Sometime this afternoon I started to get a craving for Spanish-Mexican rice. Random, I know.
Since it didn’t go away I decided to do something about it tonight. And it turned out excellent, with great depth of flavors.
Here’s my own recipe that combines both Spanish and Mexican rice elements.
Ingredients:
- 2 ¼ cups plain long-grain rice
- ¼ cup canola oil
- 1 large yellow onion, diced
- 1 bell pepper, cut into ½ inch pieces
- 4 cloves of fresh garlic, pressed
- ¾ cup tomato sauce
- 1 can diced tomatoes, drained
- 3 cups chicken broth
- ¾ cup frozen peas
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- Pinch of cumin
Five minutes to prep
Directions:
In a large frying pan, warm oil on medium heat until is shimmers. Then add rice and sauté until it looks golden-brown. Then add the onion and green pepper and continue sautéing. This can take up to 20-25 minutes, but make sure it toasts and changes color. It really adds to the flavor.
Browned for extra flavor
Use a garlic press to crush the cloves. Clear the center of the pan and place sauté garlic until fragrant aroma emits. Mix into rest of rice.
Add the tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, chicken broth, cumin, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil for two minutes. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Check after 10 minutes and stir to avoid the bottom from burning too much (a little adds flavor).
When finished, stir in peas. Add some frozen corn, if desired.
Buen provecho!
