Quick and Easy Spanish Rice

As a single mom of, well, not a picky eater but more like a particular eater, I have had to adapt recipes so that they introduce new flavors, while still being approachable and familiar. 

My kiddo loves Spanish rice but won't eat it if he sees chunks of onions, peppers, or tomatoes. My trick that I came up with is to blend blend blend! You'll see...

 

Quick and Easy Spanish Rice

Yield: 6 cups

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 25 - 30 minutes

 

Ingredients:

  • 1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes (preferably no salt added but use whatever you've got. It can also be whole, crushed, or even pureed tomatoes. We're going to blend them anyway!)
  • 1 tablespoon (.35 oz/10 g/one single serve packet) SpotOn unsalted chicken or vegan instant stock
  • 2 teaspoons kosher salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1/2 teaspoon paprika*
  • 1/2 teaspoon onion powder*
  • 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder*
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
  • If you like it spicy, add a hot pepper of your choice or some chili powder or cayenne. Heck, dump in some hot sauce if you want!
  • 1/3 cup neutral oil such as canola, vegetable, avocado, etc.
  • 2 cups long-grain rice (unwashed. I know this is controversial but using wet rice in this recipe would be really dangerous!)

 

  1. In a blender, puree the tomatoes until smooth. Alternatively, you can use an immersion blender and a large measuring cup. Make sure that whatever you're using can hold at least 4 cups of liquid.
  2. Add the instant stock, the salt, and the spices/herbs or fresh veg, if using. Blend to mix.
  3. Add enough water so that the total liquid mixture is 4 cups. Set aside.
  4. In a large pot that has a tight-fitting lid, heat the oil over medium heat until it starts to shimmer.
  5. Add the rice and cook, stirring often, until it's lightly toasted. It should be a nice golden brown color. It's ok if not every single bit is toasted, you just don't want to overdo it.
  6. Turn the heat to low, give the liquid one last quick blend, and add it to the rice. Careful, it'll get steamy!
  7. Place the lid on the pot and cook for 20 - 25 minutes. Everyone’s stove is different so if your low setting is really low, go for 25 minutes. But if it tends to run a bit warmer like mine, 20 minutes should do it.
  8. When the rice is cooked, remove from heat, fluff with a fork, and allow to sit, covered, for another 5-10 minutes. 
  9. Serve immediately or portion it into containers and freeze**.
  10. If you plan to refrigerate the rice, place it in a shallow container (or better yet, a sheet tray), put it in the fridge and stir it around every 5-10 minutes until it's completely cool. NEVER put warm rice in a closed container in the fridge. Rice is a perfect breeding ground for bad bacteria and when left at a warm temperature for too long, there is a high chance of you experiencing a food borne illness. 

 

*You can absolutely substitute or add fresh bell pepper, onions and garlic if you like. in whatever amounts you like. Just roughly chop into smallish bits to help it blend smoothly.

**Freezing the rice is great. There is good research out there that shows that freezing and then reheating rice can reduce carbohydrate and calorie absorption by up to 50%. This is due to the formation of resistant starch, a type of carbohydrate that resists digestion in the small intestine and reaches the large intestine mostly intact. Unlike regular starch, which is quickly broken down into glucose and absorbed. 

Plus, rice reheats beautifully in the microwave making quick meals even quicker! Check out my recipe for homemade refried beans, which also freezes and reheats really well. Beans and rice is one of my go-to fail-safe weeknight dinners. Sometimes it's as simple as that, and sometimes we go for a full-on taco night. It all depends on the level of energy I have at the time, ha!