Saturday, August 17, 2013

Spanish (Inspired) Rice

My Abuela was born in Mexico to Italian immigrants so her food always had that Mediterranean touch of almonds, olives, capers and dried fruits.  This dish does not come from her, but her influence, and in no way is it a recipe I've ever seen before, I just like the flavors in the rice and enjoy being able to make something tasty from pantry ingredients when the refrigerator is feeling lonely.

Long Grain Rice--1 Cup
Lightlife Smart Ground Original--1 pouch
Almond slivers or slices--about a palmful
Sun-dried tomatoes--1/4 Cup
Sliced black olives--1 small can
Vegetarian bouillon cubes, or broth to make 3 cups
Salt and pepper to taste
Olive oil--2 Tablespoons

Toast the rice in olive oil until golden brown.  Add the other ingredients and stir to warm  Add 2 cups water and bouillon or broth and bring to a boil.  Cover and reduce to a slow simmer, let cook for about half an hour.  Check the rice by tilting the pot to see if there is still water at the bottom.  If the rice at the top hasn't broken, add more broth or water and let simmer, checking every few minutes.  if the rice  has broken but you still have water in the pot, uncover and raise the flame to cook it off without stirring.  When you turn off the flame, let the rice sit covered for about 5 minutes to rest.  Rice can be tricky so use your own method if it works for you.




More ingredients you could add:

Sliced green olives
Capers
Paprika
Saffron
Cubed chicken style gluten
Diced dried apricot
Wine, red or white
Peppers
Parsley
Garlic


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