Well, we had our few weeks of summer, then fall hit with a vengeance.  It is strange how quickly it came this year – although, what I think really happened was that summer was just not long enough.  Usually by this time I am happy for the clouds to come back, but this year was an exception.  I would have been happy with a couple more weeks of sun – shhhh – don’t tell anyone, I constantly tell people I hate the sun, which is why I love it here so much…

I am hoping that this will be the week I can catch up on stuff – things have gotten so out of control, I am even off schedule on my blog postings.  I just know I will get back to normal soon (let me keep dreaming).  I feel like all I have been doing is baking recently, so I am happy to post something different for a change.  Chicken and rice, a staple in my house – especially when fall arrives.  I love changing things up a bit though, and this recipe definitely did just that.  I found it in the Sunday Pacific NW Magazine by Greg Atkinson – which I adapted to suit the needs of my family, who do not necessarily love very spicy food.  This was delicious, and the kids loved it – especially the sausage.  I will definitely make this again…knowing that I have many more cloudy days ahead of me before summer comes again.

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 pound Italian sausage links, cut into 1/2-inch discs
• 6 boneless chicken thighs
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt, or to taste
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or to taste
• 1 medium onion, peeled and chopped into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1 medium red bell pepper, cored and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 2 cups long-grain white rice such as jasmine or basmati
• 4 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
• 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
• 1 (12-ounce) bottle of beer
• 1 (14.5-ounce) can fire-roasted tomatoes
• 1 cup water
• 1 generous pinch saffron threads
• 1 1/2 cups green peas, fresh shelled or frozen
• 1/2 cup chopped parsley

Preparation

In a Dutch oven over medium-high heat, cook the sausage pieces in the olive oil until they are lightly browned, about 5 minutes. With a slotted spoon, lift the sausage out of the oil and keep nearby.

Sprinkle the chicken thighs with salt and pepper and brown them in the oil left in the pan, turning once to brown evenly on both sides, about 5 minutes in all.

Lift the chicken out of the pan, and in the oil left behind, sauté the onion and pepper until the vegetables are soft and the onion is beginning to brown. Stir in the rice, garlic and smoked paprika, then pour in the beer, the fire-roasted tomatoes, the water and the saffron threads. Bring the liquid to a boil.

Put the sausage and chicken pieces back in the pot, reduce heat to low, and cover. Simmer until the rice has absorbed the cooking liquid and the chicken is cooked through, about 35 minutes.

Five minutes before serving, stir in the peas and the parsley, cover the pan and let the finished dish rest undisturbed until the peas are heated through.

For a printer-friendly version of this recipe, please click here:  Arroz Con Pollo