May

Spanish Rice

I’ve been making this rice for my children for many years as a main dish, and pair it with quesadillas or grilled cheese sandwiches. It is more Tex-Mex than Spanish, I think, but someone somewhere many years ago dubbed this classic American dish “Spanish” and everyone knows what it means. It is a variation of a similar rice dish served in Mexico and South America.

This is one of those dishes that hits all the key notes for me: It’s super-easy to prepare and very flavorful (but not so spicy that my daughter won’t eat it, yay); I almost always have all the ingredients on hand, and it is healthy if you use canned tomatoes that have no additional salt or other chemicals. Even better for busy moms with hungry kids — you can make this dish even faster with instant rice. I prefer regular brown rice because it has the best flavor and texture (and yeah, it’s healthier I think than the instant rice).

This recipe is adopted from “The Classic Vegetable Cookbook” by Ruth Spear.

Olive Oil -3-4 Tblsp (or enough to cover the bottom of a pan)
Bell Pepper - 1, chopped
Onion - 1, chopped
Garlic - 2-4 cloves, minced
Tomatoes - 1 14.5 oz. can, diced
Chili Powder - 1 tsp.
Rice - 1 cup (brown is preferred, but any rice will do; adjust cooking time for instant rice)
Water - 1/1/2 cups

Pour oil into bottom of large heavy pot.
Add onions, peppers and garlic, and cook under medium heat until onions are soft — about 5-7 minutes.
Strain tomatoes, pouring the juice into a measuring cup and setting aside. Add the tomatoes and the chili powder to the pot and mix well.
Pour water into the measuring cup with tomato juice to measure a total of 2 cups, and add to the pot, along with the rice.
Mix well and bring to a boil.
Lower heat (to very low) and cover tightly; cook for 20-30 minutes. Check after 20 minutes and if it is still really watery, cook another 5-10 minutes.
Turn off heat and let it sit for 10 minutes with a clean kitchen towel between the pot and the top.
Fluff up with a spoon and serve.

Serving Tips and Comments