Spanish Rice

Rice, oh how we love rice around here!  I adore Spanish rice and can literally eat it by the bowlful without any other accompaniments.  Foodie Jr. loves his with beans.  I had been on the search for the perfect Spanish rice recipe for a long time and finally just decided to piece several ideas together until I came up with something that I like.  This works well for my family, even my onion boycotting husband.  An entire onion may seem like a lot while you are making it, but it cooks down and does provide a nice mild flavor, it is not overwhelming.  I like to serve this with some sort of steak, chicken or pork but I’m sure it would make a great side for enchiladas or fajitas and the like.  I generally do not like my Spanish rice overwhelmingly tomato-y or too spicy, I like a nice mild flavor and that is what this dish offers for me.  This recipe makes a lot since I like to have some leftovers to snack on.

SPANISH RICE

Ingredients:

2 Cups Medium Grain Rice

2-3 TBS Olive Oil

1 whole medium onion, minced fine (I have been known to grate it to get it past Mr. Foodie’s onion hating ways.)

2 Cloves Garlic, minced

4 Cups Water

Chicken Boullion (use enough to make 4 cups of liquid, depends on the brand and form you use – cubes, powder, paste, etc…)

1 Heaping Cup of fresh tomato, diced

1 Tsp Sea Salt

Dried Oregano to taste, I’d say a bigger than average pinch

Directions:

1.  In a large, deep skillet, brown rice in olive oil over medium heat.

2.  Add the aromatics – onion and garlic – and cook until onion is soft and tender, about 5 minutes.

3.  In a separate stock pot, bring 4 Cups of water to a boil and add boullion, making sure it is well-blended.

4.  Add the tomatoes to the stock.

5.  Stir rice mixture into the stock, adding salt and oregano and then bring to a boil.

6.  Once the mixture is boiling, lower the heat and cover.  I generally cook mine about 20 minutes or until the liquid is absorbed, but your cooking time may change depending on the package directions of the rice you use.

7.  Let the rice rest for a few minutes and the fluff with fork before serving.

My Boy’s Fried Rice – Pick a Meat, Any Meat!

My dad was retired for much of my younger years and thus, responsible for taking me to school and all that fun stuff.  He also used to make fried rice for breakfast.  His fried rice basically consisted of leftover rice, bacon and soy sauce, as best as I could tell.  Simple enough but I swear on all that is holy that this taste cannot be duplicated.  Even my sister agrees.  Knowing my dad, there probably was not a secret ingredient or anything but I have yet to figure out the secret to making it like he did.  It is still my most favorite comfort food and I’m rounding the corner to 40.

The apple does not fall far from the tree as my son could eat fried rice for every meal of every day.  You can ask him what he wants to eat at any time and the answer is generally always the same:  fried rice.  During those times when I notice he isn’t eating much, I can always count on him to scarf down bowls of fried rice.  Like any good island boy, he is a lover of SPAM.  I know SPAM is probably not the meat of choice for many Foodies, but for islanders, it is comfort food.  I grew up eating SPAM so it does not gross me out at all.  And apparently, it does not bother my son either because it is his favorite meat to put in fried rice.

When making this, I can do it blindfolded and backward so I cannot say that there is a ‘true’ recipe for it.  I truly believe it is food of love (at least at our house)  and most people who make fried rice regularly, have their own take on it.  Play with it, experiment, and make it to suit the tastes of your family or simply use up those leftovers!  This might not be the same fried rice I would serve to company, but it is our everyday, sit around the table as a family food.

FRIED RICE

Ingredients:

1 Cup of Steamed White Rice

Meat, cooked (I hate to be so general, but you really can use anything.  A can of spam, a Lb. of bacon that has been cooked and crumbled, leftover sausage, chicken, turkey, pork, beef, ham, etc…)

1-2 Cups of Frozen Veggies, thawed  (if this were up to my son, it would be strictly peas only, but I do sometimes use a pea/carrot mixture.)

Soy Sauce, to taste

Butter, to taste

4 Eggs

Black Pepper, to taste

Directions:

1.  In a non-stick skillet over medium heat, melt 2-3 TBS Butter.  Scramble the eggs and set aside.

2.  In the same skillet, add the leftover rice, butter (maybe 1/2 a stick or so) and enough soy sauce to achieve and even light brown color.  Keep tossing until all butter is melted and ingredients are evenly distributed.

3.  Add in scrambled eggs, cooked meat and veggies.  Stir and continue to heat through, an additional 3-5 minutes.

4.  Season with black pepper, about 1 TBS and serve immediately.