In this episode, learn how to make Arroz con Pollo and Ginger Infused Guava Limeade. Cooking in the Kitchen is Isis Zambrana, Vice President & Chief Quality Officer at Jackson Health System.
Arroz con Pollo
Ingredients:
- 1 lb of chicken thighs, bone-in and skin-off
- 1.5 cups uncooked parboiled brown rice
- ½ cup cauliflower rice (optional)
- 4 cups low-sodium chicken stock
- 8-ounce can low sodium tomato sauce
- 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tsps white vinegar
- 1/2 cup diced onion
- 1 cup chopped scallions
- 1/2 cup diced red bell pepper
- 4 cloves minced garlic
- 1/2 cup fresh or frozen peas
Spices:
- 2 tsp dried oregano
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- 1tsp coriander
- 1/2 tsp turmeric (or ground annatto seeds)
- 1 medium dried bay leaf
- ¼ cup cilantro
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Budget corner:
| Arroz con pollo can be used to meal prep and store in the freezer so that time and money can be saved! It can last up to three days in the refrigerator, and can be frozen for even longer. Also, chicken is the main source of protein in this meal and is cost-efficient (especially roasted chicken) compared to other more expensive meat. For the rice, it is cheapest to buy dry uncooked rice in bulk and store it to use many times. This will allow for controlling how much added salt there is in the rice, and is much less expensive than buying pre-cooked rice! |
Method:
- Pat the chicken dry with a paper towel and season well with salt, pepper, and cumin powder.
- In a heavy-bottom pot over medium heat, add 2 tbsp of olive oil. After the oil heats, sear the chicken thighs until golden brown on all sides. Remove the chicken from the pot.
- Add 1 tbsp of olive oil to the same pot. Add the onion, scallion, red bell pepper, and garlic. Cook until the onions are translucent.
- Add the dry rice, cauliflower rice, chicken stock, tomato sauce, turmeric, bay leaf, dried oregano, ground cumin, vinegar, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine.
- Once the mixture comes to a boil, add the chicken thighs back to the pot.
- Reduce the heat to low and cover with a lid. Cook until the liquid is absorbed and the rice is fully cooked through. Check every few minutes and adjust with chicken stock as necessary.
- Add the peas roughly half way through the cooking process until warmed through.
- Remove from the heat, fluff the rice with a fork, and serve warm. Serve with your favorite salad or avocado slices drizzled with lemon juice.
Alternate
https://insearchofyummyness.com/trinidad-pelau-chicken-and-pigeon-peas/
https://www.eatingwell.com/recipe/7889581/trinidadian-pelau-with-chicken/
Ingredients:
- 1.5 lbs boneless chicken thighs with skin
- ½ cup of diced onions
- ½ cup of diced carrots
- 1 can of pigeon peas
- ½ cup diced pumpkin
- 4 cloves of diced garlic, optional
- ½ tsp salt, to taste
- ¼ tsp black pepper, to taste
- 1 ½ cups parboiled brown rice
- 1 ½ cups of hot water or low sodium vegetable broth
- 1 whole scotch bonnet pepper, optional
- Chopped cilantro for garnish, optional
Method:
- (Optional) Marinate chicken for 30mins with minced garlic, salt, pepper, and seasoning of choice. Coat the chicken with the spices and rest in the fridge.
- Add extra virgin olive oil to pan and heat to medium.
- Add the chicken and stir to coat the chicken heated oil.
- Add the onion, carrots, pumpkin and drained pigeon peas to the pot. Stir to combine and cook for ~5mins.
- Add the dry rice, stir, and cook for ~5mins.
- Add hot water, scotch bonnet pepper (optional), salt, and pepper.
- Cover the pot and reduce the heat to medium-low. Simmer for 20-25mins or until the rice is fully cooked through. Check every few minutes and adjust the water as necessary.
- Garnish with cilantro and serve hot or at room temperature.
Small healthy changes:
- Instead of chicken thighs > use chicken breasts (skinless)
- Eliminate coconut milk > use pumpkin for creaminess
- Instead of chicken stock > use either water or low sodium vegetable broth
Why did we make these changes?
Chicken breasts are leaner and lower in saturated fats and cholesterol, which make them ideal to consume in comparison to chicken thighs (1). Using skinless meats also provides a significant health benefit as the skin of the meat is usually higher in saturated fats, using skinless meats can further reduce saturated fat intake and help with heart health. Coconut milk is a great addition in food, however is typically higher in calories and saturated fat (2). Using a substitute such as greek yogurt with an almond/soy milk substitute allows the dish to retain the creaminess coconut milk has to offer, without the higher amount of calories, and an additional amount of protein from the greek yogurt!
- https://www.eatright.org/food/nutrition/dietary-guidelines-and-myplate/breasts-vs-thighs-which-is-more-nutritious
- https://www.webmd.com/diet/health-benefits-coconut-milk-coconut-cream#:~:text=Coconut%20milk%20and%20cream%20are%20both%20relatively%20high%20in%20calories,milk%20or%20cream%20they%20consume.
Although salt is a staple seasoning for many, it is recommended by the Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2022-2025 that individuals should aim to limit their sodium consumption to 2 grams per day to prevent high blood pressure.(1) With recipes that call for chicken stock, salt and seasoning blends such as Goya; it is very easy to go over the 2 grams recommendation. Therefore, a simple way to prevent having too much sodium in a recipe is to substitute an item that is salted for an unsalted version. In this scenario, we would be substituting the chicken stock for unsalted chicken stock. This would allow the individual to have better control of how much sodium is in their meal since they would be able to physically add in salt to their liking. A great example of the major difference this alternative would make is shown with Swanson’s Cooking Chicken Stock. According to the nutrition label, their normal chicken stock contains 510 mg of sodium per serving whereas their unsalted chicken stock only contains 130 mg of sodium per serving. Not only does the consumer get to have 380 mg of less sodium but they’ll still be able to have that chicken flavor and keep the ingredient that is one of the many staples to the arroz con pollo dish!
Guava Limeade:
Ingredients:
- 24 oz guavas rinsed
- 1 cup water
- 2 tsp lime
- 2 tbsp grated ginger
- 2 cups ice cubes
- 1 -2 tsps date sugar or coconut sugar
Budget corner:
| For today’s pink drink we chose the delicious guava which you can find at Walmart for $0.82 each. If fresh guavas do not fit your budget, you can still make our healthy drink by purchasing canned guavas (and washing very well to remove syrup). Guavas are still in season (August to October) which means it will be cheaper to purchase right now! |
Method:
- Place the all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth
- Place ice into a tall glass and pour the guava juice over it
- Optional – Garnish with a small slice of guava
- Enjoy!
Small Healthy Changes
- instead of canned fruit in syrup juice >>Use fresh fruit
- No added sugar
- Instead of alcohol >>No alcohol
Why did we make these changes?
It limits added sugars, removes alcohol and is rich in antioxidants.
This month we are making a pink drink in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Breast cancer is a disease that affects both men and women and is among the most common cancers. According to the National Breast Cancer Foundation, 1 in 8 women will develop invasive breast cancer in her lifetime. (1) Some risk factors for breast cancer, such as family history, can’t be changed. (2) However, there are lifestyle changes you can make to lower your risk and these include, limiting your alcohol, and maintaining a healthy weight and diet – so let’s make a nutritious pink drink that can be part of a healthy lifestyle!
In addition to adding so much more flavor, using whole fruit instead of fruit juice allows us to cut down on sugar, calories and increase our fiber intake! (1) It’s also a great idea to obtain your 5 servings of fruit and veggies a day in fun ways just like in this drink! Eating lots of fruits and vegetables can manage your weight and potentially lower your risk of heart disease, heart attack and stroke.(2) Guavas specifically are high in vitamin C which helps your body heal wounds, keep your teeth and gums healthy and even help absorb iron! (2) By making our own delicious drink we were also able to control the sugar we added (and relying on the natural sweetness of fruit) so that we could follow the recommendation to limit calories from added sugars to no more than 10% each day. (3) We hope you enjoy this nourishingly delicious drink and all its health benefits!
Recipe adapted from: https://healthyrecipes101.com/guava-juice-recipe/
and https://mindfulmocktail.com/guava-mocktail/
Sources:
- https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/womens-health/in-depth/breast-cancer-prevention/art-20044676
Recipe Cards:
