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