Latin Chicken and Rice Pot

I love it when I come across a recipe that calls for an ingredient I've never used before, but wanted to. This was one of those recipes. It calls for Saxon Seasoning Blend by Goya. You can find it in your Mexican area of a grocery store. They're little flavor packets of goodness. I think they are what made this meal...well that and my subtle changes.

Latin Chicken and Rice Pot
Recipe from Food Network.com
Serves: 4

• 1 T extra virgin olive oil
• 2 T butter
• 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken tenders, cut into bite-sized pieces
• Salt and pepper
• 2 c white rice
• 3 c chicken stock
• 1 tsp poultry seasoning
• 1 T Sazon Seasoning Blend (recommended: Goya) with Mexican and Spanish foods in market )
• 1 c tomato sauce
• 1/4 c golden raisins

Preheat a medium pot over medium heat, add extra-virgin olive oil and butter. When butter melts into oil, add cut up chicken. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Stir and lightly brown the chicken, then add the rice and cook another 1 to 2 minutes. Add chicken stock, poultry seasoning, Sazon seasoning, tomato sauce and raisins. Bring the stock to a quick boil, 2 or 3 minutes. When the liquid boils, reduce heat to low and cook 13 to 15 minutes, until rice is tender but still a little chewy in the center.

The recipe comes with an additional recipe to add to the finished product. I missed this step altogether, mostly because I didn't have any of the ingredients. Details.

Olive and Pepper Salsa

• 1 cup Spanish olives with pimientos, drained and chopped
• 2 Tomatoes, seeded and chopped
• 1 small Green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
• 1 small White onion, chopped
• Several drops of hot sauce
• 1/4 cup Chopped flat leaf parsley
• 1/2 cup Lemon or lime juice

While the rice and chicken are working, prepare the salsa. Combine all the ingredients in a small bowl and adjust the salt and hot sauce, to taste. Next prepare the Avocado and Garlic Sour Cream by adding all ingredients to a food processor and processing until smooth. Adjust seasoning, then transfer to a small bowl.

Stir 1/2 cup of prepared Olive and Pepper Salsa to the chicken and rice mixture. Turn off heat and let stand 5 minutes.

Serve the prepared Latin rice and chicken in shallow bowls with spoonfuls of salsa and avocado cream to garnish. Serve any remaining salsa and sour cream with plantains and corn chips for dipping and scooping.

My "adjustment" to this recipe - cuz you know there would be one - is I added green olives. I just thought it screamed for green olives. And I was right. I loved the raisin(sweet) and green olive (savory) combination.

Best part overall though, this is a stomach filler. Easily can make this for very little $$.