One Pot Wednesdays: Chicken and Rice Heaven

This one pot chicken and rice dish seems pretty simple, but the seasonings and a couple of key ingredients, as well as the pre-marinating of the chicken beforehand make this one very memorable dish. The best part is that it is a one-pot dish, so cleaning up is a breeze! Once you try it I think you'll love it so much you might want to make this your regular go-to one pot Wednesday dish!

Ingredients:

• 1 T coconut oil
• 8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs or drumsticks
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon vinegar
• black pepper
• ½ t dried oregano
• 1 red onion, finely chopped
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped
• 1 small green and/or red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and chopped fine (about 3/4 cup)
• 1/4 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes
• 1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro leaves
• 2 c broth
• 2 t Sazon seasoning (like this one)
• A couple dashes of turmeric (because I add it to everything)
• 3 c long-grain rice, soaked and drained
• 1/2 c pimento stuffed green olives, halved
• 1 T capers
• Sea Salt
• 1 c organic ketchup
• Lemon wedges (optional for garnish)

Directions:  

1. Mix garlic and 1 t salt in into a smooth paste, using a rubber spatula. Add vinegar, oregano, and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper to garlic-salt mixture and stir. Marinade chicken in this mixture for 15 minutes.
2. After marinating, add oil, onion, red bell pepper, pepper flakes and chicken to the clay pot.
3. Add ketchup and broth, stirring to combine.
4. Program VitaClay to “stew” setting for 30 minutes.
5. After this cooking is finished, add rice, olives, capers, bell peppers, half of the chopped cilantro, Sazon and 3/4 teaspoon salt into the clay pot and stir well.
6. Ensure the liquid covers the rice and meat mixture. If it doesn't, add a little bit more broth until everything is covered in liquid.
7. Program the VitaClay for “brown rice” setting and allow to finish the cooking cycle.
8. Close and seal again, and allow to finish cooking.
9. After the VitaClay beeps, let it rest without opening it for about 15 minutes.
10. Check to make sure the rice has absorbed all of the liquid and looks like perfectly cooked rice. If it hasn't absorbed everything, allow it to sit with the cooker open but the clay lid covering it for another 10-20 minutes, until the rice looks ready.
11. Serve with lemon wedges to garnish

*Varying types of rice often require slightly different ratios of liquid to rice, so you can experiment with your favorite rice until you find that sweet spot that makes rice just as you like it.