Basic Mexican Rice (recipe)

Basic Mexican Rice

Without fail, I crave food with flavor this time of year. 99.9% of the time this means Mexican good. The limes and cilantro and peppers are like a breath of fresh air to my winter weary heart. From January to March we eat a lot of tacos. Since Spring arrived and unpacked its bags early this year, I haven’t felt quite the same obsession for heat and color. It’s nice when you can get both of those by just walking out your front door. So thank you for that, February. 2015 will go down in the books as my favorite winter ever.

But back to the Mexican food. For some dumb reason, I had never, not once, made Mexican Rice. My sister has made it often for family gatherings so I hit her up for her recipe. And now I am onto her secret: It is so simple.

In one pot, you saute and simmer the rice, onions, garlic, tomatoes, chicken stock, and spices until the rice soaks up all that flavorful liquid and leaves you with tender, spicy grains. It takes about 30 minutes from start to finish.

I didn’t have any Rotel tomatoes on hand so I used a can of diced tomatoes and some roasted chiles I had in the freezer. That packed a punch. You could add more heat with chile powder or cayenne pepper, too.

I often serve brown rice as a side dish for Mexican food, which works when its just a platform for the main dish. But this rice offers so much more interest and intensity to the plate without adding any more time and just a little more effort.

Celebrate an early spring by bringing out the color and flavor in your kitchen!

Basic Mexican Rice
serves 4-6

2 T. butter
1 c. raw long grain white rice (I used Jasmine rice)
1/2 c. finely chopped onion
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 t. salt
1/2 t. ground cumin
1 can (10 oz.) Rotel diced tomatoes and green chilies
1 1/2 c. chicken stock (How to Make Chicken Stock)

1. Heat butter in a large pot over medium heat until melted. Add rice, stirring constantly until the rice turns opaque, approximately 2 minutes.
2. Add onion and saute over medium heat for 1 minute. Stir in garlic, salt, cumin, and tomatoes. Cook, stirring frequently, for 2 minutes.
3. Add the stock and stir to combine. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cover with a lid. Simmer for 20 minutes or until the rice is tender.

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Stock up on Rotel diced tomatoes & green chilies (Amazon) so you can make Mexican Rice at the drop of a sombrero!

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