple, cored, and chopped

In a large pot of salted boiling water, add the farro and cook for 20-25 minutes until tender.  Drain and set aside to cool.

Meanwhile, toast the sliced almonds in a dry skillet over medium heat, stirring for 2-3 minutes until fragrant.  

For the dressing, whisk together the olive oil, vinegar, honey, thyme, Dijon mustard, and salt & pepper.  

Combine farro, chopped spinach, apple, and almonds in a large bowl and toss.  Drizzle with dressing and toss to combine.  Serve.