Mexican Rice

Need a side dish to go with those tacos from last week?  Man, is this stuff good. It's not quite as perfect as the stuff we get at our favorite Mexican restaurant, but it's the closest I've come at home. The rice is a little sticky with lots of flavor thanks to onion, salsa and vegetable broth.  Toasting or sauteing the rice before adding the other ingredients opens up the flavor and I think it made a different in the texture.  A very quick dish to prepare, this a wonderful side to any Mexican dinner or when you just want to add a pop of flavor when you'd normally serve plain rice.  I have a hard time thinking of and following through with actually making them.  So that's why this week I'm bringing you a week's worth of side dishes to help you plan a complete meal, not just main dishes.

Since we enjoy Mexican food so much, I really wanted to find a side that I could make from scratch (rather than a box) that would be worthy of the main meal.  When I finally found this recipe from Foodie Fancy, I couldn't contain myself.  The one change I made was to use vegetable soup base since I couldn't find the tomato chicken bouillon the recipe suggested, but I imagine regular chicken bouillon would work.  In less than 25 minutes, I had a perfect side dish that I've made a handful of times, always to rave reviews.  Tasting perfect Mexican rice is such a delight and so hard to replicate.  Like I said, this isn't spot on, but it's a really close runner-up, so worth trying.

Mexican Rice

Ingredients

1 cup long grain white rice, uncooked
2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
1/2 cup onion, chopped
1/3 cup salsa
3 cups water
1 teaspoon vegetable soup base

In a large skillet or saute pan, heat oil over medium-high heat.  Add rice and stir to coat.  Cook, stirring occasionally, until rice is browned slightly.  Add onion and stir, cooking until onions are golden and softened.

Stir in salsa to coat.

Add water and soup base and bring to a boil.  boil for five minutes, then reduce to medium low and cover.  Simmer for 10 to 15 minutes until water is absorbed, stirring every few minutes.

Remove from heat when water is absorbed and rice is tender.  Transfer to a bowl and serve hot.

Makes about 4-6 servings.

Happy Baking,
The Cookie Princess

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