Restaurant Style Mexican Rice

We had my parents over for Brack's (second) birthday dinner last Thursday evening. It was May 4th, and since I don't have any Star Wars recipes (May the fourth be with you?!), I decided to do a little Mexican food in honor of Cinco de Mayo the next day.

I showed you my Cinco de Mayo tablescape yesterday. Today I'm sharing my rice recipe. It reminds me of the rice you get on the side at Mexican restaurants. This recipe makes a LOT so you may want to cut it in half.

First, heat two tablespoons of EVOO in a heavy bottomed saucepan or Dutch oven. Add two cups of rice and saute over medium-low heat, stirring almost constantly. As usual, I just assumed I had what I needed. All I had on hand was sushi rice, so that's what I used. It turned out fine!

While the rice is browning, add one 28 oz can of tomatoes, one medium onion, and three or four cloves of garlic to a food processor. Pulse until the onions are chopped pretty finely. You don't want soup though. I love CENTO brand tomatoes. Don't forget to save your tomato cans. Why? Check out this little tip for a basil plant hostess gift.

Keep stirring your rice.

It will begin to get a little color.

When the rice was just about the color I wanted, I added one teaspoon chili powder and two heaping teaspoons of chicken stock base. I allowed these to brown a little, then added two cups of the tomato and onion mixture and two cups of water. (You can just use chicken broth, but I keep the base in my fridge so I always have some on hand. It takes up a lot less space than cans or boxes of broth.) 

Bring to a boil, cover and reduce to simmer for 20 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to stand at least five minutes before fluffing with a fork.

You can melt some cheese on top if you'd like, but we had cheese in everything else, so I kept it simple. It is so delicious!

I'll share my recipe for the corn tomorrow and also tell you more about the main dish. Enjoy!

  I'm so glad you stopped by my neck of the woods!

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