As part of my Mexican Fiesta birthday dinner party, I made this seasoned rice dish to accompany the taco bar and Mexican salad. I made the rice the night before and kept it refrigerated until reheating it about 20 minutes before dinner on the stovetop. You could also microwave it in a large bowl and stir every 30 seconds to ensure all the rice warms up.

I loved all the color in the rice from the green jalapenos to the red tomato sauce. It tasted perfectly seasoned and was a nice accompaniment to the tacos. Also, I saw some guests add guacamole or sour cream atop their rice to add even more flavor and fun.

Mexican Rice

Recipe By: Eat.Drink.Love

Serves: 6-8 servings

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes
• 1/2 medium white onion
• 2 cups long grain rice
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1 jalapeño pepper, seeds removed and minced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 1/2 tsp. salt, plus more to taste if needed
• 1 1/2 Tbsp. tomato paste
• 2 cups chicken broth (can also use vegetarian broth)
• Cilantro

Directions:

1. In a blender or food processor, puree the diced tomatoes and the onion until smooth.

2. Pour the rice into a strainer and rinse thoroughly with water for about 1 minute. This step removes the starch and will prevent your rice from sticking together.

3. In a large saucepan, heat the oil over medium high heat. Add in the rice and cook for about 3 minutes until the rice is lightly toasted.

4. Pour in the pureed tomatoes and onion, garlic, broth, minced jalapeno pepper, and the tomato paste. Stir together. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium. Cover and let the rice simmer until it is tender, about 25 minutes. If the rice is not cooked and the liquid has absorbed, you can add in more broth and continue cooking until the rice is done. Fluff with a fork and add additional salt if needed. Garnish with cilantro as desired.