Chris & Naomi Hathaway Home

This recipe was given to me by a friend and coworker who got it from her friend who is originally from Honduras. It is very good and I like the unique flavor saffron brings to the dish. It is surprising how well the ingredients blend together for the finished product. It is also an easy recipe to adjust for your own personal tastes. I added extra chicken and extra frozen vegetables and left out the cilantro for Chris's sake. It turned out really well. The recipe says to buy parboiled rice and saffron. Since I couldn't find either of those at one grocery store and saffron is so expensive, I bought saffron rice in the ethnic section. It was called Spanish rice I think, but in smaller letters it said saffron rice. I think browning it was a bad idea because it had spices added already so if you buy it that way skip that step. I also would have simmered it with just the raisins, celery, green pepper and onion until those were softer and until the rice was really done. Once I added everything the rice didn't seem to soften any more and neither did the fresh vegetables.

Ingredients:

• 2 chicken breasts
• 1 lb. parboiled rice
• 1 can black olives
• 1 jar green olives
• 1/2 cup raisins
• 2 celery stalks
• 2 cups frozen mixed vegetables
• 1 medium green pepper, chopped
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1/2 stick (1/4 cup) butter
• 6 cilantro stalks
• 1/2 tsp. saffron
• 4 cloves of garlic
• salt
• pepper

-Cook two chicken breasts, half of the green pepper, half of the onion, all of the garlic, olives, and frozen vegetables in 6 cups of water.  Add salt, pepper, and saffron to taste.  When chicken breasts are fully cooked, and the other vegetables are softened, remove the vegetables and the chicken.
-Shred the chicken and reserve the chicken broth.
-Chop the celery, the remaining 1/2 green pepper and 1/4 of the onion and set aside.
-Brown the rice and remaining 1/4 onion lightly in butter in a very large pot (4 quarts).  (About 5 minutes). -Add chicken broth and bring to a boil.  Simmer on low, covered, for 15 minutes.  Mix in chicken, raisins, remaining 1/4 onion, remaining 1/2 green pepper, celery and vegetables and simmer covered until rice is done. Add the cilantro and enjoy!