For the last few months, I’ve been on a quest for new recipes. I’m bored, bored, and really bored with my recipe repertoire — and so are my kids. This month, I decided to explore South and Central American Cuisine. Lucky for me, I didn’t have to look far because my daughter goes to a Spanish immersion preschool. Her teachers are from Mexico and several countries in South and Central America.
I asked each teacher to tell me about her favorite foods, and there was one favorite among all of them: arroz con pollo. However, as each teacher explained the arroz con pollo she likes, I realized that it’s a different dish in every country. Teacher Tati (from Peru) said, “When we make it, we use lots of cilantro. We blend it then add it to the rice. We use so much, the dish looks green.” The teachers from Northern Chile, Ingrid and Alejandrina, said they eat a more basic version: rice, chicken, and vegetables.
After this research, I tried to find a more universal version of arroz con pollo. I found a recipe from one of my favorite South American restaurants, El Meson (ElMesonBistro.com) in south Minneapolis.
My kids and I made this last night and loved it. They added extra olives and cilantro before finishing their giant portions. My daughter wants to bring some to her teachers. I hope they like it as much as we did.
Your young chefs can help with several parts of this recipe. First, have them measure out the tomato puree, diced tomatoes, bay leaves, cumin, onions, and saffron and put them in a medium sized bowl. This is a good opportunity to teach them how to measure ingredients. Explain the difference between tablespoons and teaspoons and show them each size in a measuring cup set. Let them pick out the right ones. Young chefs can also help chop the cilantro and olives for this recipe. If they are too young for knives, let them use a pasty scraper (a tool designed to scrape and split bread dough — it’s not sharp, and it’s easy to grip). Have them do one ingredient at a time then put the pieces in a small serving bowl.
Bridget O’Boyle teaches kids and adults to cook at Cooks of Crocus Hill. Hng chefs can also help chop the cilantro and olives for this recipe. If they are too young for knives, let them use a pasty scraper (a tool designed to scrape and split bread dough — it’s not sharp, and it’s easy to grip). Have them do one ingredient at a time then put the pieces in a small serving bowl.
Bridget O’Boyle teaches kids and adults to cook at Cooks of Crocus Hill.
Arroz Con Pollo
Recipe adapted from El Meson Bistro
2 tbsp. olive oil
6 ounces cut-up chicken breast
4 tbsp. tomato puree
¼ cup diced tomatoes
2 bay leaves
A pinch of cumin
¼ cup diced onions
A pinch of saffron (optional)
8 ounces chicken broth
½ cup peas, thawed if frozen
3 cups cooked white rice
2 tbsp. chopped cilantro
10–15 green olives, chopped into 2 or 3 pieces (optional)
Salt and Pepper
Sauté the first six ingredients (chicken breast, tomato puree, diced tomatoes, bay leaves, cumin and onions) in the olive oil at medium heat for 5 minutes, then add the chicken broth, cook until chicken is done, then fold in 3 cups of cooked white rice and peas. Fold in rice until completely covered. Serve while the food is warm. Garnish with cilantro and olives. Salt and pepper to taste.
