Authentic Mexican Rice

So Hannah sent me this great recipe for Mexican rice. I really like it and make it a lot. I have a jar of the tomato bouillon powder instead of cubes because that's easier to me---I will be making this rice until the end of time because the jar is so amazingly large. You can find the original recipe here. You should go to that post because she gives great tips for making perfect rice. She also includes instructions for adding some veggies that I've never added---it's probably yummy but I haven't done it, so I wanted to post the recipe the way I've made it.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups long grain white rice
• 1/4 cup oil (vegetable or canola oil)
• 1 teaspoon garlic, minced
• 1/4 medium onion, finely diced
• 1/4 cup tomato sauce
• 2 tomato bouillon cubes, chopped (these can be found in the Mexican food aisle at Walmart or your local grocery store)
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3 1/4 cups water

Instructions

• Rinse and drain the rice in a fine mesh strainer.
• In a large saucepan over medium-high heat, add the oil. Add the rice and stir to combine. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the rice is lightly golden brown all over (about 10 minutes).
• Add tomato sauce, garlic, and diced onion to the pan. Stir. Add the tomato bullion cubes, salt, and water
• Cook, stirring, until bullion cubes are completely dissolved. Bring to a boil, then cover, reduce heat to low and cook for about 20 minutes or until the water is completely absorbed.  Remove from heat and allow to rest for 5 minutes before fluffing with a fork.

Mexican Rice

Here is the rice I always made with Mexican dishes before I discovered Arroz Verde. I still make it often because it's fast - I rarely actually measure the spices because that makes it take longer. Gary originally found the recipe on allrecipes.com, and only has one slight modification by me (I reduced the water from the original a bit because I thought it was a little gooey.) FYI, Kristen and Kayla, this is what I made with the fajitas when you were here, though I didn't spice it enough then.

Serves 4 (I make 1.5 times this for my fam.)

3 T vegetable oil
1 cup uncooked long grain rice
1 t garlic salt
1/2 t cumin
1/4 c chopped onion (a lot of times I just sprinkle in dried  minced onion and call it good)
1/2 c tomato sauce
1 3/4 cups chicken broth (water won't make it bad, just not as flavorful)

1. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat and add rice. Cook, stirring constantly, until puffed and golden. While rice is cooking, sprinkle with salt and cumin.
2. Stir in onions and cook until tender. Stir in tomato sauce and chicken broth; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 20 to 25 minutes. Fluff with a fork.

Ok, I will make one more suggestion - saute the onions before or with the rice. Sauted  things always taste better. Also, I have never seen the rice look "puffed." Don't despair, just 2 minutes or so, until it's a little golden.

Why am I posting these rice recipes? I just realized I promised I'd post this one, but now I have two I like. We usually have rice with our Mexican food unless I am too sick to cook much - it creates "Sad Gary" if we don't have any.

Arroz Verde

You want this rice. Allison made it for her baby blessing, and I needed the recipe right away. Just whip it up before you start cooking the rest of your meal,  then it will be done baking when you're ready to eat. I always did red rice before, but if I have time and ingredients I will choose this. Yeah, there's a lot of butter.  Let me know if you use less and it works. The spinach cancels the butter, right? It's delish!

In a blender, mix together:

1/2 cup tightly packed cilantro leaves

1 cup spinach leaves

1 can chicken broth

1 1/4 cup milk

1tsp salt

Heat in a skillet:

1 Tbsp. olive oil

3 Tbsp. butter

Brown in butter/oil mixture:

1/4 cup chopped onion, then add

1 clove garlic, minced, then add

1 1/2 cups long grain rice

Put browned rice mixture in the bottom of a 9x13 pan.  Pour green mixture over top.  Cover with foil and bake at 350 for about 45 minutes.

Sweet Potato Chicken Curry

I'm posting this in honor of DP's birthday, because he likes it enough to request it as a birthday meal. And it's totally and completely delicious. I will tell you that this dish is equally good with and without the curry. I make it both ways, just depending on what we're in the mood for. I have never used turmeric just because I never have it, but someday I will buy it so I'm keeping it in the recipe.

Also. I always always make this in the crockpot, so I've never followed these instructions precisely. But because I love you a lot, I typed it up so you can choose between the original method or the crockpot method. You will serve this over rice, and it's also delicious with a side of flatbread from OBB.

Oh goodness. You really need to make this! It's one of our favorite dishes. Oh, and it originally came from Cooking Light.


Sweet Potato Chicken Curry
2 tsp curry powder
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground turmeric
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 bay leaf
1.5 tsp olive oil
1.5 lbs skinless, boneless chicken breast, cut into 1-inch pieces
1.5 cups vertically sliced onion
1.5 tsp minced peeled fresh ginger
2 garlic cloves
1 14-oz can chicken broth
1 14.5-oz can diced tomatoes, undrained
2 cups (1/2-inch) cubed peeled sweet potato
3/4 cup canned chickpeas, rise and drained
1 cup frozen green peas
1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice

Combine curry powder, coriander, turmeric, salt, black pepper, and bay leaf in a small bowl.

Heat oil in a large Dutch over over medium-high heat. Add chicken to pan; saute 5 minutes or until browned, stirring occasionally. Remove chicken from pan. Reduce heat to medium. Add onion to pan; cook 10 minutes or until tender, stirring frequently. Increase heat to medium-high; return chicken to pan. Cook 1 minute, stirring occasionally.

Stir in ginger and garlic; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add curry powder mixture; cook 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Add broth and tomatoes; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat and simmer 1 hour. Stir in potato and chickpeas. Cook, uncovered, 30 minutes. Add peas; cook 5 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Remove from heat; stir in lemon juice. Discard bay leaf. Serve over rice.

Crockpot Instructions
Saute onions and garlic; put in crockpot. Don't cut up the chicken! Just brown it, adding spices (including ginger) for last minute or two as instructed above. This really makes a huge difference in the flavor. Put it all in the crockpot and then add sweet potatoes, chicken broth, tomatoes, and chickpeas. I usually just do a whole can of chickpeas (or about 1.5 cups if I've cooked the chickpeas in advance).

Cook on low or high, depending on how much time you have. Today I'm doing high for about 4.5 hours. This will result in the most tender, pull-apart chicken ever. About half an hour before you want to eat, remove the chicken and dice it up. Don't shred it exactly; you just want chunks. Add the peas and finish cooking. Right before you serve this, stir in the lemon juice.

Saucy Chicken over Rice

This recipe doesn't really have a name because I made it up one time, although it reminds me of a dish that I often ate in Germany. I'm sharing it with you because it has become one of our favorites. It's fast, easy, and delicious. Also, I'm just giving you general guidelines, not an exact recipe, and you can adjust to how much your family generally eats.* Really, try this dish and you won't be sorry.


Yumminess

• red bell pepper, cut in strips
• mushrooms, sliced
• onion, sliced
• chicken, cooked and diced or shredded
• whole milk
• sour cream
• salt
• pepper
• onion salt
• paprika
• rice

Saute pepper, mushrooms, and onions in butter until tender. Add chicken. Add salt and pepper to taste, along with onion salt and a liberal amount of paprika. (I don't have any guideline for you, but I use quite a bit.) Pour in milk (enough that mixture is nearly covered but not quite) and let simmer a bit with the lid on the pan. Then add a couple spoonfuls of sour cream and stir. Don't add too much or the sour cream taste will overpower the dish rather than simply giving it depth.

The sauce won't be thick, but it will be yummy. Serve over rice.

*I'll give you an idea of the amounts I used tonight so you can adjust accordingly: one red bell pepper, two huge mushrooms (probably the equivalent of 6 normal ones), one small onion, and half a can of chicken.

Sweet & Sour Chicken

This has become one of my favorite recipes. It's completely yummy and flexible and can easily be prepared ahead of time.

• chicken, cooked and cubed (I usually do one chicken breast for my family)
• 1 Tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 garlic clove, chopped (I use minced garlic from Sam's; so much easier in my opinion)
• 1/2 red onion, diced
• 1 small green bell pepper, seeded and cut into 1-inch squares
• 1 small carrot, sliced (I usually julienne them, just because I like it)
• 1/2 can drained canned pineapple chunks (save the juice for the sauce)
• 2 Tbsp malt vinegar (I've never used malt vinegar, just whatever vinegar I have--if you use white, only do half the amount)
• 3 Tbsp ketchup
• 1 cup pineapple juice
• 2 tsp sugar
• 2 tsp cornstarch
• 1 Tbsp cold water
• salt
• ground black pepper
• rice, to serve

Cook chicken however you want. You could broil it, but I usually cook it in a frying pan with garlic powder, onion salt, salt, pepper, etc. Then set meat aside while you cook the rest.

Heat oil in nonstick frying pan until very hot. Stir-fry the garlic and onion for a few seconds, then add the green pepper and carrot and stir-fry for 1 minute. Stir in pineapple chunks, vinegar, ketchup, pineapple juice, and sugar. Bring to a boil, lower heat and simmer for 3 minutes. Add cooked chicken to vegetable mixture and cook for about 2 minutes. Mix cornstarch to a paste with the water. Add mixture to pan and cook, stirring, until slightly thickened. Serve with rice.

**I follow this recipe very loosely. I often mix the sauce together before putting it in the pan, including the cornstarch and water. That saves a step and works really well. Sometimes I add more sugar or pineapple juice to taste. Also, I often add other veggies. I really like it with chunks of yellow or red pepper. Pretty much just use this recipe as a guide and do what you want. If you like a lot of sauce, double the sauce.

Spanish Rice

Spanish Rice
Recipe adapted by Our Best Bites


6-8 oz. bacon (1/2 of 1 package)
1 medium onion, chopped
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
1 small (or 1/2 larger) green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 28-oz. can stewed tomatoes, undrained
1 1/4 c. water
2 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 1/4 tsp. kosher salt
1 1/4 tsp. chili powder
1/8-1/4 tsp. Tabasco sauce (no need to measure it, just add a few shakes and go from there)
1 1/2 c. long-grain rice


Cook bacon until crisp in a Dutch oven if possible. Remove from pan and drain the grease, reserving 2 tablespoons in the pan. Return the pan to medium heat and add the onion, garlic, and bell pepper. Cook until the onions are translucent. While the onions are cooking, place the tomatoes in the jar of your blender and pulse 2-3 times to chop them. Add the remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Stir, cover, and reduce heat to low. Cook for 20-25 minutes or until the rice is cooked, stirring occasionally to make sure the rice is not burning. Serves 6-ish and makes great leftovers.

Southwest Rice Bake

1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped green sweet pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon cooking oil
1 15-ounce can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 cup tomato juice
1 15 oz. can black beans
1 cup frozen whole kernel corn
2/3 cup uncooked long grain rice (I like a mixture of long grain and wild rice.)
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper

I like to double the above recipe for my family - I like it left over.

In a large saucepan cook onion, sweet pepper, and garlic in hot oil until vegetables are tender. Stir in black beans, undrained tomatoes, tomato juice, corn, uncooked rice, chili powder, red pepper, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Bring to boiling. Transfer rice mixture to a 3-quart rectangular baking dish. If you would like, arrange chicken pieces on top of rice mixture. Sprinkle chicken with paprika.

Bake, covered, in a 375 degree oven for 45 to 50 minutes, or until rice is tender. If you are cooking chicken, make sure it is no longer pink.

Cilantro Lime Rice

I've gotten a lot of different recipes for this, but I think I like this one the best. Of course the amounts will be a little different if you're using instant rice. I got this from the camp director in my ward in Provo.

1 cup White Rice
2 cups Chicken Broth
1 Tb Lime Juice
½ Tb Garlic Powder
1 Tb Minced Dry Onion
Pinch of Salt

Cook the rice according to the package directions, substitutuing the water with broth and adding all of the above ingredients before cooking.
When rice is done add:
 ¼ - ½ cup fresh Cilantro
1 Tbsp Lime Juice
½ can Green Enchilada Sauce