Sample the flavors of Latin cooking in your kitchen. Try Arroz con Pollo (Rice with Chicken) and a simple-to-prepare Tomato-Basil Bisque.
The Latin countries are the land of enthusiastic people who relish the pleasures of life, music and food--especially food. Cuba, in particular, is a land that yields a plethora of exotic fruits and vegetables. The people of Cuba enjoy a rich and complex cuisine fused by the cultures of native Indians, Portuguese colonizers and African slaves that arrived during the sixteenth century. Later, during the great wave of immigration in the 1800s, Italians, Spanish, Poles, and Lebanese contributed their tastes to the cuisine. The foods of these countries may have been modest, but with the mixing of so many diverse cultures and people, the cuisine is now an explosion of flavor.
The recipes below celebrate the flavors of Cuba with Arroz con Pollo or Rice with Chicken and a Tomato-Basil Bisque.
Arroz con Pollo
SERVES 4 to 6
1 3 to 3-1/2-lb. fryer chicken, cut up into pieces
1 teaspoon coarse salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 medium red bell pepper, coarsely chopped
1 small onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 medium tomatoes, coarsely chopped
2 cups homemade or canned low-sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 bay leaf
1/4 tsp. saffron (optional)
1 cup uncooked long-grain rice
8 ounces asparagus spears, cooked until crisp-tender and drained
1/2 cup fresh or frozen peas, cooked and drained
Preheat the oven to 350° F.
Remove skin from the chicken pieces and discard. Rinse the chicken well under cold running water; pat dry with paper towels. Sprinkle with the 1/2 tteaspoon salt and the pepper.
In a 12-inch skillet, cook the chicken in hot oil over medium heat for 10 to 15 minutes or until the pieces are brown; turn the chicken pieces occasionally to ensure they brown evenly. Stir in the tomato paste. Remove the chicken from the skillet and set aside on a plate; cover with aluminum foil to keep warm.
Add the red bell pepper, onion, and garlic to the skillet and cook about 5 minutes or until the vegetables are tender. Stir in the tomatoes, chicken broth, wine, bay leaf, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and the saffron, if desired. Bring to a boil. Stir in the rice; reduce the heat. Cover the skillet and simmer for 10 minutes.
Transfer the rice and vegetables to a 3-quart casserole dish; top with the chicken. Cover and bake for 40 to 50 minutes or until the chicken and rice are tender. Remove the bay leaf. If desired, transfer to a serving platter. Garnish with asparagus and peas.
Tomato-Basil Bisque
This soothing soup combines the best of all worlds-the convenience of ready-made tomato sauce with the fresh taste of garden-grown tomatoes and basil.
3 1/2 cups peeled, seeded, and coarsely chopped tomatoes
1 cup homemade or canned low-sodium chicken broth
1 8-ounce can tomato sauce
3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh basil
In the jar of a blender, combine the tomatoes, chicken broth and tomato sauce. Cover and blend until smooth. Stir in the basil. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. When ready to serve, transfer the bisque to a saucepan and over medium-low heat, heat the bisque but do not bring it to a boil. Serve warm.
