Puerto Rican Chicken and Potatoes

You can probably tell from reading this blog that I love to cook. It relaxes me and it gives me a feeling of accomplishment when I make a dish that everyone enjoys. I am constantly on the lookout for new recipes and saw a recipe a few months ago in the Every Day with Rachael Ray magazine. As soon as I read it I knew my family and I would enjoy it. I am kind of weird when I try out a recipe, I like to follow the directions exactly so I know what the author meant for it to taste like. Once I have made it once I feel free to play around with ingredients to suit my tastes. I changed around the quantities for this recipe because I wanted more potatoes and more sauce in the finished dish. Feel free to do the same to my recipes.

Puerto Rican Chicken and Potatoes

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 skin-on, bone-in chicken breasts
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 yellow onion
6 cloves of garlic
2 red bell peppers, chopped
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 bay leaves
1 pound small, red potatoes, halved
Two eight ounce cans of tomato sauce
2 cups of water
Cilantro, for sprinkling

In a large saucepan heat the olive oil over medium heat. Sprinkle salt and pepper to taste on both sides of the chicken and add to the skillet. Cook until golden brown, about 3 minutes per side. Put the chicken on a plate and set aside. Put the onion and garlic in a food processor and puree until smooth. Add to the skillet (which is still over the flame) and be sure to scrape up any brown bits left from the chicken. Puree the red peppers and add to the skillet. Put the cumin and bay leaves in the skillet and mix well. Increase the heat to medium-high and stir in the potatoes, tomato sauce and 2 cups of water.

Once the mixture is simmering lower the heat and continue simmering for 10 minutes. Add the chicken and cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Flip the chicken over and cook 15 more minutes, or until the chicken is done. Be sure to continue stirring or else your potatoes will burn. Throw away the bay leaves and sprinkle with cilantro if desired.

Pureed onion and garlic

After 15 minutes of cooking

The finished chicken and potatoes

One reason I really liked this dish was that I often have to cajole my kids into eating bell pepper. They ate this sauce right up and never even knew they were eating veggies. I usually don't like sneaking healthy food to them, but every once in awhile it is nice to not have to feel like I am the food police. I really hope you try this recipe out; I think you will like it.

Till tomorrow...