Saute some chopped onion in a little olive oil. When onion is translucent, stir in the amount of rice you will need. Make sure all grains of it are coated in the oil. Stir until most of the grains have turned a whitish color instead of the translucent look of un-coated rice grain. Then add on jar of mild salsa along with the rinsed water from the jar. Then add enough chicken broth to cook the rice . Bake in the oven at 350 degrees for 1 hour. Then remove and fluf with fork and serve.

I sauté onion as daylily does and also sauté the rice a bit with the onion. I use one cup of rice, and I add one 14 oz can of Ro-Tel tomatoes (or Hatch brand) plus one can of water or stock. You can add a teaspoon of salt if you like as well. I bring this to a boil and then simmer for 20 minutes covered; let rest for 5-10 minutes, and then fluff with a fork. If I'm using brown rice, I increase the water by 1/3 cup and increase the simmer time by 25 minutes. Sometimes I add chopped red bell pepper to the onion to sauté and reduce the water by a small amount.

Lars

Blueiris, this is NOT a T&T recipe, but it is from my "to try" file. I clipped it from a magazine a few years back and the photo looks wonderful. Let me know if you try it before I do!

Basque Vegetable Rice
Source: Eating Well Magazine

Makes 6 servings, 1 1/3 cups each
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 small dried red chile pepper, such as chile de arbol, broken
1 medium onion, quartered and thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 large ripe tomatoes, seeded and diced
1 medium zucchini, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 green bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon paprika, preferably Spanish
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 1/4 cups short-grain white rice, preferably Valencia (see Tip)
3 cups vegetable broth or reduced-sodium chicken broth
2 tablespoons finely minced fresh flat-leaf parsley for garnish
6 lemon wedges for garnish

Heat oil in a 12-inch cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Add chile pepper, onion and garlic and cook, stirring often, until the onion is soft but not browned, about 6 minutes.
Add tomatoes, zucchini, bell peppers, paprika, thyme, salt and pepper; cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes.

Add rice; stir to coat well with the tomato mixture. Add broth; bring to a boil. .Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer until the rice is tender, 25 to 30 minutes. Serve hot directly from the pan, garnished with parsley and lemon wedges, if desired

Tip: Valencia rice (sometimes called paella rice) is Spanish-grown, short-grain rice classically used when making paella. It differs from other short-grain rice because of its ability to absorb moisture without breaking down. When fully cooked, the individual grains of rice remain whole. 'Bomba' is the best variety. Find it in specialty markets or online at tienda.com. Arborio rice can be used as a substitute, but yields a creamier dish.

Linda

This one was on the Pioneer Woman's site (I think)...its pretty good.

Ingredients

2 Tablespoons Canola Oil
½ whole Large Onion, Chopped
3 cloves Garlic, Minced
2 cups Long Grain Rice
1 can Rotel (10 Ounce)
1 can Whole Tomatoes (14.5 Ounce)
2 cups Low Sodium Chicken Broth (more If Needed)
1 teaspoon Cumin (more To Taste)
1 teaspoon Kosher Salt
Fresh Cilantro, Chopped

Preparation Instructions

Heat oil in a large skillet. Add onions and garlic, then cook for 3 to 4 minutes. Reduce heat to low and add rice and garlic. Stir constantly, making sure the rice doesnÂt burn. Cook over low heat for 3 minutes. Add Ro-tel and tomatoes. Stir to combine and let cook for 2 minutes. Finally, add broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 10 to 15 additional minutes or until rice is done. Add more liquid as needed; rice shouldnÂt be sticky.

Just before serving, sprinkle lots of freshly chopped cilantro over the top. Serve immediately.

Here are the two recipes I use. The first one was printed in Southern Living a number of years ago.

SPANISH RICE (serves 4-6)
1/3 cup chopped green pepper
½ cup chopped onion
1 clove garlic, minced
1 ½ Tablespoons vegetable oil
1-14.5 oz. whole tomatoes, undrained
¼ cup tomato sauce
¾ cup uncooked long-grain rice
1 bay leaf
Dash of red pepper flakes
½ teaspoon beef-flavored bouillon granules
½ cup boiling water
1 teaspoon chili powder
½ teaspoon sugar

Sauté first 4 ingredients in hot oil in an oven-safe large skillet until tender; drain. Drain tomatoes, reserving liquid. Add enough water to tomato liquid to measure 1 cup. Add tomatoes (chopped), tomato liquid, tomato sauce, rice, bay leaf, and red pepper to green pepper mixture, stirring well. Bring mixture to a boil; cover, reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes.

Dissolve bouillon granules in boiling water; add to rice mixture. Stir in chili powder and sugar. Recover the skillet and bake at 350° for 30-35 minutes. Remove bay leaf. If desired, top with some grated cheddar cheese.

DRY SPANISH RICE (serves 6)
2 cups rice
6 Tablespoons butter
1 cup tomato puree
2 small onions, finely chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
About 4 cups beef or chicken broth
2 or 3 canned green chilies, seeded, chopped

In a wide frying pan over medium-high heat, brown rice lightly in butter. Add onion, garlic, and tomato puree and cook for 2-3 minutes; add 3 cups of the broth and chilies. Cover and simmer 25-35 minutes (do not lift lid during cooking) or bake covered, in a 350° oven for 50-60 minutes. Add more broth, if needed (usually not needed), to cook the rice. However, there should be no liquid remaining when rice is tender to bite. This rice is very light, semi-dry and tasty.

I'm going to embarrass myself by admitting that I sometimes serve Spanish Rice by NoodleRoni - (comes in a box,) I think it is. I think it's quite good when I'm pushed for time and have served it to guests who really complimented my rice dish and wanted the recipe! You only need to add your own can of chop'd tomatoes - you saute the rice and "roni" bits together and then combine and cook. We like it a lot.

I made this tonight! I use Delmonte petite cut diced tomatoes w/ jalapenos, but otherwise follow her directions. We find this delicious. I have made this many times since she posted it. After it cools, I freeze it in individual ziplocks for a quick side dish. This is a tried & true - thank you caboodle.

* Posted by caboodle (My Page) on
Fri, Dec 12, 08 at 10:19

Restaurant-Style Mexican Rice
==============================
* 1 15 oz can diced or whole tomatoes, undrained
* 1 medium onion
* 1 can (4 oz) chopped chilis (or a couple of minced jalapenos)
* 2 cups long grain white rice
* Few T oil
* 3 garlic cloves, smashed
* 2 cups chicken broth
* 1 1/2 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 350.

Process tomatoes and onion until pureed and smooth.

Add the chilis, but don't process them.

Rinse rice for at least a minute to remove starch. This keeps it dry and fluffy.

Heat a few tablespoons of oil in ovenproof skillet (12 inches works fine) and fry the rice until it's golden. If using minced jalapenos, add at this point.

Add garlic and saute only until soft. Do not let it brown.

Stir in rest of ingredients and bring to boil.

Cover skillet and place in oven to bake for about 30 minutes, stirring once part way through.

Serves 4 - 6 (or two with delicious leftovers)

Recipe can easily be cut in half by processing the tomatoes and onion, then adding the chilis and freezing half for a later date.

Judi

Blueiris, what kind of rice are you looking for? A side dish or a one that's more like a rice casserole. My mom taught me how to make spanish/mexican rice and it's basically started in a little oil untill whiter, stir in a few chopped onions and minced garlic for a minute or so, then add "fresh" chopped tomato, never canned or tomato sauce unless that's all you have, and enough chicken broth (from the cooked chicken you may want to add for arroz con pollo)or plain water to about an inch over the rice,, add salt and pepper to taste. Let it come to a boil, lower the heat, cover and cook until all liquid is absorbed. Some people add a few fresh peas or carrots for color, I think.

This one is *very* similar to DayLilyDayzedÂs. Seriously  you can not get any easier and I donÂt think the more difficult ones taste any better

Best Spanish Rice

I've been making this one for several years. Love it. It came with a Cilantro Dressing recipe that I didn't care for, but I use the rice recipe itself when I'm making fajitas, etc.

Mexican Rice Bon Appétit : August 2004

Yield: Makes 8 servings

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large white onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon minced seeded serrano chiles
2 cups long-grain white rice
3 1/4 cups low-salt chicken broth
3/4 teaspoon salt

Cilantro Dressing

Heat oil in large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion, garlic, and serrano; sauté until onion is translucent, about 9 minutes. Mix in rice; stir 2 minutes. Mix in broth and salt; bring to boil. Reduce heat to low; cover and cook until rice is just tender and broth is absorbed, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat. Let stand, covered, 5 minutes.

Transfer rice to bowl; cool to barely lukewarm, stirring occasionally, about 1 1/2 hours. Add 1/2 cup cilantro dressing to rice; toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper. (Can be prepared 2 hours ahead. Let stand at room temperature.)

Here's the one I like from Cook's Illustrated. It's the one I go to whenever I make it.

Because the spiciness of jalapeños varies from chile to chile, we try to control the heat by removing the ribs and seeds (the source of most of the heat) from those chiles that are cooked in the rice. Use an ovensafe pot about 12 inches in diameter so that the rice cooks evenly and in the time indicated. The pot's depth is less important than its diameter; we've successfully used both a straight-sided sauté pan and a Dutch oven. Whichever type of pot you use, it should have a tight-fitting, ovensafe lid. Vegetable broth can be substituted for chicken broth.

2 ripe tomatoes (about 12 ounces), cored and quartered
1 medium onion , preferably white, peeled, trimmed of root end,and quartered
3 medium jalapeño chiles
2 cups long grain white rice
1/3 cup canola oil
4 cloves garlic , minced or pressed through a garlic press (about 4 teaspoons)
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth (or vegetable broth)
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 1/2 teaspoons table salt
1/2 cup minced fresh cilantro leaves
1 lime, cut into wedges for serving

Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Process tomatoes and onion in food processor until smooth and thoroughly pureed, about 15 seconds, scraping down bowl if necessary. Transfer mixture to liquid measuring cup; you should have 2 cups (if necessary, spoon off excess so that volume equals 2 cups). Remove ribs and seeds from 2 jalapeños and discard; mince flesh and set aside. Mince remaining jalapeño, including ribs and seeds; set aside.

Place rice in large fine-mesh strainer and rinse under cold running water until water runs clear, about 1 1/2 minutes. Shake rice vigorously in strainer to remove all excess water.

Heat oil in heavy-bottomed ovensafe 12-inch straight-sided sauté pan or Dutch oven with tight-fitting lid over medium-high heat, 1 to 2 minutes. Drop 3 or 4 grains rice in oil; if grains sizzle, oil is ready. Add rice and fry, stirring frequently, until rice is light golden and translucent, 6 to 8 minutes. Reduce heat to medium, add garlic and seeded minced jalapeños; cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 1 1/2 minutes. Stir in pureed tomatoes and onions, chicken broth, tomato paste, and salt; increase heat to medium-high and bring to boil. Cover pan and transfer to oven; bake until liquid is absorbed and rice is tender, 30 to 35 minutes, stirring well after 15 minutes.

Stir in cilantro and reserved minced jalapeño with seeds to taste. Serve immediately, passing lime wedges separately.

Here it is called Arroz a la Milanesa and most often contains saffron or yellow food powder colouring, and uses a short grain Valencia paella rice.

SharonCb

Well, I'm going to tell you first that my Spanish Rice recipe came straight out of the Betty Crocker cookbook and isn't anything authentic at all. It also includes ground beef. My kids love it, and they used to eat it sprinkled with sugar, which I thought was pretty disgusting. I don't see anything Spanish about it at all but it was fast, easy and cheap.

Spanish Rice

1 pound lean ground beef
1 tablespoon butter
1/3 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup chopped green bell pepper
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
2 cans (14.5 ounces each) diced tomatoes
1/4 cup ketchup
1/2 cup long-grain rice

In a heavy skillet brown ground beef in butter. Add onion, green bell pepper, salt, chili powder, pepper, and Worcestershire sauce. Cook until onion is tender. Add tomatoes and ketchup; simmer 15 minutes. Add rice. Cover and simmer 25 minutes, or until rice is tender, stirring occasionally. Add a little water or tomato juice if necessary.

Serves 6.

Annie

Thank you to everyone who took the time to post a recipe for me! Wow! I am going to give several of these a try -- thanks SO much!

The dry Spanish rice that I posted is a duplicate of what I was served in Denver Mexican restaurants. It is excellent with enchiladas or other foods that are full flavored.

The recipe from Southern Living is the type that is often served here in FL. By putting the rice in the oven, the rice itself opens up more fully (like it is blooming). Delicious!

Good luck with your rice trials!

magothyrivergirl, thanks so much for your kind words about my Mexican rice recipe. I messed around with it for a bit before gettiing the ingredients the way we liked it. I was getting ready to post the recipe when I saw you beat me to it.
Judi

Blueiris--

You've got lots here to try. The joy of Mexican rice is that it's one of those flexible dishes-you can add whatever personal twist you want. The main thing is to saute the onion and uncooked rice before adding spice and liquid. It's one of my favorite "use up the leftovers" dishes. I dump whatever veggies (or meat sometimes) I have sitting in the fridge into a pot-o-rice.

Adding the link for where I learned it at the bottom. (I used a packet of taco seasoning mix instead of measuring out chili powder, usually.)

~Amanda

Here is a link that might be useful: Mexican Red Rice

caboodle ~ we love~love~love your Mexican Rice! Everytime we have it for dinner, I think I really should properly thank you for your efforts to make it just right. And then I forget :) And the tip to rinse the rice first - I've continued to do that in other rice dishes. Thanks again.