Rice and Pigeon Peas

It was a Karaoke Girl Night In last night and everyone brought a dish.  I really love this because I get to try so many different dishes and dips of my many talented friends. So, needless to say, I have leftovers galore. It's Football Sunday, so I have to make something quick and easy.  My leftovers are mediterranean chicken, rice with pigeon peas, and stewed red beans with pumpkin.  This in itself is a meal. So, I won't be improvising today but I will give you the recipe to my Rice and Pigeon Peas, or Arroz with Gandules as I call it.  My friends always ask how to make it.  I make it a variety of ways, and everyone makes it a little different this way uses jasmine rice, which cooks evenly and doesn't have to be rinsed.  This is my easy version with lots of flavor!  Enjoy!

Rice and Pigeon Peas

• 2 cups Jasmine Rice
• 3 TBSP Olive Oil
• 3 cups Chicken Broth
• 1 thick ham slice chopped, or 2 cans vienna sausages, or sausage, or kielbasa. 1 cup total
• 1 can 15.5 oz Goya Pigeon Peas
• 1/2 can Goya tomato sauce
• 1 bay leaf
• One medium spanish onion chopped
• 4 garlic cloves minced
• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
• 1 packet Sazon with Culantro
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp oregano
• 1 tsp cumin
• Green pimento filled olives, about 7

In a large round bottom pot, with a tight fitting lid, saute the chopped ham in the olive oil for about 5 minutes, then add onions and garlic, until translucent, add pigeon peas, tomato sauce, packet of sazon, salt, oregano, cumin, olives, and bay leaf, simmer for 3 minutes until very fragrant, add rice and chopped cilantro and stir until well mixed. Add chicken broth, stir and bring to a boil, then turn the heat to the lowest setting and cover.  Cook for 30 minutes.

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