Easy Spanish Rice

By Mariealicerayner @MarieRynr

 

 
Rice is a fabulous and economical side dish. Every time I cook it I ask myself why I don't cook it more often. It is something which I really enjoy.
It was not something we got very often when I was a child, and more often than not if we did get it, it was the instant cook rice. You know the one I mean. You add equal amounts of dry instant rice and boiling water, cover and let sit for 5 minutes.
 
It was something I did cook often when my children were growing up. It made a change from noodles or potatoes and they really enjoyed it.  We often had it with sweet and sour meatballs or a stir fry dish.
I also liked to cook Spanish Rice for them.  They enjoyed that also. I always used the recipe from the Fanny Farmer Cookbook.
The Fanny Farmer cookbook was one of the very first cookbooks I bought myself. I bought it even before I was out of high school. I think I have worn out three copies of it through the years. It is a standard in my kitchen.

The recipe for Spanish Rice which I am sharing with you today has been adapted from one I found in this book, Retro Recipes from the 50's and 60's by Addie Gundry.  It is a book I have had for a couple of years now.
I had flagged this recipe and have only now just gotten around to cooking it. I did take the liberty of cutting the measurements down so that it feeds only 2 to 3 people, but can give you the full measurements if you would like them.
 
It appealed to me as it was slightly different from the Spanish Rice recipe which I have always cooked. It appeared to be a bit spicier.  I am always game to try new things.  I loved that it also included peas.   I love peas with rice. They are great partners.
Spanish Rice is a popular recipe from the South West of North America, and is also called Mexican rice, largely due to the use of traditional Mexican spices, etc.  In all truth, rice isn't actually native to Mexico. It was brought to the country by the Spaniards in the 1500's.  Since it is the Spanish who introduced the Mexicans to rice it has taken on the name of Spanish Rice.

Spanish Rice makes for a delicious and hearty mid-week side dish that the whole family will love. Not only is it quick and easy to make, but it is also versatile.
Mostly a side dish, you can also easily amp it up to create a main dish, simply by adding ground cooked meat, such as beef, turkey or even sausage.  I have also used leftover cooked beef or chicken in Spanish Rice with great success.
 

WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE EASY SPANISH RICE 
There is nothing complicated about this recipe. You use simple, ordinary, every day ingredients. It seems like a long list of ingredients, but most of them are herbs, seasonings and spices.
  • 1/2 TBS light olive oil
  • 1/2 small onion, chopped
  • 1 TBS chopped jalapeno pepper (optional)
  • 1 clove of garlic, peeled and minced
  • 1/2 cup (63g) raw, long grain white rice
  • 1/2 tsp chili powder (mild, North American style)
  • 1/4 tsp ground cumin
  • 1/4 tsp dried oregano leaf
  • 1/2 cup (120ml) chicken broth
  • 1/2 cup (120ml) tomato sauce (passata)
  • 1/2 cup (70g) frozen peas, thawed
  • 1 small tomato diced
  • 1 heaped dessertspoon of tomato salsa (optional)
  • hot sauce as desired
  • salt and black pepper to taste


If you are in the UK, don't be tempted to use regular chili powder.  The chili powder used here is North American style and a lot less potent than the UK version.  I remember I had not been long in the UK when I made some potatoes using chili powder.
I used a whole TBS of it as I usually did and blew the tops of our heads off.  If you are in the UK, use a much smaller amount or use Spanish Smoked Paprika in its place. This is also spicy, but not near as nuch.
 
The tomato sauce referred to in the recipe is NOT tomato ketchup. Don't make that mistake. In North America tomato sauce is a completely different ingredient to ketchup. Typically sold in jars or cans it is thicker than tomato juice, but not quite as thick as spaghetti sauce.
It is often used as an ingredient in making spaghetti sauce. In the UK, feel free to use tomato passata or water with tomato puree added to make up the same amount. I repeat do NOT use ketchup.
Use regular long grain rice.  Uncooked. You can use other kinds of rice but you may have to adjust the cook times and maybe even the amount of liquid used in the recipe. Refer to the package of rice and judge accordingly.
 


HOW TO MAKE EASY SPANISH RICE 
This really is an easy dish to make. I would go so far as to call it a real doddle! 


Heat the oil in a medium skillet over moderate heat. Add the onion, jalapeno and garlic. Cook, stirring, for one minute until very aromatic.Add the rice. Cook, stirring, for about three minutes, until the rice becomes translucent. Stir in the dry herbs and cook for one minute longer.Add the chicken stock and tomato sauce. Bring to the boil. Reduce to a low simmer. Cover and cook for 20 to 25 minutes, until the rice is tender.Stir in the frozen peas and remove from the heat and let sit covered for 5 minutes to heat the peas through.

Stir in the salsa and hot sauce and season with salt and black pepper to taste. Serve hot.


I just use a very mild tomato salsa. My hot sauce of preference is Green Tabasco. It is not as spicy as the regular Tabasco and I quite like the flavor, which is very Mexican to me.
You can leave out the jalapeno and add chopped green peppers for color if you wish. Its up to you.
 
This really is one of my favorite side dishes. You can freeze any leftovers in an airtight freezer container and thaw them out to use as a side dish on another occasion. To use, simply thaw overnight in the refrigerator and then reheat in a buttered pan over medium heat until heated through.
 
It goes very well with just about any kind of grilled, fried or roasted meats, fish or poultry.  We always liked it with chicken. On this particular occasion I enjoyed mine with some leftover cooked chicken and a salad on the side. It went down a real treat!

If you are a fan of rice as a tasty side dish, do check out the following recipes I have shared on here in the past:
OVEN BAKED FRIED RICE - This easy dish makes the perfect mid-week side dish!  There is no need to precook the rice ahead of time. Nor the vegetables.  You simply stir everything together in a baking dish, cover and bake, leaving your hands free to get on with something else.  Easy peasy.  I also like this recipe because it uses ingredients that I normally have on hand, so its a great store-cupboard recipe as well!
BAKED MUSHROOM RICE - This baked rice dish is a  mix of rice, stock, thyme and garlic powder is put into the bottom of a casserole dish and covered with a thick layer of garlic mushrooms. There is no need to cover the dish as the layer of mushrooms serves as a sort of a jacket for the rice, covering it . . .  the juices running down and mingling with the stock and rice beneath it as it cooks. This is one very delicious side dish.

Yield: 2 - 3 servingsAuthor: Marie Rayner

Easy Spanish Rice

Prep time: 5 MinCook time: 30 MinTotal time: 35 MinThis was a very popular recipe when I was a child. It was delicious then, it is delicious now.

Ingredients

  • 1/2 TBS light olive oil
  • 1/2 small onion, chopped
  • 1 TBS chopped jalapeno pepper (optional)
  • 1 clove of garlic, peeled and minced
  • 1/2 cup (63g) raw, long grain white rice
  • 1/2 tsp chili powder (mild, North American style)
  • 1/4 tsp ground cumin
  • 1/4 tsp dried oregano leaf
  • 1/2 cup (120ml) chicken broth
  • 1/2 cup (120ml) tomato sauce (passata)
  • 1/2 cup (70g) frozen peas, thawed
  • 1 small tomato diced
  • 1 heaped dessertspoon of tomato salsa (optional)
  • hot sauce as desired
  • salt and black pepper to taste

Instructions

  1. Heat the oil in a medium skillet over moderate heat. Add the onion, jalapeno and garlic. Cook, stirring, for one minute until very aromatic.
  2. Add the rice. Cook, stirring, for about three minutes, until the rice becomes translucent. Stir in the dry herbs and cook for one minute longer.
  3. Add the chicken stock and tomato sauce. Bring to the boil. Reduce to a low simmer. Cover and cook for 20 to 25 minutes, until the rice is tender.
  4. Stir in the frozen peas and remove from the heat and let sit covered for 5 minutes to heat the peas through.
  5. Stir in the salsa and hot sauce and season with salt and black pepper to taste. Serve hot.
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