Looking for a good Spanish Rice recipe

Lucascraft · February 2012

I'm having a girl over tonight for a date. We're cooking dinner together and we've already got most of the menu worked out. The only thing I'm unsure of is what to do about the side dish. We're having a mexican food themed dinner and the main course is gonna be a chicken soft taco with lime. We're gonna make some guacamole and use some of the lime in that as well.

I want to make some spanish rice to go with it, but I've never been a big fan of homemade spanish rice. I generally like it at mexican restaurants, but I don't care for the mixes so I'd be wanting to make it from scratch.

There's one restaurant here in town that has some absolutely fantastic rice that I'd like to try to imitate. Theirs has corn, peas, and carrots mixed in. The part i'm not sure of is what type of seasoning or sauce they use. Its a fairly mild rice. Not much by way of spice or strong flavor.

As an example of a rice that I don't like at all, I don't care for the Jose Pepper's rice. Theirs is way too strongly seasoned and I don't like whatever flavors of seasoning they use. I prefer my rice to be pretty mild and basic.

Fantasma · February 2012

Hi,

This is not exactly what you asked for, but it is rice pretty mild and basic:

http://www.dominicancooking.com/516-arroz-blanco-white-rice.html

The recipe is at the middle of the page.

Sheep · February 2012

Usually "Spanish/Mexican rice" is rice with some kind of tomato sauce mixed into it. Little bit of cumin, oregano, garlic, and chili powder. Put some butter in the pot, fry the spices in it for just a sec (don't let the garlic change color), then throw in the dry rice and "toast" it in the butter and spices. Then add a can of tomatoes or mash your own and fill the rest of the pot up with chicken stock.

Stir, boil, and cook like regular rice. Stir occasionally. Done.

TychoCelchuuu · February 2012

Sheep wrote:

Usually "Spanish/Mexican rice" is rice with some kind of tomato sauce mixed into it. Little bit of cumin, oregano, garlic, and chili powder. Put some butter in the pot, fry the spices in it for just a sec (don't let the garlic change color), then throw in the dry rice and "toast" it in the butter and spices. Then add a can of tomatoes or mash your own and fill the rest of the pot up with chicken stock.

Stir, boil, and cook like regular rice. Stir occasionally. Done.

Basically this, but if you really want a recipe, Simply Recipe's Spanish Rice is pretty great.

Sheep · February 2012

How'd it go?

MetroidZoid · February 2012

Aha! I have a great one and even better, it makes a shit-ton if you want for leftovers, just double the amount for everything in the rice portion!

1 box spanish rice
A few tsps butter
1 can V8 juice
1 can diced tomatoes (I prefer the 'smoked' ones)
1 little can diced chilies (hot, mild, optional, whatever)
A couple peppers (I'll usually get a bell and a average hot pepper, like an Anaheim or a fat yellow one)
Pack of mushrooms, button or something sliceable.

Chicken tenders / breasts
1 plastic lime thing of lime juice
Ditto, for lemon juice

Okay, so you take your box of Spanish Rice. I even get the cheap stuff, won't matter when it's done. Okay fine grab the Betty Crocker or whatever if it makes you feel better. Put in the bottom of a big pot with a good bit of butter, like 4 tsps. or so. I know, don't judge. Make it two if you want, I don't care. Paula Deen Jr over here. Med/hi heat, stirring occasionally until the pannicelli (sp?) noodles start to brown; that's what the box says. When it's at that point, add the V8 juice, and then half of the can of V8 juice of water, the can of tomatoes, chilies if you want. Bring that to a boil, or until you start to see bubbles, stirring occasionally, then turn it down low low to simmer, also cover that shit. Usually add some salt and pepper to taste now, and a good helping of dried red pepper for heat (but again, optional, just me)

Now at this point, I like to cut up the peppers, roll them around in a hot skillet / pan until they start to darken, dump those in the rice. Sautee some mushrooms if you want, dump those in the pot too. Mushrooms are easy if you've never tried them; butter, med/hi head, mushrooms, keep it moving. But both of those ingredients are optional but really good just saying

Now here's the topper: I cook up some chicken tenders (I use the cheapos in the frozen bag, but you could easily use fresh or some breasts or whatever floats your boat). Just pan fry in oil after rubbing them with Mrs Dash or whatever. Also turn on your oven to 350*. When they're about 2/3 of the way done, usually they're starting to cross the line between the outside getting too crispy, take them off the heat, drain the oil, and put them back in the pan on med heat, and douse with equal parts lemon and lime juice. Like the ones in the fruit shaped bottles. Replace more juice as necessary in the pan to keep the chicken from burning; also the juice has a tendency to caramelize on the chicken and this is fantastic. Usually at this point when I think the chicken's done, I'll cut into one. If it's still a tad pink that's okay, not done cooking. If it's a lot, keep it on the heat. When it's almost or cooked through, I'll lay them on a cookie sheet covered in foil, shred some cheese over them (chedder and jack, usually), and put them under the heat to finish cooking them and also melt the cheese. When those are done, you're ready to serve, and I just put the chicken on top of a plate/bowl of rice with a slice of lime for taste. Also a Corona goes great with it all.

Penny Arcade

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