Arroz con Pollo

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Every time I visited my grandparents (pictured below) they would serve Arroz con Pollo with flakey biscuits and cans of apple juice. Toto and Ita (their grandparent names) are Colombian, but I'm sure there was no cultural significance to the biscuits and apple juice. They were just delicious. Arroz con Pollo literally means Rice with Chicken. If you step two inches south of Texas you will find hundreds of versions of this dish, each claiming regional pride. I pledge my allegiance to the Colombian recipe (featured below). I took a few liberties, as always. I know Arroz con Pollo breaks the theme of fish and veggies, but I just couldn't resist. Arroz Con Pollo First you make a 'guiso' (onion, garlic, tomatoes, salt, pepper) Finely chop 1 medium onion and 3 cloves garlic. In large pot, saute onion and garlic in a little extra virgin olive oil. Once the onion is slightly clear, add tomatoes (if you are a normal person, use canned - stewed, diced tomatoes). Salt and pepper. Once the 'guiso' is hot . . . it's time to get started. Add boneless skinless chicken thighs to the guiso, and make sure tomato mixture covers the chicken. Cover large pot and cook on medium heat for twenty minutes. Cook white rice (any way you like it.) After chicken is cooked through, remove chicken thighs with slotted fork, and shred. Add shredded chicken back into tomato mixture. Slowly add rice to tomato/chicken mixture until it reaches your desired thickness. Add a BUNCH of cilantro and salt if needed. Enjoy. Leftovers are almost better! (Add a fried egg on top, and you have a delicious breakfast.)