arroz con pollo~healthy style~comfort food

 It's been so windy and cold here lately so I decided that we needed bowls of comfort food for dinner;  arroz con pollo~healthy style chicken featuring my favorite long grain brown rice simmered in diced tomatoes, onions, peppers, garlic and chicken broth.  I love all the add-ins in this recipe, like green olives, roasted red pepper, capers, radishes and cilantro.  Definitely a favorite dinner with leftovers for lunch the next day, so good.  It's also attractive, with the strips of roasted red peppers radishes and bits of cilantro strewn over the top.  We'll be enjoying this recipe for arroz con pollo again very soon, with or without the wind.  The recipe is simple and with a small amount of early preparation it makes a fairly quick one-dish dinner.  I would also double this recipe for a crowd, ie:game night.

Ingredients and Recipe for Arroz Con Pollo~Healthy Style~Comfort Food
Serves 4

6 garlic cloves, minced

1 tablespoon cider vinegar

1 tablespoon minced fresh Greek oregano

2 skinless boneless chicken breasts

1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 yellow onion, chopped

1 green bell pepper, chopped

1 cup long grain brown rice

1&1/2 cups chicken broth

1 can (14.5-ounce) no-salt added diced tomatoes

1 large roasted, skinless red pepper, sliced thin

1/2 cup pitted large green olives in brine, chopped

2 tablespoons capers

Cilantro leaves, torn in small pieces for serving

Radishes, sliced for serving

Stir together half the garlic, cider vinegar, oregano, red pepper flakes, sea salt and black pepper in a bowl big enough to hold the chicken.  Add the chicken and coat with the garlic marinade, set aside.

Heat the oil in a heavy dutch oven, add the onions and green bell peppers, cooking until soft and slightly browned.  Stir in the rice and remaining garlic, stir and cook for about 30 seconds.  Pour in one cup of broth and tomatoes, give a good stir, bring to a simmer and nestle the marinated chicken on top of the rice mixture, cover.  Simmer on low for about 50 minutes, remove the chicken to a cutting board when tender.  Add 1/2 cup of broth, give a good stir, put the lid back on and let the rice continue to cook until tender, about 10-15 additional minutes.  Meanwhile, when the chicken is cool enough to handle, shred into bite size pieces using two forks.  Add the shredded cooked chicken back into the pot along with the red peppers, green olives and capers.  Check the seasoning, add additional sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.  Serve in bowls with slices of radishes and cilantro leaves.