Recipe: Spanish Rice (Patreon)

(Or Mexican Rice if you like to call it that, I learned it as the kind of rice they made in Spanish-speaking countries.)

Ingredients:

-1.5 Cups/.43 liters of white rice + one ramekin full of extra rice for visual reference

-2.5 cups/.7 liters water

-1 cup/.28 liters plain marinara sauce (look it just works okay)

-1Tbsp/~17ml of each of the following: Paprika, Oregano, Cumin, Chili Powder

-1/3Tsp/~3ml salt

-various vegetables to your tastes: one small onion, peppers, a glove or two of pressed garlic, et cetera (I just use a small onion here)

-grapeseed oil

Tools Required:

-one large, high walled saucepan with matching lid, preferably a clear lid

-one wooden spoon for stirring

-kitchen knife

-cutting board

-measuring tools e.g. spoons

Prep:

-finely dice any vegetables that you desire to add into your rice. Set aside

-heat large saucepan on high and add oil. when oil is shimmering, add rice

-thoroughly stir the rice in pan until coated with oil. let brown and stir every minute or so to ensure that rice is evenly toasted. keep a ramekin or small bowl filled with unused rice nearby the saucepan as a point of reference for how toasted the rice it. This can take anywhere between 5 to 15 minutes depending on how toasted you'd like your rice

-add the vegetables you chopped earlier to saucepan and let them sweat for a bit, stirring frequently until slightly soft and translucent. then add water, salt, spices, and marinara sauce. Stir thoroughly until well mixed, cover, and reduce heat to low for 15-20 minutes

-Remove lid and stir rice again to break up any clumps that have formed and then re-cover the saucepan for another 1015 minutes (remember that since we have a lot of extra stuff in here that this rice takes longer to cook)

-remove lid again, fluff rice with spoon, and serve.