Friday, September 18, 2015

Easy Spanish Rice

I've tried numerous Spanish rice recipes over the years, and they've all been "ok". They usually come out too goopey, not the right texture, or just a little off. Jamie has even helped me, claiming to be the "rice expert", with no luck. We've tried different types of rice, soaking and rinsing beforehand, using a rice cooker, the stove....everything! Yet nothing has worked...until last night.

At the last minute, I decided to just create something new, and hope for the best...after all, it really couldn't get any worse than it had in the past.  What transpired was the simplest recipe I have ever made, and the results were absolutely perfect! I had a soft, flaky, Spanish rice that tasted delicious, and was the perfect compliment to our Build Your Own Burrito night.


I'm still not sure exactly what the key piece of this rice puzzle was; the type of rice, the pan I used, the amount of liquid, the seasonings...? I may never know, but plan to experiment with some of these methods for creating other recipes where rice is the main ingredient.


What you need:

2 c organic white basmati rice

1 Tbsp oil (or 2 Tbsp veggie stock/water)

1 large tomato

1/2 large onion or 1 small onion

6 cloves garlic

2 Tbsp tomato paste

2 c vegetable stock

Salt to taste


What you do:

1. In a food processor, puree the tomato, onion, and garlic until nearly smooth I left a few small chunks, but did pulverize it pretty well). Set aside.

2. In a large skillet, heat 1 Tbsp olive oil (or 2 Tbsp water/veggie stock if omitting oil). Add the rice and saute until golden and translucent; about 7 minutes.

3.  Add the pureed tomato, onion, and garlic mixture, along with the tomato paste, veggie broth, and salt to the rice. Stir to combine everything and break up the tomato paste.

4. Close with a tight fitting lid and let cook for 15 minutes over a medium-low heat, stirring halfway through.

5. Once cooked, fluff with a fork a serve.

Enjoy!

This recipe made a lot; I've already frozen some and tested it, and it does freeze and reheat well.


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