Arroz Con Pollo (Chicken with Rice)

A famous Latin recipe. Here is a simpler version

Prep Time/Total Time: 30 minutes

Yield: Serves 4

Ingredients

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 chicken breasts, cut into strips so the chicken will cook quicker

1/2 cup flour

salt and pepper

2 cups chicken stock

2 cups instant rice

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 medium onion, chopped

1 (14 ounce) cans diced tomatoes, drained

1/2 teaspoon oregano

1 teaspoon hot paprika

1 pinch saffron thread

salt and pepper

Directions

1. In a shallow bowl or plate, mix flour, salt, pepper and paprika. Dredge the chicken in the flour mix. In a large skillet, heat oil and brown chicken on both sides for about 5 minutes. Remove the chicken from the oil and keep warm.

2. In a mixing bowl combine stock, tomatoes, salt and pepper to taste, saffron and oregano.

3. Brown rice in the left over oil in the skillet. Add onion and garlic, and saute until the onions are clear. Place the chicken back in the skillet and add the stock mixture.

4. Bring to a boil and then let simmer for 10-15 minutes or until rice is fluffy and chicken is done.

Dance Injuries – To Dance or Not to Dance

We know that in the world of Salsa, everyone wants to dance--interrupted and non-stop. However, what should you do if you get injured out on the dance floor, or you incur an injury doing something non-dance related? That might seem like a difficult question for the Salsa-lover addict, but the answer boils down to this: REST and RECUPERATE! The dance floor will still be there after your injuries are healed!

Staying On Time While Dancing

As we continue into our Salsa dance learning journey and have mastered our basic steps; another aspect of the dance is timing. Timing is what separates a total novice dancer from an intermediate dancer and has a lot to do with how you feel the music. Many dancers like to think that feeling the music is limited to closing your eyes and just moving your feet to the music.

Well, that is not quite so true. Reality is that Salsa follows the universal timing principal, which divides its beats into eight major counts. It is important to obey this universal rule so you can look like a seasoned dancer instead of a novice dancer. Dancers who fail to follow this universal musical rule are often labeled as rogue or rough dancers, because they simply turn randomly and make it impossible for their partner to follow them or enjoy the dance.

No matter which style of Salsa you are dancing (on 1, on 2, on Clave or Rueda) recognizing the one, two or three is crucial. There are few options to use to recognize the proper Salsa beat. Option one is to use an instrument within the music as a reference and dance to its beat. While using this technique concentrate on instruments such as the Conga or the Clave. Option two is to use the musical cycle of the eight major counts as a reference. Here is a great video which illustrates what we are talking about (http://youtu.be/xVJ0416rzrE ).

We hope this was useful and let us know of any topic you would like to talk about.