Arroz Con Pollo

I have been searching for a good "Arroz con pollo" recipe for quite some time. I found this one on the "For the Love of Cooking" blog. (see link on the right). It looked sooooooo good, so I decided to try it. It didn't disappoint.... I could barely wait to eat it! While it was simmering on the stove, I kept sneaking tastes. TRY THIS RECIPE, if you have any love of food at all, TRY THIS RECIPE!!! It is a new family favorite that we will be making again and again.

4 slices of bacon, cooked and crumbled
4 chicken thighs with skin and bones
Paprika, to taste
Sea salt and fresh cracked pepper, to taste
Dried oregano, to taste
Garlic powder, to taste
Cumin, to taste
2 tsp olive oil
1 small sweet yellow onion, diced
4 bell peppers, diced ( I used red and green)
4 cloves of garlic, minced

1 15 oz can diced tomatoes

2 c. chicken broth

1 pinch of saffron

1 cup rice

3 T cilantro chopped

1 c frozen peas, thawed.

Cook the bacon in a large dutch oven/saute pan. Once the bacon is cooked, drain on a paper towel and then crumble; set aside. Season the chicken thighs with a bit of each kind of seasoning, to taste. Cook the chicken thighs, skin side down first for 4 minutes on each side. Remove from pan and set aside on a plate.

Add the olive oil to the Dutch oven over medium heat, once hot, add the onion, bell peppers and a bit of each seasonings to taste. Cook, stirring occasionally, until tender. Add the garlic then cook, stirring constantly, for 60 seconds. Add the diced tomatoes, chicken broth, saffron, rice, crumbled bacon and half of the cilantro. Stir until mixed thoroughly, taste the broth and re-season if needed. Add the chicken in an even layer and simmer over medium low heat, partially covered for 25 minutes. Make sure to stir occasionally so the rice doesn't' stick to the bottom of the pan. Sprinkle the finished dish with the thawed peas and the remaining cilantro. Serve and enjoy!