Spanish Rice

Colorful and packed with flavor, Spanish rice makes a yummy side dish or add a little meat to create an easy entrée. Perfect side for tacos, enchiladas or whatever Mexican fare you create!

Spanish Rice

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 yellow or red bell pepper, diced (or 2 small gourmet peppers)
1 tomato, chopped
1/2 cup tomato sauce or salsa
2 cups water
1 tablespoon chicken soup base
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
Dash or two cayenne pepper
1 cup white rice
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 tablespoon fresh cilantro, chopped

Garnish: fresh cilantro, sour cream

Optional entrée additions: 3/4-pound ground chicken, turkey or beef

Equipment needed:

Cutting board
Chef knife
2-quart saucepan with lid
Liquid and dry measuring cups
Measuring spoons
Rubber or bamboo spatula

Whenever I make tacos at home I usually find myself making a pot of Spanish rice. Spanish rice is such a colorful dish, full of meal appeal. Pretty nutritious with all the fresh ingredients too. My husband and I often go to Mexican restaurants. I enjoy the rice, but it never has enough“stuff” in it for my liking. When teaching Foods 2, I started offering a Spanish rice recipe that I altered from a BettyCrocker recipe as an option in the grain unit. The recipe was full of fresh ingredients to help the students practice their knife skills. It became a popular choice and the student enjoyed the preparation process. So fresh with natural flavors too! I figured I should include the recipe on the blog since a few of my recipes posts included it. It can easily be made into a simple entrée by sautéing ground meat with the onions too! Gather your ingredients and let’s make some Spanish rice!

I find this recipe so easy as it uses few ingredients besides spices and can be prepared in about 25 minutes. I have many of these staples in my cabinet too, so I can make it whenever we serve Mexican fare! Versatile too as you can add extra ingredients or delete items you might not have on hand. The spice factor is also individual... I love the spices, so always add a little extra. Begin with prepping the onions and garlic. Heat a 2-quart saucepan over medium heat for about 5 minutes. Drizzle in the olive oil and sauté the onions and garlic until translucent... about 5minutes. If added meat, this is where you will add the ground meat. Sauté together until the meat is no longer pink, chopping it up with your rubber spatula as it cooks.

I always enjoy a recipe that is sort of “dump and cook” in nature. Meaning you dump everything together and cook it! Spanish rice is sort of that kind of recipe! After the aromatic veggies are sautéed, you pour in the other ingredients, stir and cook. Add the fresh tomato, tomato sauce, 2 cups of water and chicken soup base (or chicken broth works too) and the seasonings/ spices. Give it a good stir to dissolve the soup base and spices. Turn the heat up a bit, cover and bring the saucepan to a boil. This will take about 5 minutes. Reduce the heat to maintain a very low simmer. Don’t open the lid to stir it! Set the timer for 15 minutes and let it be. After 15 minutes, turn the heat off and allow the rice to set for 10 minutes before you openor stir it. Yes... DON’T OPEN THE LID! All the excess moisture will escape and you’ll wind up with undercooked rice. Be patient!!

While the rice is resting, chop the cilantro, as shown above. When rice has rested for 10 minutes, open the lid and fluff it a bit. Add the cilantro and stir well. You are ready to eat!! Wasn’t that easy and doesn’t it look delicious? Spanish rice makes a great side dish for any grilled meats or fish too. Definitely a great addition to your meal appeal factor... color, texture, temperature, size and shape and of course, flavor! Spoon it up... Enjoy!!