Mexican Rice
So here's my Mexican rice recipe. When making dinner, start your rice first. It needs your full attention and will keep while the other stuff cooks. Get all ingredients together ahead of time. Use long grain rice for best results...short grain can work, but not as well.
The Veggies: (can leave these out if you want, taste better with)
1/2 large jalepeno, sliced round, de-seed if you wish
2 Tablespoons finely diced onion
1 clove garlic, diced fine or minced
1/2 cup oil (I prefer coconut oil)
2 cups long grain rice
8 oz tomato sauce
3 cups broth (chicken or vegetable...I use store bought low sodium organic)
garlic powder
chili powder
cumin
rosemary
salt (optional)
pepper (optional)
I use a wok pan (like this:
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3092/2762092758_5eed1dcf84.jpg?v=0). A large sauce pan, stock pot, or frying pan will work too.
Must have a lid.
With the stove on Med-High, put oil in the pan and heat it up. Add all the vegetable and sautee for 30 second or so. Then add the rice (uncooked). Stir the rice so it gets coated in oil and the veggies mix in. Toast the rice. Stir frequently to keep it from burning. It will change color slightly as it toasts. (This is where most people mess up. Over toasting will give you crunchy rice; not toasted enough and it will be sticky...if you let it set too long it will burn.)
When most, but not all, of the rice is toasted add the broth and tomato sauce. Stir it up so the liquids are mixed with the rice. Turn your temperature down to medium heat.
Now add your seasonings. I don't usually measure, but roughly 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, 2-3 big pinches of chili powder, 1 Tablespoons cumin, 1 teaspoon rosemary, and a little salt and pepper if you wish (you may not need salt if your broth had salt in it). Stir it all up and then
taste the liquid. Tasting is very important. This is close to what your final product will taste like and now is the time to adjust for flavor (and spiciness). Add more seasoning as desired. Heat until the liquid is bubbling. Then turn your stove down to
simmer and put the lid on and leave it. Go cook the rest of your food.
When you come back to your rice (15-20 minutes), it will have absorbed all or most of the liquid. Just stir it up and serve.
You can easily tweak this recipe to your tastes as you wish. I like a lot of flavor and little spicy. To adjust for smaller or larger portions, just make sure you have twice as much liquid (broth + tomato sauce) and you do rice.
