This is a super easy one pot meal dish…the rice is cilantro green loaded with shredded chicken and charred corn.

Being of Taiwanese background, it would be almost an offense not owing a Tatung rice cooker and  steamer.  I still remember my mom’s greenish color rice cooker, it was the everyday gadget since rice was present for lunch and dinner.

I must admit that I often use this gadget more as a steamer than rice cooker.  Steaming can  be kind of dangerous when done on the stove top as many times I forget about it and I just remember when smoke starts to arise from the pan…and all my stuff in it is infused with smoke flavor…not fun!

Now, my grandma would use this rice cooker and steamer as a multi cooker apparatus, she would cook rice, steam fish or chicken all at the same time, she had so wired that most of her meals would be done in this cooker…no need to mention that it was her favorite kitchen tool.

– Why is this dish so easy?

This green rice is mainly cooked in the Tatung rice cooker…I mean almost, as I like to sauté onion and garlic to bring all the aroma before adding to the rice, therefore it will be two pots instead of one. Nevertheless, it is super easy and when you less expect, the meal is ready.

– Please note…

The cup I use in this recipe refers to the cup which comes with the Tatung rice cooker and steamer and is equivalent to approximately ⅔ of your regular cup size.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups jasmine rice, rinsed and well drained
• 2 chicken breasts
• 1 small onion chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, finely minced
• 1 ½ cup frozen charred corn
• 1 bunch fresh cilantro
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• Salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

Method:

Slice the chicken breast horizontally into 2 slices. Place in a bowl and add salt and fresh ground black pepper.  Let it sit for a few minutes.

In the meantime, place the cilantro in the small food processor with a little of water and make a paste.

Sauté the onion and garlic with the olive oil until golden brown and fragrant under medium heat.

In the Tatung rice cooker inner pot place the rice, the mix of onion and garlic, the cilantro paste, frozen charred corn, chicken broth, salt and pepper and complete with water until the mark “2”.

Gently layer the chicken breast onto the rice, and place two cups of water into the outer cooker. Place the lid and press the switch down to cook.

Once the rice is done, the light will turn off, leave for 10 to 15 minutes.

Remove the chicken breast from the pot and place on a plate.  Use two forks to shred the chicken. Place the shredded chicken back to the pot and mix gently.

Serve hot.

– If you enjoy one pot meal dishes, you might want to look at the following…

Did you know that the distinctive smell of cilantro is due to is essential oil linalool? Interestingly people sense the smell of cilantro leave very differently, either they like, or they have aversion to it. Nonetheless, cilantro cleaves contain vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin K and others. Every part of the cilantro plant is edible, and the stems have more flavor then the leaves, so please do not discard the stems.

Thank you for visiting Color Your Recipes…have a colorful week!

This recipe is created from the traditional Cuban dish made with beef brisket…it is so flavorful and delicious over rice.

I hope you all had a nice and enjoyable holiday surrounded by your loved ones…and here we are, a whole new year ahead of us…filled with hope, dreams and wishes…talking about wish…I have been wanted to make this dish for a while, but really got inspired when a couple of weeks ago we had ropa vieja at Portos Bakery, a local Cuban bakery, which has been often featured in the news for their successful family business.

– What is ropa vieja?

In Spanish ropa vieja means “old clothes”.  Really? Yes, according to Wikipedia it is one of the national dishes of Cuba, although very popular in many countries such as Puerto Rico, Panama and Philippines. This dish is mainly shredded beef with vegetables with a touch of sweet from red peppers.

– Why use Instant Pot?

Using Instant Pot will cut your cooking time to a fraction since the meat has a lot of connective tissues, therefore a tough cut of meat. Instant Pot will work magic to tenderize the meat and it can all be done in one pot, yes one pot.

– Can I use other kind of meat?

Absolutely, you can use flank steak, flap steak, chuck roast, brisket…all kind of meat that is rich in connective tissue.

– Should we jump to the recipe?

Of course…since there are hundreds of ropa vieja recipes on the internet, I really cannot tell you which one really based on…it was really a combination of many of them…match and mix…

Ingredients:

• 2-2 ½ lbs brisket
• 1 large onion, sliced
• 4-5 garlic cloves minced
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• 2 teaspoons cumin
• 2 teaspoons sweet paprika
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 6 oz tomato paste
• 3 fresh tomatoes, chopped
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 3 bell peppers (1 green and 2 red)
• Green olives, sliced
• Salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
• Avocado for garnish
• Cilantro for garnish

Method:

Season the beef with salt and pepper and let it set for a few minutes.

Set the Instant Pot to “sauté”, add the olive oil and sear the brisket, both side. Set the brisket on aside.

Add the sliced onion, garlic and sauté until aromatic and golden brown.  Return the brisket to the pot and add the tomato paste, fresh tomatoes and all the spices.

Add 1 cup of water and turn to pressure cook at high pressure for 20 minutes. Once the time is up, let the steam release naturally.

When the steam stops, carefully open the pot and add the sliced bell peppers. Taste for salt and pepper. Turn the pressure cook at high pressure for another 10 minutes and set the steam to release naturally.

Once the steam stops, carefully open the pot, remove the brisket. Place the brisket in a dish and using 2 forks shred the beef. Return the shredded beef to the pot and add the sliced olives. Cook for another minute.

Transfer the ropa vieja to a serving bowl and garnish with cilantro and avocado.

Serve with rice, noodles or with anything you like.

– Looking for more meat recipes?  Please check the recipes below…you might find something you want to try.

Thank you for visiting Color Your Recipes…have a colorful week!