Mexican Green Rice

A cilantro rice pilaf cooked in chicken stock with poblano chiles, parsley, cilantro, onion, and garlic. Also called Arroz verde.


⦁ Prep time: 10 minutes 
⦁ Cook time: 50 minutes 
⦁ Yield: Serves 6 

Ingredients

⦁ 3 Tbsp olive oil 
⦁ 1 1/2 cups long grain white rice 
⦁ 2 1/4 cups chicken stock (or more depending on your rice*) 
⦁ 1 cup roughly chopped parsley, lightly packed 
⦁ 1/2 cup roughly chopped cilantro, lightly packed 
⦁ 2 large poblano chiles, seeded and roughly chopped 
⦁ 2 Tbsp chopped onion 
⦁ 1 garlic clove, peeled, roughly chopped 
⦁ Salt to taste**

*Use the amount of stock that is the liquid requirement of your particular brand of rice. Long grain rice typically ranges from 1 1/2 cups of liquid per cup of rice to 2 cups of liquid per cup of rice.

**If you are using homemade unsalted stock, you will want to add at least half a teaspoon of salt to the stock.

Method

1 Purée parsley, cilantro, chiles, onion, garlic, 1/2 cup of stock: Place the parsley, cilantro, poblanos, onion, garlic, and 1/2 cup of the chicken stock in a food processor. Pulse until smooth.

2 Brown the rice: Heat the oil in a thick-bottomed pot on high heat. Add the rice and stir to coat all of the grains with oil. Spread out in an even layer.  Let the rice lightly brown. When it starts to brown, stir it and spread it out in an even layer again so that more of the rice browns.

3 Stir parsley cilantro mixture into rice: When much of the rice has lightly browned, scrape out the parsley purée from the food processor into the rice. Stir to evenly mix the purée with the rice. Let cook for a minute or two.

4 Add remaining stock, simmer, cover, cook: Add the rest of the chicken stock to the pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a low simmer and cover the pot. Let cook on a very low simmer for 15 minutes, or as long as your package of rice indicates is the right cooking time for your rice.

5 Remove from heat, cover with towel and lid, let sit: After the cooking time indicated on your rice package, remove the pot from heat. Uncover the pot and place a clean terry towel or dish towel over the pot, then re-cover.

The towel will help absorb excess liquid as the rice continues to cook in its own steam. (If you don't have a clean towel, you can skip this step, just cover normally.) Let sit for 20 minutes.

Fluff the rice with a fork and serve.

from Simply Recipes ~ https://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/mexican_green_rice/

Recipe inspired by recipe for Arroz Verde in Diana Kennedy's The Essential Cuisines of Mexico.

Foolproof Oven-Baked Brown Rice

Why this recipe works:

For our brown rice recipe, we cooked the rice in the oven to approximate the controlled, indirect heat of a rice cooker, eliminating the risk of scorching. Experimenting with proportions, we discovered why most brown rice is sodden and overcooked: Most brown rice recipes call for a 2:1 water-to-rice ratio. For our brown rice recipe, we found that 2 1/3 cups water to 1 ½ cups rice gave us perfectly cooked rice.

Serves 4 to 6

To minimize any loss of water through evaporation, cover the saucepan and add the rice as soon as the liquid reaches a boil. An 8-inch ceramic baking dish with a lid may be used or a baking dish and foil. To double the recipe, use a 13 by 9-inch baking dish; the baking time need not be increased.

Ingredients
2 tablespoons unsalted butter or olive oil
1 small onion, minced
1 1/2 cups long-grain brown rice, medium-grain brown rice, or short-grain brown rice
2 1/3 cups water or vegetable broth or chicken broth
1/2 teaspoon table salt

Instructions
1. Adjust oven rack to middle position; heat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Heat butter or oil in in an oven-proof medium saucepan or casserole with a tight fitting lid over medium heat; add onion and cook until translucent, about 3 minutes.
3. Add liquid and bring to a full boil; once boiling, immediately stir in salt and  rice. Cover pot with lid, put pot in the oven, and bake rice 65-70 min until tender.
4. Remove baking dish from oven, remove lid, and fluff the rice with a fork. Place a clean dishcloth across the pot, replace lid, and let sit for 10 minutes. Uncover and serve immediately.

Mexican Rice

Serves 8-10
Ingredients

1 15 oz can diced or whole tomatoes
1 medium white onion
3 medium jalapeños
2 cups long grain white rice
1/3 cup canola oil
4 minced garlic cloves
2 cups chicken broth (or vegetable broth for vegan)
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, minced
1 lime


Directions

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 jalapeños and discard. Mince flesh and set aside. Mince remaining jalapeño. 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.

Heat oil in heavy bottomed oven-safe 12 inch straight sided saute pan or Dutch oven with tight fitting lid over medium-high heat about 2 minutes. 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 jalapeños 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 jalapeño to taste, and pass lime wedges separately.

Notes:  Be sure that the processed tomatoes and the one onion equals 2 cups.  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.

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.

Black Bean and Rice Burritos (or tacos)

Tomato sauce is sold in 8 oz cans in the same aisle that carries canned whole tomatoes. Do not use jarred pasta sauce in its place. There’s no need to prepare all of the toppings listed below, but cheese, lettuce, and tomatoes are, in my opinion, essential.

Ingredients

Filling

2 tablespoons vegetable oil or corn oil
1 small onion, chopped small (about 2/3 cup)
3 medium cloves garlic , minced or pressed through garlic press (about 1 tablespoon)
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
table salt
2 15-oz cans black beans, drained and rinsed [I prefer Goya brand]
1 8-oz can plain tomato sauce
1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth (or veggie broth or water)
1 teaspoon brown sugar
2 teaspoons vinegar (preferably cider vinegar)
Ground black pepper
Hot cooked rice

Shells and Toppings

flour tortillas (or taco shells)
shredded cheddar cheese or Monterey Jack cheese
shredded iceberg
small tomatoes, chopped small
sour cream
avocado, diced medium
red onion, chopped small
minced fresh cilantro leaves
Salsa or hot pepper sauce, such as Tabasco



Instructions
1. Heat oil in medium skillet over medium heat until hot and shimmering but not smoking, about 2 minutes; add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 4 minutes. Add garlic, spices, and 1/2 teaspoon salt; cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add beans, tomato sauce, broth (or water), brown sugar, and vinegar; bring to simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, uncovered, stirring frequently until liquid has reduced and thickened (mixture should not be completely dry), about 10 minutes. Adjust seasonings with salt and pepper.

Add as much hot cooked rice as you want and stir into the bean mixture until well distributed throughout.


2. Spoon filling into warmed tortilla (or taco shell), add toppings, and enjoy!

Sushi Rice

Time: 30 to 40 minutes, plus at least 2 hours’ resting



1 cup rice vinegar

3/8 cup sugar

2 tablespoons salt, plus a pinch

1 piece konbu (kelp), about 3 or 4 inches square

2 cups short-grain white rice

1 teaspoon sake, optional.



1. Combine vinegar, sugar and 2 tablespoons salt in a container and shake or stir until dissolved. Add konbu and let sit about 30 minutes before removing konbu and covering container. Let sit for at least 2 hours and up to several days. (Room temperature is fine.)

2. Wash rice in several changes of water until water runs clear. Combine with sake, a pinch of salt, and 2 1/2 cups water (if you’re using a rice cooker) or 3 cups water (if you’re cooking it on stovetop). Cook until water is absorbed, 38 minutes in a rice cooker, about 25 minutes in a covered pot over medium-low heat.

3. Turn rice into a large bowl, preferably wooden, and let cool for 15 minutes.

4. Using a rubber spatula, a wooden paddle or spoon, gently fold sweetened vinegar into rice, a little at a time. You will probably need about 1/2 cup for this amount of rice, but a little bit less or more is fine. Rice should be glistening and moist but not wet, and sweet but not overly so. Use immediately with sushi toppings of your choice.

Yield: Enough rice for 4 generous or 6 small portions of sushi.

from Mark Bittman, NYT