Spanish Chicken and Rice

Never wanting to be at a shortage for new recipes to try... I started getting daily e-mails from Real Simple a few weeks ago.  I love having an arsenal of dishes that can be whipped up quickly.  One of the nice parts about the layout of their recipes is that they give you an approximate time frame for how long it will take to prepare each meal.  They also differentiate between 'total time' and 'hands-on time.'   Although this recipe isn't one of them, many of their recipes can be made in 20-30 minutes, and who doesn't love that?

I was drawn to this particular recipe because it seemed like a winning combination of flavors and, while I do not love peas, they are one of Alex's favorites, so I am looking for ways to incorporate peas that I can live with...

Recipe: (from Real Simple)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into 2 1/2 inch pieces
kosher salt and pepper
1 medium onion, sliced
1 green bell pepper, sliced
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 cup dry white wine
1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes, with juice
1 cup long-grain rice
1 cup frozen peas
1/4 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
1/4 cup pimento-stuffed Spanish olives (optional)

In a large saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat.  Pat the chicken dry with paper towels.  Season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.  Cook the chicken until golden brown, about 2 minutes per side.

Add the onion and green pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 5 minutes.  Add the garlic and cook, stirring, 1 minute.

Add the wine, tomatoes with juice, rice, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper and bring to a boil.

 Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes.

Stir in peas and cook, covered, until heated through, about 2 minutes.  Stir in parsley.  Spoon the chicken and rice onto plates and serve with olives if desired.

Verdict:
A plate of colorful deliciousness!

Plusses: love the chicken cooked in the tomato juice, love the plethora of vegetables in one meal, I liked the peas and Alex loved the peas.

Minuses: the rice did not cook completely by the end of the cooking time.  I don't know what the deal is with that.  I don't think simply simmering for longer would be a viable option because then the green peppers would be overcooked.  And ew, there are few things worse than overcooked vegetables.

I do want to make this again.  So my plan is to cook the rice separately, maybe even just partially, then add it to the main meal pan...  I would still want the rice to cook in the tomato juice for awhile.... I don't know...  I'll play with it, but I will try it again!