Spanish rice has a unique flavor and kick to it that makes it stand out as one of the quintessential Mexican side dishes. Nothing tastes better than taking a loaded fork of hot refried beans and putting it into a thick pile of Spanish rice. While you can go ahead and purchase boxed sides that adequately reproduce the Spanish rice experience, its best to make your own from scratch to get the real deal. Here is a simple recipe you can make right from home to recreate this excellent compliment to any Mexican dish.
1. Start with a twelve inch sauce pan filled with a quarter cup of vegetable oil and bring to medium heat.
2. Next, toss in two full cups of long grain white rice into the pan of hot oil. Allow the rice to sauté in the sauce pan for ten to fifteen minutes so that the rice has a nice golden brown color to it and is fully toasted.
3. Add in one half of a diced yellow onion and one half of a sliced bell pepper. Allow to cook until tender for about five to ten minutes.
4. At this step you could add garlic powder but it is recommended you use three full cloves of minced garlic that have been put through a garlic press to make sure it is sufficiently minced. Cook for three additional minutes until the garlic begins to release its aroma, indicating you move to the next step.
5. Take two teaspoons of salt, three fourths cup of tomato puree and two and three fourths cups of chicken stock and add to the pan. Increase heat to bring the mixture to a full boil while continuously stirring.
6. Boil for two minutes before reducing heat and allowing the Spanish rice to simmer for twenty minutes covered.
7. Once the time has elapsed, toss in three fourths of a cup of frozen peas. Recover the pan and allow it to set for five minutes so the peas can defrost.
8. Serve the rice either as a dish or as a side item during your next meal.
To keep sodium levels down to healthy levels, as Spanish rice tends to be on the salty side, opt for sea salt and low sodium chicken stock to reduce sodium levels. You can make your own stock simply by boiling some chicken in water and retaining the water afterwards. You can also put pork or chorizo in the Spanish rice as an option. Add the meat in at the same time you put in the stock. Make sure your choice of meat is fully cooked before adding to the cooking Spanish rice.
