*Guest post by Jessica Piñeros (@yesikitaaa)*

As we continue our time at home, so continues our Pantry Project! Here's another savory and creative receta you can hopefully bring together with ingredients you already have.

~ Arroz con Jackfruit ~

This is one of my favorite recipes ever! It’s also easy to meal prep because it's an easy one-pot situation, it feeds a lot of people (with simple ingredient edits), and stays delicious for a long time! Obviously, this is a plant-based rendition of a Latinx favorite, arroz con pollo, where we replace the chicken with jackfruit. If you’re not a huge fan of jackfruit or can’t find it at your local grocery store, use your favorite vegan chicken alternative or simply omit it from the recipe all together. I personally love jackfruit for its texture and how I can marinate it to make the overall dish more flavorful. Also, it was the only chicken-like alternative I had already in my pantry since it's a canned option that can always come in handy.

Ingredients (3-4 Servings)

For Marinated Jackfruit:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 20-oz can jackfruit, rinsed dried and sorted
• 4 long green onions, white ends minced
• 1 vegan chicken-flavored bouillon cube
• ½ cup water
• 2 teaspoons Loisa Adobo
• 1 teaspoon Loisa Sazon
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon maple syrup
• ½ teaspoon salt

• ¼ can (28 oz) diced tomatoes
• 2 tablespoons Loisa Sazon
• marinated jackfruit
• 1 cup white rice
• 2 ¼ cups water
• 2 tsp salt, more or less to taste
• 1 (10 oz) bag frozen mixed veggies (I used peas and carrots)

Instructions:

1. Pour oil in saucepan and simmer the minced white ends of onions on medium heat. Once onions are translucent add water and bouillon cube to make a broth. Once the cube is completely dissolved and has cooked down with the onions for about 3 minutes, pour this into a blender and add the remainder of marinade ingredients including green ends of the onions. Blend until smooth.
2. Pour marinade over jackfruit in an airtight container or bag, and place in the refrigerator overnight so that the jackfruit can soak in all the flavor!
3. When you are ready to make the rice, place diced tomatoes in a large pot over medium-high heat for 3-5 minutes. Add marinated jackfruit and sazon. Stir and allow to simmer for another 5-7 minutes. Stir in rice and add salt and 2 cups of water. Allow everything to simmer/boil at a medium-high heat until there is barely any liquid left.
4. Pour in the last ¼ cup of water, add frozen veggies, cover pot, and reduce heat to low. Do NOT stir in the veggies, simply allow them to sit on top of the rice and they will steam as the rice continues to cook through for about 30-40 minutes. Now you can stir in the veggies until evenly incorporated, serve and enjoy!