(First attempt to heal my self through my gut)

I recently went to the emergency room for pelvic pain. I have had cysts for about 8 years now. I know to some attempting to heal yourself through your gut might be common knowledge but I never gave it much thought. I’ve almost always had a good metabolism but also I have gotten in the habit of not treating my body with love. I don’t eat home cooked meals often and like to eat out a lot. So in the attempt to start building better eating habits this is my first attempt to heal myself through my gut. Pollo Guisado is something my Puerto Rican mother would make for my family all the time. its the perfect vessel for creativity and for warming your core. Feel free to change the vegetables like I did. It is really healing So when I had enough energy I got up and made myself food for my week and this time I put a lot more intention in what I was making. Below are some ingredients and cooking methods I used and why.

INGREDIENTS	METHOD	BENEFITS
CHICKEN LEG SKIN LESS	SIMMERED	High in collagen, iron , zinc, aids in joint health, immune support and skin vitality. long simmered produces a nutrient dense broth rich in amino acids that support gut health, boost energy and reduce inflammation.
TOMATO	PUREED	Breaks down down cell walls, which increases the bio availability of the powerful antioxidant lycopene. This process supports heart health, reduces inflammation, enhances immune function, and may lower the risk of certain cancers
MEXICAN OREGANO	STEEPED	support immune health, reduce inflammation, and combat oxidative stress. Helps relieve respiratory issues (colds, coughs), digestive problems (gas, bloating), and is used as an anti-inflammatory agent for pain relief.
DAIKON RADISH	SIMMERED	boosts digestion. aids weight loss, reducing inflammation. rich in vit C, potassium, and active compounds like isothiocyanates. supports detox,strengthens the immune system, and helps dissolve fat deposits. It is especially effective for relieving bloating, phlegm, and congestion.
CARROT	SIMMERED	simmering boosts antioxidant levels by 34%, aiding in cancer prevention, anti inflammatory , improved digestion and heart health.
EPAZOTE	STEEPED	traditional Mexican herb primarily used to treat digestive disorders, reduce flatulence, and expel intestinal parasites (worms) due to the compound ascaridole. potent anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and antioxidant properties. It is also used to soothe stomach aches, respiratory issues, and menstrual cramps.
CULANTRO (RECAITO)	STEEPED	nutrient-dense herb rich in vitamins A, B, C, calcium, and iron, offering significant antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antibacterial properties. Traditionally used in herbal medicine, it aids digestion, reduces fever, manages blood sugar, and supports immune health
GARLIC	SAUTEED	natural antibiotic, antiviral, and antifungal agent to boost the immune system and fight infections. Regular consumption improves heart health by lowering blood pressure and cholesterol, while its antioxidant properties protect cells, reduce inflammation, and may aid in cancer prevention.
BAY LEAF	STEEPED	digestive aid, anti-inflammatory agent, and blood sugar regulator due to compounds like eugenol, polyphenols, and antioxidants. They help reduce cholesterol, relieve respiratory congestion, and boost immune function.

prep

We are going to prep the chicken by removing any extra skin, cleaning with lemon and or vinegar then rinsing off with water. Making sure we cut slits all over the chicken so that the marinade seeps into the protein. Marinate for about 2–4 hours in the fridge covered. The marinade was made with Caribbean flavors in mind with an emphasis on garlic, oregano and citrus notes.

Slow simmered Caribbean chicken stew made with sofrito, vegetables, and herbs.puerto rican style gut healing pollo guisado caribbean — Marinating chicken legs with a blend of spices and oils to enhance flavor and health benefits.

Next thing we are going to do is cut up our mirepoix. Mirepoix is a French term meaning a base for most dishes. Mirepoix looks different around the world. In Creole cooking it’s onions, celery and bell peppers. In Italy and Spain they call this sofrito which is onions, bell peppers, and tomatoes. In the Caribbean we also have a version of sofrito but instead of a small or medium dice we blend it or use a mortar and pestle and our base is onion, bell pepper, cilantro and we work off of that. Some ingredients you can use for sofrito are cilantro, culantro, aji pepper, bell pepper etc.

Puerto Rican pollo guisado chicken stew with sofrito, vegetables, and herbs — Preparing vegetables for a healing stew, showcasing the art of culinary preparation and intention.

The next thing we are doing is prepping the vegetables we are going to add to the stew. I’m making some flowers from the carrots by using a specific Japanese knife called a Nakiri for chopping vegetables. I sectioned off the carrot into 3 pieces so that it’s more manageable and can fit into my hand. As I rotate I’m pressing down and cutting out slits about 4 around. We then split in half vertically and cut 1″ slices. They should be half cut flowers.

The next vegetable is a radish. We peel and cut into about 1–2″ disks. We then use a paring knife and round out the edges. We then cut in half so that they’re small enough to put on a spoon, creating half moons.

Now we are doing a rough chop on the culantro and epazote. We want to make sure we are removing the leaves from the stems, keeping the stems to use as an aromatic later on.

PROCEDURE

Making annatto oil you always want to put more oil than seeds. In Puerto Rican cooking we use olive oil. That comes from our connection to Spain via colonization. You want your pan to be about medium high heat. You will start to see the seeds start to bubble and then you move the seeds around with a spatula, being careful not to burn the seeds. You will start to see the color change in the seeds. You will also see the color of the oil change. Remove seeds before they burn. Transfer oil to a pot or a caldero.

You will then add in your chicken and then sear on all sides, making sure to develop the fond by not turning too early or by overcrowding the bottom of the pot. If you overcrowd the pan then you will end up steaming your chicken and not creating the fond we are going for. You turn them after about 5–6 minutes. You will start to see the pieces start to caramelize. Make sure to not burn the fond that you are creating by controlling the heat. Remove the chicken from the pot and keep near for later.

Add in your mirepoix and use steam to soften the fond on the bottom of the pot. Use a spoon to move around and mix with the fond. Add in your frozen or fresh sofrito and mix around. Once it reduces then reduce to au sec which means that the moisture has evaporated off and is mostly dried down.

Add in pureed tomato sauce and olives with some of its juice. Mix around and then add in vegetable stock or water. Add chicken back in. You want to cover about 80% of the chicken. Season to taste with salt and pepper and anything else you like. Example: garlic and onion powder, oregano, cumin, coriander etc. Top off with a cartouche or lid. I can make a tutorial next time since I did it off screen. Simmer for about 30 minutes turning chicken halfway.

Add in your vegetables and simmer for another 30 minutes. Add in extra water or stock if needed.

In the last 10 minutes add in the leafy greens as well as the aromatics. The reason being is I do not want the greens tumbling around and overcooking.

A bowl of chicken stew with colorful vegetables, including carrots and daikon radish, served alongside a portion of white rice. — Puerto Rican inspired pollo guisado, chicken stew with sofrito, vegetables, and herbs

Pollo Guisado

Course entree, Main Course, Soup, stew

Cuisine caribbean, korean, puerto rican

Keyword latin food, puerto rican cuisine, recipes, stew

Prep Time 45

Cook Time 1 15

Servings 4

Equipment

1 stewing pot
1 cutting board
1 spoon

Ingredients

4 EA CHICKEN LEGS

MARINADE

3 TBSP S&P
1 TSBP GARLIC POWDER
1 TSBP ONION POWDER
1/2 TSP SMOKED PAPRIKA
1 TSP GROUND CUMIN
1 TSP GROUND CORIANDER
2 TSP DRIED OREGANO
4 TBSP OIL
2 TSP DEHYDRATED ORANGE PEEL
2 TSP DEHYDRATED LEMON PEEL
1/2 CUP MOJO CRIOLLO
2 TBSP ANNATO SEEDS

LEAFY GREENS

1/2 CUP CULANTRO LEAVES ROUGH CHOPPED
1/2 CUP EPAZOTE ROUGH CHOP LEAVES ONLY

AROMATICS

CULANTRO STEMS
MEXICAN FRESH OREGANO
EZPAZOTE STEMS
3 EA BAY LEAVES

MIRE POIX

1 CUP MINCED SHALLOTS
2 TSP MINCED GARLIC
1 CUP SMALL DICE BELL PEPPER
3 TBSP SOFRITO
1 CUP PUREED TOMATOES
1-4 CUP SPANISH OLIVES PITTED
2.5 CUPS CARROTS PEELED AND CHOPPED
2.5 CUPS DAIKON RADISH PEELED AND CHOPPED

Instructions

IN BOWL OF THE PREPARED CHICKEN ADD IN YOUR MARINADE INGREDIENTS. MAKE SLITS ALL AROUND THE CHICKEN. TOSS CHICKEN IN MARINADE WELL AND COVER. REFRIGERATE. MARINATE BARE MINIMUM 2 HOURS MAXIMUM 4 HOURS.
WE ARE GOING TO MAKE ANNATTO OIL. SMALL PAN. MED HEAT. ADD IN ABOUT 2 TBSP OF SEEDS FOR ABOUT 6 TBSP OF OLIVE OIL. MOVE PAN AROUND IN A SWIRL AND YOU WILL START TO SEE THE SEEDS BUBBLING AS WELL AS THE RED COLORING COMING OFF OF THE SEEDS. WE DO NOT WANT TO BURN THESE SO KEEP AN EYE ON THEM. SEPARATE AND COOL.
IN A LARGER POT OR CALDERO ADD IN THE ANNATTO OIL WE JUST MADE. MED HI HEAT, ADD IN CHICKEN LEGS. DO NOT OVERCROWD BOTTOM OF PAN. FLIP ONCE BROWNING. NOT COOKING JUST CREATING FOND. REMOVE ONCE SEARED ON ALL SIDES.
ADD IN YOUR MIREPOIX INGREDIENTS UNTIL TRANSLUCENT. MAKE SURE TO SCRAPE BOTTOM OF POT TO COLLECT FOND LEFT BY CHICKEN.
ADD IN THE SOFRITO UNTIL AU SEC (LIQUID IS MOSTLY EVAPORATED). ADD IN PUREED TOMATOES. ADD IN OLIVES AS WELL AS SOME OF THE JUICE, NOT ALL. ADD IN VEGETABLE STOCK.
SIMMER FOR 30 MIN. ADD A CARTOUCHE OR A LID. STOCK SHOULD COME ABOUT 95% UP THE CHICKEN. TURN WHILE SIMMERING.
AFTER 30 MIN ADD IN CARROTS AND RADISH. SIMMER FOR ANOTHER 30 MIN.
TURN HEAT TO LOW AND ADD IN AROMATICS AS WELL AS LEAFY GREENS. SERVE IMMEDIATELY OVER WHITE RICE.