How to make delicious Spanish Rice!

Growing up Hispanic, in the south of Texas meant that there was always amazing Mexican food on every corner. My absolute favorite thing when I was a kid was when one of my moms friends, Señora Newkirk, would make us a huge pot of that red Spanish rice. Oh my GOD! I could eat that entire thing by myself I swear, she just made it so scrumptious. Anyway, I got older and one day I decided to try to make some Spanish rice for my own family now; and I think I accomplished something delicious. Now, my Spanish rice has a long way to go before it reaches Señora Newkirk’s, but here is how I did it!

Ingredients:

1/2 onion (I use the brown one)

1 tomato

2 cloves of garlic

1 can of tomato sauce 8oz

2 tablespoons of avocado oil (or olive oil)

1 cup of white rice long grain

2 cups of water

1 table spoon of knorr

1/2 table spoon of chili powder (or less depending on taste for spice)

A sprinkle of oregano

Tiny shake of cumin

Dash of salt and pepper

Directions:

-First, prep the onion, garlic cloves, and tomato by chopping them up. I personally like chunks of tomato in my rice, but you can chop them as big or small as you’d like. Now, set that aside.

-in a large cup, add the two cups of water and mix into it the 1 tablespoon of Knorr, 1/2 tablespoon of chili powder, a sprinkle of oregano, and a teeny shake of cumin, mix well and set aside.

-In a large/medium sauce pan add the two tablespoons of oil and turn it up to a medium high. Once the oil is hot enough, add the 1 cup of rice . How I can tell when the oil is hot enough, I will drop a grain of rice into the pan. If the grain of rice wiggles around and bubbles; it’s ready. Now, I like to use a wooden spoon or spatula (true Mexican) and just continuously mix around the rice letting it cook in the oil. -Once the rice starts turning a golden brown color lower the heat on stove a little and add in the chopped garlic cloves and the onion. Mix the rice around letting it cook a bit more with the onion and garlic, the. Add in the tomato. Mix for a few more seconds, never letting the rice burn.

-turn off heat and add in the 1 can of tomato sauce, continuously mix it around in the tomato sauce, letting the rice cook.

-After a couple minutes of really letting the rice soak up the tomato sauce (that’s what will give it the nice red/orange color), add in the water mixture you created. (The two cups of water with the powders)

-turn up the heat back to a medium high , add in a little salt and pepper and just gently mix the rice around in the water until it comes to a boil. Make sure there is a good amount of bubbles.

-once the rice boiled for a couple minutes and you mixed it up real good, turn heat down to a low simmer and put a lid on the pan. Let it sit for a good 20-22 min.

-turn off heat completely and let it sit for another 10-12 minutes. DO NOT TAKE OFF THE LID. Not even for a second, it will ruin the rice.

– remove lid and stir it up, let it cool for a few minutes and enjoy!!

So there it is! I hope I helped as much as I could, feel free to comment any extra add one you think are worth trying! I love trying new food. ❤️