Every fiesta needs some GOOD rice, right? Your new go-to Mexican rice using ingredients you already have on hand in your pantry…and one secret one. You’re welcome 🙂
Cinco de Mayo is like my St. Patty’s Day. I love to celebrate with some tasty Mexican food and tequila. Initially I was going to share a WEEK of my favorite recipes, but as I started to plan, I had like 12 recipes. No one has time to read 12 Mexican recipes in a week so I’m going to post them all of May. YAY, right?!
Ricky and I had our first date on Cinco de Mayo in Madison. 05/05/05…11 years ago?! Where has time gone!? Truth: I was a little worried about this date. Ricky and I worked together at Smokey Bones, where I started the day after my 21st birthday that January (that’s another whole story…). I reluctantly accepted the date, even though it was on a Thursday. Guys…Thursday was OC night in our apartment. Like, what if Seth finally confessed his love to Summer? This was when we were too broke for DVR and missing such an epic moment in television would be devastating.
My roommate Kim and I set up a plan: I would go out for dinner, but have a “house meeting” at 8:00 that I would have to return for. What I didn’t plan for is actually having fun on my date! I worked with Ricky for a few months, but our conversations usually were based around what the drink specials were at Wandos or if he could give me a kiddie cup full of frozen margarita. We actually had a lot in common and it was a great date. I ended up making it back for The OC that night…but the rest is history.
This rice is a staple in our house for any Mexican meal. I wish I could say that I came up with this recipe, but this is from Ricky’s Mexican aunt. If you’re not into white rice, brown rice or quinoa can easily be swapped in.
The secret ingredient is this Caldo de Tomate. It’s found in any ethnic aisle, I usually grab it at Walmart or Meijer. You can get it in a powder form in a bottle like above or cubes. Either work great!
- 1 cup white rice
- 1 teaspoon canola oil
- 1/2 cup onion , chopped
- 1/2 cup tomato chopped (or 5-6 halved cherry tomatoes)
- 2 cloves garlic , smashed (not minced!)
- 8 oz can tomato sauce
- 2 teaspoons (or 2 cubes) Chicken & Tomato Bouillon
- 2 cups water
- Optional: cilantro sprigs and half jalapeno
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In a medium saucepan, heat oil over medium high heat. Add rice, onion and garlic. Toast for 2-3 minutes.
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Slowly add tomato sauce and bouillon powder. Stir. Season with salt, to taste.
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Add water and bring to a boil. Lower heat to low.
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Optional: add 4-5 sprigs of cilantro and half of jalapeno for spice
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Cover. Cook 15-17 minutes.
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Turn off heat, let stand 3-4 minutes. Fluff with fork and serve.
Sprinkle with chopped cilantro after cooked for more color.
Stay tuned for more Mexican recipes ALL MONTH LONG! So excited!
I’m open to adding a few more recipes to my list…is there anything you’d like to see?
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[…] I love to add beans whenever I can for a boost of fiber and protein in our foods. Obviously, lasagna doesn’t usually have beans…but the addition of white beans to this enchilada sauce is DELISH! I like to pair this with Mexican Rice. […]