So Many Dishes

Today’s post includes recipes for the two dishes I talked about in my last post.

Colombian shredded chicken is based on the recipe by Steve Raichlen in his book Healthy Latin Cooking. My changes are minimal: I’ve added more bell pepper and replaced the fresh tomato with a can of fire-roasted tomatoes. I also upped the amount of red wine vinegar, because we like that little bit of tartness the vinegar gives. The original recipe also calls for straining the cooking liquid, but I like having the vegetables included.

Colombian Shredded Chicken

• 1 tablespoon olive oil plus 1/2 teaspoon sweet paprika
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
• 1 14-oz. can diced fire-roasted tomatoes, undrained
• 1 1/2 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breast, trimmed of all visible fat
• 2 cups water
• Salt and pepper

Heat the olive oil and paprika in a large deep skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, and bell pepper. Cook for 5 minutes, or until the onions are soft but not brown. Increase the heat to high and stir in the tomatoes and vinegar. Cook for 3 minutes.

Add the chicken and water. Season with salt and pepper. Reduce the heat to medium, cover the pan, and simmer for 40 minutes, turning the chicken over halfway through the cooking time. The chicken should be very tender when tested with a knife. Transfer the chicken breasts to a cutting board and let cool.

Using two forks, pull the chicken along the grain of the meat into shreds. Return the chicken to the cooking liquid. Simmer for 10 minutes to allow the shreds to absorb more of the cooking liquid. Season with more salt and pepper, if desired. Makes 4 to 6 servings.

We generally serve this over rice, with either black beans or red beans on the side. If there are leftovers, I like to fill corn tortillas with the chicken.

Pot roast pasta definitely takes more time to prepare, although nothing about it is difficult. The recipe comes from The New Basics by Julee Rosso and Sheila Lukins, the authors of the Silver Palate cookbooks. The only change I make is to use diced fire-roasted tomatoes in place of canned plum tomatoes. I just really like the taste of fire roasted tomatoes. (I’m a big fan of roasted tomatoes in general; I love making them as an easy side).

Pot Roast Pasta

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 to 2 1/2 lb. beef bottom round or rump roast
• 1 cup chopped onions
• 1 cup chopped carrots1 cup chopped celery
• 4 cloves garlic, slivered
• 1 cup beef stock
• 2 14-oz. cans diced fire-roasted tomatoes, drained
• 4 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
• 1 dried bay leaf
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1/2 cup dry red wine
• 1 pound rigatoni or penne

Heat the oil in a Dutch oven over medium-low heat. Add the roast and brown on all sides. Remove the meat from the pan and set aside.

Add the onions, carrots, celery, and slivered garlic to the pan and sauté until soft, about 10 minutes. Remove the vegetables and set aside.

Set a rack in the bottom of the pot and place the roast on top. Pour the stock into the pot. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, cover, and simmer for one hour.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Remove the roast and rack from the Dutch oven. Cut the meat into 1/2-inch thick slices (they will be quite rare). Return the slices to the pot, layering them evenly.

Add the tomatoes to the pot along with the tomato paste, the minced garlic, pepper, salt, thyme, bay leaf, red wine, and reserved vegetables. Bring to a boil, cover, transfer to the oven, and bake for 1 1/2 hours.

Remove the meat and bay leaf from the pot and allow to cool slightly. Discard the bay leaf. Shred the meat and return it to the pot. Reheat over low heat.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the pasta, and cook until just tender. Drain. Serve the meat and sauce over pasta. Makes 6 servings.

Happy eating!