Life At Big Sky Mountain

Arroz Rojo

arroz rojo

I love a good bowl of rice, and especially a mexican inspired spicy rice dish with cilantro mixed in. I fooled around with the ingredients and came up with a version we like, althou I rarely make the same dish exactly the same way each time.

But I must confess, I have a secret ingredient that I can not part with.

yum yum ro-tel

I first discovered Ro-Tel the first time I lived in New Mexico. And I remember when I moved to Florida I packed several cans to take there. In Chicago I had no problem finding it. And when we lived in New York, I’d never seen Ro-Tel and couldn’t find it the second time we moved to NY.

Ro-Tel is one of the few canned ingredients I keep stocked. I LOVE it. I think it is starting to gain popularity outside of the southwest, so you may be able to find a can here or there (Ro-Tel is out of Texas and has been around for a long time – I think the Homesick Texan Blog did a bit of history about Ro-Tel).

If you can not land your hands on a can of Ro-Tel, you can substitute with a good brand of diced tomato.

I also use chimayó chile (powdered) which gives this dish a down right kick, but you can omit chile powder – do not used the chili powder available in spice selection – it is not the same thing. If you can’t find Ro-Tel or New Mexican type chile powder, use a can of diced tomatoes and 1/2 to 1 jalapeño diced super fine.

arroz rojo

ARROZ ROJO (Red Rice)

3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 cup long grain rice
1 can Ro-Tel
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon red chile (powder)
1 ¼ cup chicken stock
Optional: cilantro leaves

1. Heat veggie oil over medium-high heat and sauté garlic for 1 minute (do not brown or burn). Then add all ingredients except cilantro. Bring to a boil, then cover, and reduce heat to simmer.

2. Cook for 15 to 20 minutes until rice is tender and most of the liquid is gone. Quickly stir, cover and let sit for 5 minutes with not heat.

3. Before serving, add cilantro the way you want it (chopped and stirred in, or sprinkled on top).

AND BECAUSE I AM KINDA CRAZY I ADD FRESH GREEN CHILE TO BOOT!

Yummy! Enjoy

arroz rojo

Yarnissima - Brainless - 1/15

mini mochi yarn by crystal palace

As I thought about New Year’s Resolutions, and commitments that I could actually follow thru on (laugh), I came up with the idea that it would be fun to pick one sock designer and knit all their patterns. A difficult decision lie ahead for I LOVE Cat Bhordi, but I continue to think about Yarnissima’s designs. Long ago, I tried a pair of her socks, and my gauge came out all wrong so I already knew what I needed to do to fix that.

brainless socks

I did decide to do Yarnissima’s patterns, and will reserve Cat Bhordi’s designs for 2011 (she has a lot more than just socks). Researching Yarnissima’s site, I narrowed down the patterns I wanted to do (one pattern was not available, one was a child sock, and one I did not like so I omitted them from the list). I also took in consideration that I knit a pair of socks for my mom each year, so I settled on 15 designs.

full view - blocked on sock blockers

Brainless – 1/15 – Pattern by Yarnissima
Yarn Used: Mini Mochi by Crystal Palace – 80% Merino Wool/20% Nylon – Machine Washable – 2 Skeins
Needles Used: 1 – 2.75mm – 24 inch Circular Needle, 2 – 2.75mm DPNs
Size: Large EUR 42-43
Special Techniques: Judy’s Magical Cast On for Toe Up Socks

close up of gusset

My notes: These socks are knit from the toe up. I worked 11 to 12 pattern repeats on the leg, and used a very stretchy cast off. I really had to pay attention that I was not absentmindedly tighten my gauge throughout the leg. I used a larger needle size than recommended because I tend to have a tighter gauge when knitting socks, and the sock was for a larger foot.

i love the funky rainbow colors!

I absolutely love the gusset. It provides a structure that prevents stretch at the top of the ankle where a lot of patterns get distorted. I did not have any problems with the pattern, but I did have to carefully read in order to understand the author’s lingo. I blocked these socks, and the pattern blooms once you put the sock on!

thank you honey for taking this picture(he does not like my camera!)

I feel like I am forgetting something, if I remember, I will add it later. Now off to post these at Ravelry.

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Arroz Rojo

Yarnissima - Brainless - 1/15

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