Mexican-style Pulled Chicken with Beans and Rice

Don't you love good accidents? When you "wing-it" and it just turns out. This dish was one of those..."lets try it" and yep we're doing it again.

This was originally just a slow cook chicken dish with kidney beans. Then we added rice and then presto - a new dish was born. 

Really hard to go wrong with this. The flavours are largely Mexican and Cajun influenced and the rice style is akin to Spain's paella. Whatever you want to call it, it's delicious!

Ingredients

3 to 4 chicken thigh fillets
1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder (optional)
1 to 2 tablespoon smokey paprika
Olive oil for coating pan
1 large onion, diced
1 medium capsicum, cubed
~3 to 5 coriander roots, finely chopped
~1 teaspoon cumin powder
~1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 x 400g canned crushed tomatoes
1 x 400g canned red kidney beans
1 dash garlic powder (finely minced 1 clove if you're using fresh)
~1/2 teaspoon dried tarragon
~1/2 teaspoon dried basil
~1/2 teaspoon dried marjoram
~1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
~1 teaspoon dried coriander leaves
2 bay leaves
1 cup chicken stock
1 cup basmati rice
~1 to 2 Tablespoon liquid smoke

~ see notes

Method

1. Season chicken fillets with your favourite spice mix. Our household favourite being the Masterfood's Cajun Spice Mix. Sprinkle over with turmeric powder, smokey paprika.
2. Prepare other ingredients - capsicum, onion, coriander roots.
   
   
   
   
   
3. In pan over medium to high heat, add olive oil to coat pan. Saute onions until translucent. Add coriander root and capsicum and saute for a couple of minutes then move to the contents to the side of the pan or remove from pan and set aside. 
   
   
   
   
   
4. Add a dash of oil the cleared area of pan, then add chicken fillets, flavoured side down. Sprinkle with cumin and ground coriander over the chicken. Brown off.
   
   
   
   
   
5. Add canned tomatoes then turn heat down to low. Add kidney beans and dash of garlic powder. Add tarragon, basil, marjoram, coriander (fresh or dried), oregano and bay leaves. Add approximately a cup of chicken stock (we used powdered chicken stock and water in the empty tomato can to rise the can out. Stir, cover and simmer for 30 to 45 minutes. Check and stir every 15 minutes or so.
   
   
   
   
   

   
   
   
6. While simmering, wash rice.
7. Remove chicken from pan and rest on plate for about 10 minutes. Add rice to pan. Stir and cover for approximately 15 minutes or until rice is cooked. You may need to add more water if it's starting to catch at the bottom of the pan.
   
   
   
   
   
8. While rice is cooking and chicken has rested, shred/pull chicken using a couple of forks. Add liquid smoke over shredded chicken.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
9. When rice is cooked, stir-in shredded chicken and remove bay leaves.
   
   
   
   
   
   
10. Serve with some grated tasty cheese, a dollop of sour cream, fresh coriander leaves and your favour hot sauce. Alternative, wrap it in a warm cheese tortilla.