Grilled Chicken Skewers and Cilantro rice.

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This is Arroz al Cilantro (cilantro rice) my mom made this once when I was little. Only once. I still remember it. It was delicious. 

My mom is visiting again and I told her I really wanted to make her cilantro rice… she remembered immediately. Hey! I am not that old I guess, I mean, I was little just the other day.

To go with this rice we made Grilled Chicken Skewers. I used about 1 1/2 lb of boneless skinless chicken tights. I love grilling chicken tights because they cook fast, are juicy and flavor full (unlike chicken breast, IMO). I cut the chicken in about 1″ pieces and marinated it for a couple of hours. Click here for marinade recipe.

Once the chicken is ready, I cut a red onion in big chunks about the same size as the chicken. Then just thread the chicken and onion on the skewers, beginning and ending with onion.  If you are using wooden skewers, you need to soak them in water for about 20-30 min. Another trick is wrapping the end of the skewer with foil. That will keep them from catching on fire. 

Grill your skewers until chicken is completely done. About 5 minutes each side. 

Let’s jump to the Cilantro Rice! 

**Start by adding 2 cups of water to a small saucepan and heat until a gentle boiled.  

Place a large skillet on medium high heat and add 1 tablespoon of oil. Add 1 cup of long grain rice and cook the rice until it looks translucent. Add the chopped onion and minced garlic. 

While the rice is cooking, blend 1/2 cup of water and 1 handful of fresh cilantro. There’s not right or wrong measure here, if you want a strong cilantro flavor add more, if you like a more subtle flavor, add less. Blend until very smooth.

Once your rice went from translucent to light brown,  turn your burner to LOW, and carefully add the cilantro water. Stir gently, just once. Now add the rest of the boiling water. Again, carefully. Season the rice with 1/2 teaspoon of salt and chicken bouillon. Stir again, once and taste. Adjust seasoning if needed. Cover and let it cook until all the liquid has dissolved and the rice is nice and fluffy. About 20 minutes.

**Don’t stir the rice while is cooking. You will release the starch and make it mushy. Nobody wants mushy rice.

After 20 minutes, it should look like this:

Fluffy and cilantrofied. 

Yum! I like to finish the rice with a squeeze of fresh lime but of course, its optional. 


 This is how I served the Grilled Chicken Skewers and Cilantro Rice.

They are so delicious!!! I hope you give this recipe a try. You won’t be disappointed. Recipe for Cilantro Rice is below. Happy Eating!

About

Hello, my name is Marisol Chancellor. I was born and raised in Monterrey Mexico. I’ve been living in Texas for 12 years and even when I love barbeque, fruit cobblers and sweet tea, there’s something that has the power of transporting me right back to my mom’s kitchen and gives me a little piece of home, cooking. I grew up in the kitchen and for me, memories are always linked to food, and behind the food, well, there’s always a story that comes along. So, please let me share with you my love for cooking and while we are at it, let’s share some memories, because let’s be honest, we are also hungry for nostalgia.

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