Aromatic Mexican Rice Food

MEXICAN RICE

Steps:

• Place a large saucepan over medium heat and add oil. Add rice and stir constantly until puffed and golden. Sprinkle over salt and cumin while cooking.
• Add onions and cook until tender. Mix in tomato sauce and chicken broth. Bring to a boil.
• Reduce heat to low and cover the saucepan. Let it simmer for 20 to 25 minutes.
• Fluff rice with a fork. Enjoy!

MEXICAN RICE

Steps:

• Adjust rack to middle position and preheat oven to 350.
• Process tomato and onion in processor or blender until pureed and thoroughly smooth. Transfer mixture to measuring cup and reserve exactly 2 cups. Discard excess.
• Remove ribs and seeds from 2 jalapenos and discard. Mince flesh and set aside. Mince remaining jalapeno. Set aside.
• Place rice in a fine mesh strainer and rinse under cold running water until water runs clear- about 1 1/2 minutes.Shake rice vigorously to remove excess water.This step removes the starch from the rice so it will not stick. IF YOU OMIT THIS STEP YOUR RICE WILL NOT BE DRY AND FLUFFY.
• Heat oil in heavy bottomed ovensafe 12 inch straight sided sautee pan or Dutch oven with tight fitting lid over low-medium heat about 2 minutes. (The recipe is very specific about this but I used a 10 inch dutch oven and it worked out fine.) Drop a few rice grains in and if they sizzle then it is ready. Add rice and fry stirring until rice is light golden and translucent, about 6-8 minutes. Be careful that the oil doesn't get too hot too fast or the oil will splatter.
• Reduce heat to medium, add garlic and 2 minced jalapenos and cook , stirring constantly until fragrant, about 1 1/2 minutes.
• Stir in broth, pureed mixture,tomato paste, and salt. Increase heat to medium high, and bring to a boil.
• Cover pan and transfer pan to oven to bake until liquid is absorbed and rice is tender, 30-35 minutes.Stir well after 15 minutes.
• Stir in cilantro, minced jalapeno to taste, and pass lime wedges separately.
• Edited to add 6-15-05: If you can't get good fresh tomatoes you are better off using canned tomatoes. Don't use those awful hard and underipe tomatoes that are at most supermarket chains. Just be sure that the processed tomatoes and the one onion equals 2 cups. One the other hand- if you find that after processing your tomatoes and onions that you have less than 2 cups- simply add enough bottled salsa to make up the difference.
• Edited 8-21-06: Do not skip any of the steps. It may seem stupid- but rinsing the rice to remove the starch is very important if you want fluffy rice. It will only take two minutes of your time but it makes the difference.
• Edited 8-15-08: Leftovers are just as delicious the next day so this is a perfect dish to make ahead time for potlucks. This rice also freezes well. For Freezing Ahead: Cool, portion and freeze in a ziploc bag. To reheat from frozen: Place in a pyrex dish and warm in the microwave, stirring every 2-3 minutes until heated through.
• You'll love this rice! Money back guarantee.

MEXICAN TOMATO RICE

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a saucepan and sizzle the onion for 5 mins until just starting to soften. Add the garlic and cook for a minute more, then stir in the chipotle paste (if using) and the tomato purée and cook for a minute.
• Add the tomatoes and simmer for a few minutes, then scatter the rice into the pan and stir, so it's coated in the tomato mix. Pour over the hot stock, season, give everything another stir and bring to the boil, then cover the pan with a lid and turn the heat down to the lowest possible setting.
• Gently simmer for 15-20 mins until all the stock has been absorbed and the rice is cooked through. Leave the rice to sit for a few mins off the heat, then stir through the coriander and serve.

RICE COOKER MEXICAN RICE

Steps:

• combine all ingredients in rice cooker.
• cook according to manufacturer instructions.
• when cooking time finished let it sit uncovered for 3 minutes or so to thicken.
• stir before serving.

OLE! FLUFFY MEXICAN RICE

Steps:

• NOTE: DO NOT SKIP THIS STEP IF YOU WANT FLUFFY RICE! MEASURE 1 1/2 cups long grain white rice into a large re-sealable container; COVER rice completely with very hot water; REPLACE lid and let rice sit for 15 minutes; DRAIN rice in a large mesh sieve; RINSE rice under constantly running cold water for 1-2 minutes; ALLOW rice to drain well.
• SET oven rack in the center position; PREHEAT oven to 350°F.
• IN the large bowl of a food processor with the blade intact, add 1/2 medium onion, 1/2 (seeded) green bell pepper (or 1 large seeded fresh jalapeno pepper), and one large fistful of fresh cilantro leaves; PULSE vegetables until finely chopped.
• IN a large, heavy oven-safe pot (with an accompanying tight-fitting lid) add 2 tablespoons hickory bacon drippings and 1 tablespoon vegetable oil (or 3 tablespoons vegetable oil); WARM fat over medium heat.
• ADD the rinsed drained rice to pot; SAUTE, stirring often just until rice begins to turn light golden; MEANWHILE, crush 2-3 garlic cloves using a garlic press; MASH crushed garlic in a small bowl with 1/2 teaspoon salt using a small spoon, until a paste is made; STIR paste into rice.
• ADD the chopped PROCESSOR INGREDIENTS to the RICE SAUTE; COOK just until the onion has softened, stirring as needed.
• ADD the SEASONED BROTH ingredients to the RICE SAUTE (One 14-ounce can chicken broth (1 3/4 cups), one 8-ounce can tomato sauce, 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice, and 1/8 teaspoon ground cumin; STIR.
• BRING mixture to a full rolling boil; COVER rice; TRANSFER rice to preheated oven; BAKE for 30-35 minutes.
• REMOVE pot from oven using hand mitts; FLUFF rice with a fork lightly; SERVE.
• SNAP your fingers and shout "OLE!".

TRADITIONAL MEXICAN RED RICE

Steps:

• Put the tomatoes, onion, and garlic in a blender and process until smooth. Set aside.
• In a saucepan over medium-high heat, heat the oil. When hot, add the rice and stir until it just starts to change color, about 1 minute. Do not allow it to brown. Add the tomato mixture,and stir gently to blen. Add 2 cups hot water, the peas, corn, carrot, chiles, cilantro, and 1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt. Bring to a boil, shaking the pan to mix the ingredients. Reduce the heat to low Taste the broth and add more sea salt if needed, then cover and cook for about 10 minutes.
• Uncover and stir carefully so that all of th eroth is mixed in (most will have been absorbed). recover and cook until all the broth is absorbed, about 10 minutes longer. Remove from the heat and let stand, covered, for 10 minutes. Before serving, remove the cilantro and chiles and fluff the rice with a fork.

RED ACHIOTE MEXICAN RICE

Steps:

• Rinse rice and drain well.
• Set apart.
• Process in blender the onion, garlic and achiote in some of the chicken broth (about a cup).
• Heat oil in a skillet and fry rice on medium heat until lightly brown.
• Add the processed liquid and let it reach boiling point.
• At this point add half of the broth (hot) Simmer covered until broth is consumed.
• Fluff rice with a fork from the edges to the center.
• Add the other half of the hot broth, the lime juice, and season with salt or powdered bouillon.
• Lower heat, cover and cook for about 15 more minutes.
• Fluff it again from the edges to the center.
• Uncover just to add the cilantro sprig.
• Cover again and let it stand to finish steaming and absorb the cilantro's flavor.
• Garnish with poblano strips.

AROMATIC MEXICAN RICE

Steps:

• Rough chop tomatoes, onion & peeled garlic.
• In a food processor or blender, puree the tomatoes, onion & garlic. Use fresh tomatoes OR canned tomatoes, not both.
• In 1 1/2 tablespoons oil, sautee rice, stirring often, until rice turns white. Its okay if some of the rice starts to lightly brown. This step usually takes 5 - 6 minutes.
• Add the diced carrots and saute for 2 minutes.
• Add the tomato/onion/garlic puree and cook until the liquid reduces a little and the mixture appears drier.
• Add the chicken broth, salt, jalapenos, parsley & bring to a boil.
• Cover, reduce heat to simmer and cook for 15 minutes.
• Open pot and scatter peas on top. Recover and let sit for 5 minutes.
• Fluff with fork and serve.
• Discard jalapenos or use to decorate the dish.