Southwestern Style Beans and Rice With Chicken

• (3 1/2 lb) whole chickens, deboned and cut up1
• cups texmati cooked brown rice2 cups
• (15 ounce) cans black beans or (15 ounce) cans pinto beans, drained and rinsed well↗2
• cup virgin olive oil↗1⁄4 cup
• large onion, peeled and finely chopped↗1
• medium red pepper, seeded and finely chopped↗1
• medium fresh jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely chopped↗1
• fresh garlic cloves, minced↗2
• (14 ounce) can diced tomatoes with juice↗1
• teaspoon cumin↗1 teaspoon
• lemon, juice of↗1
• sea salt↗
• fresh ground black pepper↗
• cup prepared chicken broth↗1 cup

Step-by-step instructions

1. 1

   NOTE: I used 3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts with salt, pepper and garlic powder baked in a 325 degree oven for 30 minutes in place of the whole chicken. I prepared the chicken breasts at the same time I was preparing the beans.

2. 2

   If using deboned, cut up chicken, in a large skillet over medium-high heat, add the olive oil and chicken. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and cook about 5 minutes. Turn chicken over and cook an additional 5 minutes. Chicken should be golden brown and cooked through. Remove from pan.

3. 3

   In the pan in which the chicken cooked, over medium-high heat, add the onion, red pepper, jalapeno, and garlic. Add more oil if necessary. Saute, stirring, 5 minutes, or until the onions are soft. Do not let the onions brown.

4. 4

   Stir in cumin, tomatoes, lemon juice, and beans. Add the browned chicken, mixing with the vegetables. Add the chicken broth and stir well. Cover and simmer over medium-low heat for 20 minutes. Remove cover and cook 10 minutes more, or until chicken is tender.

5. 5

   Serve beans and chicken spooned over individual servings of prepared brown rice with a green salad and tortilla chips.