I love, love, love this Mexican Rice Recipe. I eat this rice by itself, topped with cheese & sour cream, in burritos, with tacos, with beans, or any other way I can imagine. I figure it’s got to be somewhat healthy, since it’s got a minimum of fat and it has lycopene. I’m a carb junkie, so I’m not surprised that I can’t stop eating it.
Ingredients:
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 2 cups rice
- up to 1 onion
- up to 3 tomatoes, depending on size
- 3-6 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
- 3 jalapeño peppers, minced or pureed, divided
- 2 cups broth – either chicken or vegetable
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- ½ bunch cilantro, chopped fine
Preparation:
- Preheat the oven to 350°.
- Heat oil in an oven-safe 12″ saute pan over medium heat. Once oil shimmers, add rice and toss to coat.
- Cook rice until it begins to turn golden, 5-10 minutes
- Meanwhile, puree onion and tomatoes. You’ll want just 2 cups of puree, which is why my ingredient list is so vague. I estimate how much puree I’ll get based on the size of the produce. If you end up with more or less than the 2 cups needed, just adjust how much broth you use to equal 4 cups total liquid.
- Once rice is golden, add garlic and two of the jalapeños and saute until fragrant (about 30 seconds). If you’re sensitive to pepper spray, keep your face away from the steam here.
- Add puree, broth, and tomato paste and stir to combine. Cover and bring to a boil.
- Transfer pan into the oven and bake for 30 minutes total. After the first 15 minutes, you need to stir the mixture to re-incorporate the tomato mixture (it all works its way to the top while baking)
- Meanwhile, mix remaining jalapeños and chopped cilantro together.
- After 30 minutes, taste rice for consistency. If it’s a little al dente for your taste, put it back in the oven until done.
- Sprinkle cilantro mixture over the top of the rice and fold to incorporate.
- Enjoy!