Bakedricemexicana Recipes

MEXICAN CHICKEN AND RICE

Steps:

• In a large freezer bag (or bowl), add chicken, 1 tablespoon of olive oil, vinegar, onion powder, chili powder, paprika, salt, oregano and cumin. Seal the bag and shake up to completely coat the chicken with the marinade. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, up to overnight.
• Heat a large oven-safe saute pan/deep skillet over medium-high heat. Add the 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Add half of the chicken thighs to the pan and cook for 2 minutes per side, or until chicken is no longer pink on the outside. Transfer the chicken onto a plate and cook the remaining chicken the same way.
• Preheat oven to 350°F. In the same saute pan/skillet, add the remaining 1/2 tablespoon of olive oil. (If the skillet is already very greasy and has enough oil to cover the bottom of the pan due to cooking the chicken, you can omit this last addition of oil.)
• Add the rice and saute for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the rice begins to brown slightly. At this point, some grains of rice may even pop. That's okay. This step adds some nuttiness and more depth of flavor to the rice.
• Add in the onions and minced garlic. Saute for about 30 seconds until fragrant. Add in the water, tomato paste and a generous pinch of salt. Stir together to mix until the tomato paste has fully dissolved.
• Cover the saute pan with a lid or foil, place it in the oven and bake for 15 minutes. Remove it from oven, place the partially cooked chicken thighs on top of the rice, cover and cook for another 15 minutes.
• Remove the lid or foil and bake for another 5 minutes uncovered. Check the temperature of the chicken thighs to make sure they're cooked through using a meat thermometer like this one or by slicing into one.
• Remove the pan from the oven and let cool slightly before serving. Garnish with diced cilantro and fresh lime juice, if desired.

BAKED MEXICAN RICE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
• Place rice in a 9-inch square baking dish. Drizzle in canola oil; stir to coat rice completely. Stir in green pepper, onion, and green onions. Season with sazon seasoning, cumin, garlic powder, coriander, and salt.
• Combine water and tomato sauce in a microwave-safe bowl or measuring cup. Heat until simmering, about 2 minutes. Pour over the rice and stir briefly. Cover the baking dish tightly with heavy-duty aluminum foil.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes. Let stand, covered, for 5 minutes. Uncover and fluff with a fork. Stir in cilantro and squeeze lime juice over the top.

MEXICAN RICE

Steps:

• Adjust rack to middle position and preheat oven to 350.
• Process tomato and onion in processor or blender until pureed and thoroughly smooth. Transfer mixture to measuring cup and reserve exactly 2 cups. Discard excess.
• Remove ribs and seeds from 2 jalapenos and discard. Mince flesh and set aside. Mince remaining jalapeno. Set aside.
• Place rice in a fine mesh strainer and rinse under cold running water until water runs clear- about 1 1/2 minutes.Shake rice vigorously to remove excess water.This step removes the starch from the rice so it will not stick. IF YOU OMIT THIS STEP YOUR RICE WILL NOT BE DRY AND FLUFFY.
• Heat oil in heavy bottomed ovensafe 12 inch straight sided sautee pan or Dutch oven with tight fitting lid over low-medium heat about 2 minutes. (The recipe is very specific about this but I used a 10 inch dutch oven and it worked out fine.) Drop a few rice grains in and if they sizzle then it is ready. Add rice and fry stirring until rice is light golden and translucent, about 6-8 minutes. Be careful that the oil doesn't get too hot too fast or the oil will splatter.
• Reduce heat to medium, add garlic and 2 minced jalapenos and cook , stirring constantly until fragrant, about 1 1/2 minutes.
• Stir in broth, pureed mixture,tomato paste, and salt. Increase heat to medium high, and bring to a boil.
• Cover pan and transfer pan to oven to bake until liquid is absorbed and rice is tender, 30-35 minutes.Stir well after 15 minutes.
• Stir in cilantro, minced jalapeno to taste, and pass lime wedges separately.
• Edited to add 6-15-05: If you can't get good fresh tomatoes you are better off using canned tomatoes. Don't use those awful hard and underipe tomatoes that are at most supermarket chains. Just be sure that the processed tomatoes and the one onion equals 2 cups. One the other hand- if you find that after processing your tomatoes and onions that you have less than 2 cups- simply add enough bottled salsa to make up the difference.
• Edited 8-21-06: Do not skip any of the steps. It may seem stupid- but rinsing the rice to remove the starch is very important if you want fluffy rice. It will only take two minutes of your time but it makes the difference.
• Edited 8-15-08: Leftovers are just as delicious the next day so this is a perfect dish to make ahead time for potlucks. This rice also freezes well. For Freezing Ahead: Cool, portion and freeze in a ziploc bag. To reheat from frozen: Place in a pyrex dish and warm in the microwave, stirring every 2-3 minutes until heated through.
• You'll love this rice! Money back guarantee.