Friday, August 20, 2010

Mexican Rice



Events in our corner of the world move quickly and prove, yet again, that the indefatigable Murphy is alive and well and looking for any excuse to further test his law and all its corollaries. To wit, the washing machine stopped mid-cycle this morning, no doubt aping the control panel of the oven which chose to go black during preparations for last night's dinner. I sought solace at the computer, only to find that several small pair of hands had created a screen resolution previously unseen by mankind. My composure remained intact until dinner this evening, when our 3 year old grandson, whose dad is a minister, announced, following grace, that "Opa talks to Jesus lots." That, of course, caused me to choke on my water before finally surrendering to the limitations of the day. Now, back at the computer with the strange resolution, I have another rice recipe to share with you. Anyone who spent a portion of their childhood in the late forties and early fifties can tell you about Spanish rice. It was a commonly served dish that was as good or bad as the cook who made it. Most versions of the rice were made with tomato soup and ground beef that could be quickly assembled and on the table in minutes. A few lucky souls got to have a more authentic Mexican rice which was considerably more flavorful than its Spanish cousin. There is a fine line that separates the two. Most people believe Spanish rice gets its color from saffron, and that Mexican rice gets its color from cumin and tomato. If you look at the large number of recipes that exist for both types, I'm not so sure that's really true. At least not anymore. The recipe I used as my inspiration was developed by Emeril Lagasse and he really blurred the lines between the two. I have altered his recipe to suit our tastes and eliminated ingredients such as lard and saffron. This is a great dish for lunch and I've yet to come across a teen age boy who does not love it. They accept it for what it is. Good basic food that's inexpensive and easy to prepare. I hope you'll give this dish a try. It's really good. Here's the recipe.

Mexican Rice...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite inspired by Emeril Lagasse

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/2 cup ground pork
1/4 pound chorizo, halved lengthwise and cut into 1/4-inch pieces
1/2 cup chopped white onions
1/4 cup chopped green bell peppers
2 teaspoons minced garlic
2 cups long grain rice
1 large tomato, peeled, seeded and chopped
4 cups chicken stock, or water
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon chopped fresh oregano leaves
1 teaspoon chopped fresh cilantro leaves
1/4 cup chopped green onions

Directions:
1) Heat oil in a medium-size heavy saucepan set over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Add pork and cook, stirring until no longer pink. Add sausage and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add onions and bell peppers, and cook, stirring, until soft, about 3 minutes. Add garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add rice and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add tomatoes and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the stock, salt, and turmeric, and stir well. Bring to a boil. Lower heat to low, cover, and cook undisturbed until all liquid is absorbed, about 20 minutes.
2) Remove from heat and let sit, covered, for 10 minutes. Uncover and fluff rice with a fork. Add the oregano and cilantro, and stir to incorporate. Turn into a decorative bowl and garnish with green onions. Serve immediately. Yield: 6 to 8 servings.

You might also enjoy these recipes:
Beans and Rice Salad - Eclectic Recipes
Saffron and Red Pepper Risotto - Sugar Crafter
Rice and Olive Salad - La Fuji Mama
Shrimp Risotto - Coco Cooks
Spicy Tomato and Vegetable Rice - Chow and Chatter
Spanish Rice - Taste Tempters

53 comments :

Kath said...

Mary, this looks really terrific! I'm bookmarking it for future reference. I'm looking forward to trying it.

Sushma Mallya said...

looks yummy, love the colour..

Katerina said...

I love Mexican food. A side dish like this is perfect to accompany my Mexican meals. thanks Mary!

MaryMoh said...

Your post makes me smile :D It's always so wonderful to have kids around! Love your Mexican rice. I have fallen in love with Mexican food lately. It is delicious...mmmm. Hope you have a wonderful day. Mary

penny aka jeroxie said...

Love the vibrant colour!

J e l e n a said...

Yes the Murphy's law...had an experience last week...but then the law just fades away until the next time...lovely, simple easy dish, beautiful colors!

My Little Space said...

Mary, I'm bookmarking this! The recipe sounds awesome and am going to make it this weekend. Thanks again. Hope you're having a fabulous time with your family. Kiss kiss little chubby for me.
Cheers, kristy

Priya Suresh said...

Beautiful Mexican rice looks awesome..

Lynn said...

Rice is one of my favorite sides, this looks great!

Allie and Pattie said...

Thank you Mary. I so needed that giggle. We had one of those days yesterday too, but without the grandchildren to brighten it. I do remember my mother making boxed Spanish rice (the only kind she made)I'll be trying this one
xoxo Pattie

Big Dude said...

Sounds really good Mary. My mom actually made a homemade version that I really liked and wish I had the recipe for to this day - along with several of her others. Our appliances, cars, etc also seem to frequently go down in two's and three's as well.

Ana Powell said...

I love Mexican food too.
Perfect side dish, so perfect and delicious.
Wishing you a great weekend ♥

Unknown said...

this looks really good...I love Mexican rice

Martha said...

I do remember Spanish rice -- and I remember it was easy and inexpensive!

This looks delish and sounds so much tastier than the rice that it served in Mexican restaurants on the prairie!

Valerie Harrison (bellini) said...

I do love a delicious Mexican Rice Mary. Tommorrow will be a better day:D

cocoa and coconut said...

I love rice..I eat too much of it though haha

Biren said...

This rice is really good. I like the use of turmeric in it as it gives the rice such a nice color. I am a big fan of flavored rice :)

PeggyR said...

I love rice and this looks really good. Norm still has a little trouble swallowing rice, so I will make this dish later on...

Mickey said...

My mother made Mexican rice for us weekly and I still haven't found a recipe to duplicate that dish. How I wish she would have wrote them down. This looks close to hers, I think I'll have to try it. I'll let you know how it goes:) Thanks Mary!

nanny said...

We had spanish rice often at my house......it was so good!
This recipe looks and sounds wonderful.
Can't wait to try it!

Schnitzel and the Trout said...

My first laugh of the day, thanks to you! Grandchildren are so special. Nice side dish. Enjoy those kids.

Lyndas recipe box said...

We love Mexican rice Mary, so I'm bookmarking your recipe-it sounds so tasty with chorizo which will be a great main dish for us.
Murphy's law is always alive and well isn't it-hope your appliances behave better today!
As I write my 14 month old granddaughter is destroying the living room with toys, finding every particle that the vaccum didn't, and she just ripped a book cover off of my book. It's time for a nap-for both of us! :)

Unknown said...

I love mexican rice. so delicious. Your version is irresistible. I have to try it. Have a great weekend. Michael

Unknown said...

I laughed out loud reading your post!
Aren't grandchildren wonderful! Thanks for sharing this Mexican rice recipe, I can't tell you how many bad versions of this recipe I've had over the years! This looks like a good one and I will bookmark it for later, thanks Mary:-)

Susy said...

Two great recipes. Mexican Rice and Talkin' to Jesus.

Monet said...

Kids always make life more exciting! I'm sure you have so many fun memories with your grandchildren...they are lucky to have you guys! Thanks for this delicious version of Mexican rice...I need a new recipe to serve with all the tacos we've been making!

Suman Singh said...

I love Mexican foods..rice looks delicious.

StephenC said...

I am of the generation which remembers Mom's Spanish rice in the 50's. We all loved it. I'm going shopping today and will get what I need to make your recipe. Thanks!

Mary | Deep South Dish said...

Looks delicious Mary!

Unknown said...

Very colourful dish....loved the flavour too....

momgateway said...

This looks like the rice we had at a cantina...this is one recipe I will try when my in-laws come

D said...

Mary, good recipe! I made a Spanish rice dish two nights ago and similar in ingredient as yours, except I used a package of (on-hand) ground beef, added a can of kidney beans, a little corn and we loved it.

Have a wonderful weekend.

Create. Snap. Eat. said...

Mouth watering! This looks fantastic.

Sanyukta Gour(Bayes) said...

mary this is truly tempting n colorful...looks droolworthy

Patricia @ ButterYum said...

Oh Mary - what a lovely photo. I'm eager to find out if my picky teenage boy will enjoy it. If not, the rest of us will be happy to finish it off.

Have a great weekend.

:)
ButterYum

scrambledhenfruit said...

Spanish Rice was much too exotic to be served at our house when we were growing up! My mom has branched out now though, and would probably love to try this recipe. Thanks for sharing!

redmenace said...

I haven't thought about Spanish Rice in some time. My mother used to make it. I do recall that I loved it so thank you, again, for your inspiration!

Eileen said...

Sounds delicious! I'm going to have to add this to my list to try. Good luck with those computer problems. :)

Radhika said...

Looks gorgeous and so flavorful. I have been missing your posts oflate, have to catch up

Sam Hoffer / My Carolina Kitchen said...

I haven't thought of this rice in a long time. Thank you for omitting the lard. I miss the fifties, but I don't miss the heavy use of fat that seemed to be in every recipe.

We all seem to experience Murphy's law from time to time. Sounds like you coped very well.
Sam

Ginny Hartzler said...

You have made my weekend!! You gave me such a long, hearty laugh that my nasal congestion is gone! I read you aloud to my husband then we both laughted aloud! I still make Spanish Rice, but without meat. I use tomato sauce. This looks really good! You have a wonderful gift for both humor and language. Here's what you should be doing. Have your own cooking show on the Food Channel, and be funny!

Jen_from_NJ said...

I'm sorry that you had such a trying day. Thank goodness for the 3 year old! Very cute! Your Mexican rice sounds perfect.

MadSnapper said...

in the deep south of Georgia when I was a child, spanish rice was rice cooked in tomatoes instead of water. the rice was red not white.
loved your story of Murphy's Visit and he visits us on a regular basis and his motto is my motto. great post

Adelina said...

What a brilliant dish after so many mishaps! The resolution is excellent here and the rice looks very crisp:) Thanks for sharing!

Julie M. said...

It sounds like you had quite the day! At least you were able to finish it off with this delicious Mexican rice. It looks perfect!

Have a great weekend!

Federica Simoni said...

perfetto! appetitoso! invitante!!!Mary sei insuperabile! ciao!!

Julie said...

Your story made me smile! What patience, I'd have lost it after the washing machine. Looking forward to trying the rice.

We Are Not Martha said...

Here's to Murphy's Law :) This looks delicious! Hope you have a happy weekend!!

Sues

pam said...

I have lots of days where I talk to Jesus alot too.

Julie said...

Can't help wondering who "opa" is...Oprah? The rice looks yummy. You're right, it's either really good, or really NOT good.

Anna said...

This looks great and I'll bet the turmeric gives it a lovely hue. Right now I'm cooking out of one of my Rick Bayless books and while I love his recipe, this one looks even better than the one in the book -- not too heavy on tomatoes. Thanks for posting.

Alicia Foodycat said...

I am not a teenage boy, but it sounds like I would love it too! Very nice after your frustrations.

Salsa Verde said...

Lots of flavours and one amazing colour!!
Cheers,
Lia.

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