Mexican Rice

(This also goes with the post below, which is the chicken recipe) In the plate above is this Mexican rice. It is fantastic!! I've never found a great Mexican rice recipe, until the other day when I was searching online. I made this last night for the first time, and we loved it!! I will make it again for sure.

Mexican Rice

1- 15 oz. can diced tomatoes (or 12 ounces fresh tomatoes, very ripe & cored, if desired)
1 medium white onion
3 medium jalapenos, fresh or canned (or more, depending on your tastes)
2 cups long grain white rice
1/3 cup canola oil
4 minced garlic cloves
2 cups chicken broth
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, minced
1 lime

1. Preheat oven to 350º.

2. Drain diced tomatoes, reserving liquid. Process tomatoes, onion, and jalapeno in food processor or blender until pureed and thoroughly smooth. (Remove seeds from jalapenos first; wearing gloves if possible) Transfer mixture to measuring cup and reserve exactly 2 cups. (Add some of the reserved tomato liquid if you don't have 2 cups.)

3. Place rice in a fine mesh strainer and rinse under cold running water for 1 1/2 minutes, or until water runs clear. Shake rice vigorously to remove excess water.

4. Heat oil in a large oven-safe pan or skillet over medium-high heat for about 2 minutes. Drop a few rice grains in and if they sizzle, it is ready. Add rice and cook, stirring often, for 6-8 minutes or until rice is light golden brown and translucent.

5. Reduce heat to medium, add garlic and cook, stirring constantly until fragrant, about 1 1/2 minutes.

6. Stir in broth, tomato mixture, and salt. Increase heat to medium high, and bring to a boil.

7. 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 of cooking. (If you don't have an oven-safe skillet, you can ladle the boiling mixture into a different baking pan, then cover it with a lid or with foil.)

8. Stir in cilantro, extra minced jalapeno if desired, and serve with lime wedges.

Why I love it? It tastes fantastic! It's such a yummy side dish for any Mexican meal. It tastes really authentic (much more than, say, a Rice-a-Roni dish). It also is a good recipe, in that it turned out perfectly the first time I made it. Enjoy!