Chicken Ropa Vieja with Mangu

Boil and shred the chicken breasts.

If you need something to do while the chicken is cooking, begin slicing your onions into half-rounds. Really you can cut up the onions however you like, but I like strips for this dish. Same thing goes for the peppers. Slice them up in strips. Mince or grate your garlic cloves and set aside.

In a non-stick pan, preferably something with a little depth to hold all the ingredients to come, add the olive oil and turn the heat on to medium-high. Add the onions, peppers and garlic and allow for them to cook until tender. Stir occasionally. Add the shredded chicken to the veggies and combine. Next add the bay leaf, garlic powder, tomato sauce, white wine, mojo, ketchup, salt, and pepper and mix well. It should be quite wet or moist, if not add a little more liquid (chicken stock would work or even a little water). Turn the heat down to medium-low and allow for the chicken to simmer in the sauce for about 20 minutes.

For the Mangu (mashed plantains):
The first thing you do is remove the skin off the plantains and cut into sections. Add water to a pot and season with salt. Put it on the stove and once the water is boiling, add the plantains. Cook the plantains until fork tender. Once cooked, drain and place in a mixing bowl. With a potato masher, begin to mash the plantains adding the butter in little by little and blending. If the mixture seems too dry, add a little water and continue blending. Season with a little garlic powder and salt, and continue mashing till smooth.

Serve on a dish topped with the chicken, sprinkled with cheese.