Puerto Rican Soupy Chicken and Rice

I've been traveling for work in Asia lately and came home with a little tummy bug.  The funny thing is, I am pretty positive it's not from something I ate in Thailand, but actually something I ate on the airplane!  Yikes.  

When  you've been gone so long and eating all sorts of fresh, spicy and delicious food, you want a bit of comfort food.  I had saved this recipe from a Food & Wine issue as it looked delicious. I am happy to say this one is a keeper.  Easy to make, mostly healthy and not too spicy.  

This makes a large batch, and I had to swap out my 5.5 qt dutch oven for my 7 qt dutch oven once I got all the ingredients into the pan and ready to cook it. I could tell that once the rice cooked, it was going to overflow, so plan accordingly.  These leftovers make great lunches, but it isn't as saucy when it gets reheated as the rice continues to soak in all the liquids. No worries... I think you will still enjoy it.

The recipe calls for Adobo seasoning, which I didn't have, and since I had all the spices I needed, I made some.  At the end of this post is the recipe I found online for Adobo seasoning. I did reduce the salt as I felt it was too salty, it would be better to add your own salt than risk over seasoning with this mix.

Ingredients
Serves about 8

5 tablespoons olive oil, divided

2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken thighs

1 teaspoon adobo seasoning* (Goya brand is good, or make your own)

Salt  and freshly ground black pepper

2 red bell peppers, thinly sliced

1 onion, finely chopped

4 garlic cloves, finely chopped

2 tablespoons tomato paste

4 cups chicken stock or low-sodium chicken broth

2 (14.5-ounces) cans diced tomatoes

2 cups water

1 bay leaf

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper

1 1/2 cups medium-grain rice

2 cup thawed frozen peas

1 cup small pimiento-stuffed olives

1/4 cup chopped cilantro

In a large enameled cast-iron Dutch oven or heavy pot, heat 3 tablespoons of the olive oil. Season the chicken with the adobo and black pepper. Brown the chicken in 3 batches over moderately high heat, 6 to 8 minutes per batch, turning each halfway through. Transfer the browned chicken thighs to a plate.

In the pot, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons oil. Add the bell peppers, onion, and garlic to the pot, and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 6 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste and cook until it turns brick red, about 1 minute. Add the chicken stock, tomatoes and their juice, 2 cups water, bay leaf, and crushed red pepper. Bring to a simmer. 

Return the chicken to the pot, stir in the rice, and cook, covered, over moderately low heat until the rice is tender, about 20 minutes. Season with salt and black pepper. Stir in the peas and olives, and let stand until heated through, about 1 minute. Sprinkle with cilantro before serving.

Here it is once it was browned.

Peppers, onions and garlic, oh my!

Mixing in the tomato paste

Adobo Seasoning

1 tablespoon salt

1 tablespoon paprika

2 teaspoons ground black pepper

1 1⁄2 teaspoons onion powder

1 1⁄2 teaspoons dried oregano

1 1⁄2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon chili Powder