Arroz Mexicana Mexican Rice Recipes

ARROZ A LA MEXICANA

Steps:

• In food processor or blender, process onion, peppers, garlic, tomato paste, 1/4 cup water, and salt until smooth; set aside.
• In 12-inch skillet, melt Country Crock® Spread over medium-high heat and cook rice, stirring occasionally, 2 minutes or until golden. Stir in remaining 2 1/4 cups water, green peas and carrots, and onion mixture. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, 20 minutes or until rice is tender. Let stand 5 minutes before serving. Season, if desired, with salt and pepper.

ARROZ A LA MEXICANA (PERFECT MEXICAN RICE)

Steps:

• Add the onions and tomatoes into a food processor. Process until well puréed. Measure out 2 cups of tomato and onion purée and set aside. Put the rice in a strainer and rinse thoroughly until the water runs completely clear. Drain rice as much as possible. Remove the ribs and seeds from the jalapeno peppers (a grapefruit spoon does a great job. Slice the peppers into a fine dice. Set aside ¼ of the diced jalapeno pepers for adding once the rice finished cooking. If you like extra spicy add some of the membrane and seeds from the jalapeno peppers. Use the rest for adding to the rice. Preheat your oven to 350℉ (180℃) F, 325F for a convention oven. In a large wide high sided oven-safe sauté pan (with a tight fitting lid) or an oven-safe pot with lid (a dutch oven works well make sure to adjust the racks in your oven to accomodate). Heat the oil over medium-high heat for a minute or two, you want to get the oil hot. To test if the oil is ready, add a few kernels of rice, if they're sizzling nicely the oil is hot enough. Add the rice, stirring thoroughly to coat all of the rice. Continue stirring and cooking for 8 minutes, or until the rice has begun to lightly brown and it well toasted. This will develop a nice roasted flavor. Add the jalapeno peppers, sauté for a minute. Add the garlic and sauté another minute. Add the tomato and onion mixture. Stir together. Add the vegetable or chicken stock, the tomato paste and salt to taste. Bring to a boil, give it a few stirs now then. Cover tightly and place the whole pot in the oven. Cooking rice in the oven guarantees perfectly cooked fluffy rice and completely avoids any risk of scorching the rice. Bake for 15 minutes. Remove from oven, stir and return for another 15 minutes. Make sure you are careful the pot handle will be hot. The reason for this extra step is to mix any of the tomato mixture that will rise to the top and ensure perfectly evenly cooked rice. Remove from the oven and let rest for 5 to 10 minutes. Stir in the remaining jalapeno peppers (add seeds for extra spice) and the fresh chopped cilantro. Serve with wedges of lime. Refrigerates well keeping for several days if tightly covered and is quick and easy to reheat in the microwave. Prepare this rice on the weekend and it provides a side dish for meals later in the week.

ARROZ ROJO (MEXICAN RED RICE)

Steps:

• Grate tomatoes into a bowl using a box grater; discard tomato skins.
• Heat vegetable oil in a heavy skillet over medium-high heat and cook onion until translucent, stirring often, about 5 minutes. Stir garlic into onion and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
• Stir rice into onion mixture and cook, stirring often, until rice is lightly toasted, about 3 more minutes. Stir grated tomato, chicken broth, and tomato sauce into the rice. Bring mixture to a boil.
• Mix in jalapeno pepper, cilantro, and salt; reduce heat to low. Cover skillet and simmer until rice has absorbed the liquid, about 15 minutes. Do not lift the cover while the rice is cooking.
• Turn off heat and let rice stand covered for 8 minutes. Fluff with a fork before transferring rice to a serving dish.

ARROZ A LA MEXICANA

Steps:

• Heat a large skillet over high heat. Add the dry, unwashed rice, tossing or stirring constantly, until toasted and very brown and nutty, about 8 to 12 minutes. Transfer to a heatproof bowl.
• Place a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Add the schmaltz, garlic, carrots, onions and 5 teaspoons salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender and just beginning to brown, 6 to 8 minutes. Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring and scraping the bottom of the skillet, until fragrant and brick red colored, about 1 minute. Add the stock and bring to a boil. Stir in the rice, top with the peas and chile, reduce the heat to low, cover and cook undisturbed for 20 minutes. Check to see if all the liquid has been absorbed; if not, continue to cook and check again after 10 more minutes. Once the liquid has been absorbed, remove from the heat and let sit, covered, for 10 minutes before serving.

ARROZ A LA MEXICANA-TRADITIONAL MEXICAN RICE

Steps:

• In a small pan bring the broth to simmering.
• Set a large pan over medium heat-add the oil, then the rice and onion and cook, stirring, until both the rice and onion are light brown-around 10 minutes.
• Mix in the garlic and cook for 2 minutes.
• Add the pureed tomato Add the broth Add the optional ingredients-except cilantro and cheese Scrape the rice down and stir well.
• Reduce heat to a medium low, cover and finish cooking-around 20 minutes.
• Remove from heat and toss and either stir in cilantro or offer at the table-I offer at the table because either you love it-like I do-or hate it, and offer the queso fresco or farmers cheese.

ARROZ MEXICANA (MEXICAN RICE)

Steps:

• Saute onion in oil until soft. Add garlic and carrot, cook for 3 minutes.
• Stir in rice, cook until light golden, sprinkle with chili powder and cumin. Cook for 5 minutes.
• Add remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, simmer over low for 20 minutes or until rice is tender.

FOOLPROOF MEXICAN RICE ("ARROZ MEXICANO")

Steps:

• Cut the tomatoes in half, and remove the seeds. Add the tomatoes and 2 cups of broth to a blender and puree. Strain into a bowl and reserve the liquid. Add enough extra broth to make 4 cups of liquid.
• In a large saucepan, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and carrots and saute for 4 minutes until the onion is translucent. Add the garlic and saute for 1 minute. Stir in the rice and cook until slightly toasted, about 3 minutes. Add the tomato broth mixture, stir and bring to boil. Add the salt, bay leaf, and the serrano chile. Reduce the heat, cover and simmer until the rice is tender, about 20 minutes. Remove the pan from heat. Scatter the peas over the top of the rice, cover, and let the rice stand 5 minutes. Fluff the rice with a fork, transfer to a serving bowl and serve.