Mexican Rice Recipe

Casinodad's aunt makes the best Mexican rice & numerous times, she's told me how to do it. I never attempted to do it because I thought it would be too much work & I wouldn't be able to get the ingredients just right. Well, I happened to pull out a Latino cookbook one of Casinodad's cousins gave us for our wedding. Low & behold, there is a Mexican Rice recipe. I tried it last weekend w/ a few variations I knew his aunt used & it turned out very close to hers, although a little on the bland side. Here is the recipe & below I listed my variations & what I'll do next time. It's a lot easier than I thought it would be!

Mexican Rice

1 med. white onion, chopped coarse
2 large cloves garlic, crushed
2 c. whole tomatoes
3 ½ c. water or chicken broth
3 T. vegetable oil
2 c. long-grain rice, rinsed
2 extra-large chicken bouillon cubes (if using water)
½ t. salt
1 c. frozen peas & carrots

In a blender, puree the onion, garlic, tomatoes w/ their juice, & ½ c. broth until smooth. In a skillet, heat the oil over med-high heat. Saute the rice, stirring constantly, until golden brown (about 8 minutes). Stir in the blended tomato mixture, remaining broth, bouillon, & salt. Bring to a boil; cover & simmer undisturbed for 25 minutes. Add vegetables, cover, & remove from heat. Allow to stand 5 minutes before serving.

My variations: I just used water & 2 standard size bouillon cubes, olive oil, & 1 c. V-8 juice instead of the tomatoes.

Next time: I’ll used 1 c. tomatoes & 1 c. V-8 juice, then add some cumin. The rice was just a bit bland when I made it. I also think I'll simmer it a bit longer to absorb more flavor.