Rice with Kidney Beans & Chicken

📝 Ingredients

• 500 g boneless, skinless chicken thighs
• 240 g long-grain rice
• 2 tins kidney beans (500 g drained)
• 1 tin of chopped tomatoes (400 g)
• 1 red pepper
• 1 brown onion
• 2 garlic cloves
• 2 tsp sweet paprika
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 chicken stock cube + 150 ml hot water
• 2 tbsp rapeseed oil
• Salt, pepper

🍴 Utensils

• Sauté pan with lid
• Saucepan
• Colander
• Mixing bowl
• Chopping board and knife
• Wooden spoon

📖 Steps

1. Cut the chicken thighs into 3 cm pieces. Put them in the mixing bowl with the paprika, cumin, a pinch of salt and some pepper, and mix well with your hands to coat each piece. Set aside while you prepare the vegetables.
2. Peel and slice the onion. Wash the pepper, remove the stalk, seeds and white membranes, then cut into 1 cm dice. Peel the garlic, remove the germ if it's green and chop finely. Dissolve the stock cube in the hot water.
3. Heat the oil in the sauté pan over a medium-high heat. Sear the chicken for 5 min, turning halfway, without stirring too much, until nicely browned on all sides. Remove and set aside on a plate.
4. Lower to a medium heat and fry the onion and pepper for 5 min in the same pan, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom with the wooden spoon. Add the garlic and cook for another 1 min, without letting it brown to avoid bitterness.
5. Return the chicken, add the chopped tomatoes and the stock, stir and bring to a simmer. Cover and leave to simmer for 20 min over a low heat, stirring from time to time so nothing sticks to the bottom.
6. Meanwhile, rinse the rice in cold water until it runs almost clear. Cook in plenty of boiling salted water for the time given on the packet (usually 10 to 12 min), then drain.
7. Drain and rinse the kidney beans in the sieve to remove the liquid from the tin. Add them to the pan and simmer, uncovered, for 10 min, until the sauce thickens and coats the back of the spoon.
8. Taste and adjust the salt and pepper. For a creamier sauce, which kids love, crush a few beans against the side of the pan with a fork and stir in. Serve piping hot over the rice.