Recipe Collection: Mexican Rice

I used to love going to Mexican restaurants.  I’d always get burritos, enchiladas, or quesadillas (with chicken or mushroom fillings) with sides of refried beans and Mexican rice.  Oh, I loved the beans and rice!

Unfortunately most Mexican restaurants use a lot of soybean oil and other unhealthy ingredients.  Too bad they don’t use the traditional lard!  So, I set out to find a way to make Mexican rice at home.

It’s become a favorite here, and is often served simply with ground beef as a meal in itself.  It could also be served alongside refried beans, or with chicken enchiladas (recipe coming eventually).  It’s delicious, and fairly simple.  This amount is enough to serve as a meal for 4 people, so feel free to cut it in half if you’re looking for just a side dish.  In the picture above, I skipped the peas and carrots and used pre-cooked black beans instead.

Ingredients:

• 1 small onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tbsp. lard (butter or coconut oil is fine too)
• 1 1/2 c. brown rice, soaked*
• 2 c. chicken stock
• 1 c. tomato sauce
• 1 tbsp. cumin
• 1 tsp. chili powder
• 1/2 tsp. oregano
• 1 tsp. sea salt
• 1/2 c. peas
• 1/2 c. chopped carrots

Directions:

First, chop up your onion and garlic.  Add these and your oil to a frying pan on medium heat and saute until softened, about 5 minutes.

Add the rice and saute until lightly golden and puffed, about 5 minutes.  Your rice may not puff quite like this and that’s okay.

Add chicken stock, tomato sauce, spices, and the other veggies (you can skip them if you prefer).  Stir to combine.

Cover and cook for 20 – 30 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes or so.  Add a little extra water if the rice isn’t done and the liquid is mostly gone.  Soon it will be done!

That’s it!  Not too hard, right?  Serve scoops with taco meat or seasoned chicken, or alongside any Mexican meal.  It’s also delicious with grated soft cheese (mild cheddar, monterey jack, or queso fresco) on top.

What’s your favorite Mexican side dish?