arroz con pollo

mood: phlegmatic
listening to: sleigh bells :: tell 'em/infinity guitars

happy 2011! ha ha, it's been a long time. while it's september and this is the first time i'm posting anything, i've been making some new dishes. for whatever reason, i haven't been taking pictures and i'm been hella lazy. in any case, this is a dish that i got to try while in costa rica and it's got some crazy flavor. you can adjust the measurements as you like as it is a pretty simple recipe to make. i even made the dish into a formation of a volcano with lava coming out of it... just like they did it in CR.

Ingredients: 2 chicken breasts 1/2 red onion, sliced 1 green pepper, diced 4 garlic cloves, minced 2 cups brown rice 1 lime, squeezed 14 oz can chicken broth	1 tsp salt 1 tsp ground black pepper 1 tsp paprika 1 tsp cumin 3 tbsp olive oil 1/2 cup white wine 1 ham steak, cubed

Preparation:
- slice chicken breasts into 1 in. cubes and the sprinkle pepper, salt, cumin and paprika over top
- heat oil at medium heat and then put chicken into saucepan. cook until chicken is light brown
- add in sliced green pepper, onion, ham steak and garlic into saucepan
- cook for a few minutes and then add brown rice, chicken broth and wine and stir
- cover the saucepan for about 20 mins on medium heat, stirring occasionally

costa rican gallo pinto (rice and beans)

mood: galvanized
listening to: front line assembly :: angriff/release/pressure wave

so it's been a long while since i've posted anything and since i'd even cooked anything. bit of lost inspiration, coupled with summertime activities and some travel and accounted for the massive timesuck. it's like a vortex where time just spirals away... but none the less, on a recent trip to costa rica, i was introduced to a new and beautful treat by the name of lizano. if you've heard of this stuff, you know what i'm talking about it. it's got a nice tangy zesty flavor that's not spicy and it just gives everything a little added kick. i've officially dubbed this as the national condiment of costa rica.

and with this loveliness comes a new and extremely easy dish to make. the costa rican's call this "gallo pinto," but we know it better as rice and beans. they literally eat it for all meals of the day and i totally understand why. it's delicious... even when i make it. it doesn't take a lot and it's a real easy dish to make.

Ingredients: 1 green pepper, diced 1 red pepper, diced 6 green onion stalks, sliced 4 large garlic cloves, minced 1 can, black beans 2 cups, cooked brown rice cilantro

1 tsp, ground fennel 1 tsp of salt 1/2 tsp, cumin dashes of worcestershire sauce 2 tsps, hot sauce 6 tbsp, lizano sauce canola oil

Preparation:
- cook 2 cups of brown rice and set aside.
- heat canola oil in a skillet on medium heat and adding peppers and onions. stir until soft then add the fennel, cumin and garlic.
- add in beans, undrained, worcestershire sauce, hot sauce and 2 tbsps of lizano sauce and stir on medium.
- transfer bean/pepper mixture into a large pot and add in rice and mix. add 4 tbsp of lizano and salt, as desired.
- sprinkle cilantro leaves on top and serve.

grilled chicken with jalapeno and cilantro sauce

so it's been a while and i've slacked once again, but i've found a good one where the basis actually comes from a site that i have some familiarity with. meals.com had a dish that really caught my attention, but as usual, i kicked things up a notch. the original recipe called for 5 ingredients... i added in a bunch more. enjoy!

Ingredients: 3 boneless chicken breasts yellow pepper, sliced red pepper, sliced 5 green onions, chopped lemon juice tabasco sauce 1 tbsp. of canola oil 3 cups of brown rice pinch of salt Marinade: 2 tbsp. of white vinegar 2 tbsp. of soy sauce 2 tbsp. of worcestershire sauce sriracha sauce lemon juice chili powder cumin powder olive oil/balsamic vinegar dressing

Jalapeno/Cilantro Sauce: 2 tbsp. of white vinegar 4 green onions 2 large cloves of garlic 1 in. of ginger 2/3 cup of cilantro, chopped 4 jalapenos, sliced 2 tbsp. of lemon juice 2 tbsp. of worcestershire sauce tabasco sauce peppercorns fennel seed coriander seed

Preparation:
- place chicken breasts in marinade (if possible, marinate for a few hours)
- when ready, place chicken pieces on grill; grill until chicken is ready, set aside
- in blender, combine all ingredients for jalapeno and cilantro sauce
- make 3 cups of brown rice
- in a sauce pan, heat canola oil until ready; add chopped green onions and peppers
- heat on medium heat and add lemon juice, tabasco sauce and a pinch of salt
- when ready, serve chicken, onions and peppers over rice
- pour jalapeno/cilantro sauce over top

that's all... enjoy!