Mexican Style Rice

A few years ago I followed an America’s Test Kitchen recipe to make Mexican Rice from a magazine I bought and loved it.  Over the years, I changed an altered a few things and added veggies and it’s now my go-to recipe to compliment any Mexican inspired dishes I make.

Ingredients:
2 cups long-grain rice, rinsed
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 can chicken broth
2 medium tomato, quartered
1 medium white onion, peeled and quartered
3 cloves of garlic, peeled
2 teaspoons tomato paste
1/2 cup frozen vegetables (optional)
1 teaspoon salt

Steps:
Make the liquid – Add tomato, white onion, garlic, and salt to a blender.  Blend until smooth.  Add enough chicken broth to have exactly four cups of liquid.  Set aside.

Saute the rice – Add vegetable oil to an oven-safe skillet.  Saute rice on medium heat until the rice starts to brown.  Stir in tomato paste and liquid.  Stir until everything is mixed well.

Finish in the oven – Cover the skillet with a lid and place into a 350-degree oven for 25-30 minutes. Remove The skillet from the oven and add frozen vegetables and stir.  Cover on the stovetop for another 10 minutes.

Tips:

• If you don’t have fresh tomatoes available, canned diced tomatoes work great.
• Add diced jalapenos and saute with rice for a spicy kick.
• I typically put corn or peas under the frozen vegetable step, but if you want to add mixed vegetables or carrots it works well too.  Anything to incorporate more veggies in the kid’s diet!