This rice tastes exactly like the rice I rolled up in buttered corn tortillas on Olvera Street, when I was a child. It’s a fairly starchy, moist rice.

I used extra long grain enriched rice which is readily available at supermarkets. In other rice recipes, I use basmati or arborio rice but not here.

This recipe uses a combination of stock (vegetable or chicken) and canned enchilada sauce as the cooking liquid. It’s baked in the oven so you don’t have to worry about burned rice on the stove. I know this has happened to me and maybe to you. If you have a recipe or method of cooking rice you love, you can definitely use it and incorporate the seasonings and substitute the stock and enchilada sauce as the cooking liquid.

 

 

MEXICAN BAKED RICE

EVENT: Mexican Fiesta

SERVES: 10 – 12 people

Ingredients

3 cups extra long grain white rice

4 cups chicken or vegetable stock

1 can 19 oz size enchilada sauce, mild *

2/3 cup chopped onions

1-2 tablespoons grape seed or canola oil

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon salt

 

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. In a saute pan, saute onions, cumin and salt in oil until onions are soft and translucent.

3. Combine stock and enchilada sauce and pour into 9 X 13 inch baking dish. (Pan must be at least 2-3 inches deep.) Add rice and cooked onions. Stir to mix all ingredients. Cover tightly with foil.

4. Place carefully in the middle rack of the oven and bake 1 hour.

5. Remove from oven. Carefully remove foil, fluff gently with fork. Don’t worry if rice looks very wet. Put it back in the oven for 10 minutes before serving.

* A NOTE: This comes in mild or medium. The medium is actually fairly hot so I use the mild. If you want a more spicy rice, try the medium.

 

 

BLACK BEANS

If you’ve never made black beans, you need to try this recipe.

Some people might be upset that I don’t suggest buying dried beans, soaking them and then cooking for hours. That’s a lot more work and I haven’t found the result to taste any better. Why do extra work? I don’t, neither should you.

I make these frequently, sometimes doubling the recipe so I am guaranteed leftovers. I take any leftovers and vegetable or chicken stock and puree in a food processor or a blender. Voila, black bean soup.  I freeze it in small containers. It’s wonderful to have homemade soup in the freezer. Serve it garnished with sour cream, scallions or chopped tomatoes.

BLACK BEANS

EVENT: Mexican Fiesta

SERVES: 10 – 12 people

 

Ingredients

4 15 oz cans black beans, drained

1 small onion, chopped

2 tablespoons ground cumin

3 dried chile de arbol

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup vegetable or chicken stock, or water

1 cup Cotija cheese (optional) *

1 cup green scallions, chopped (optional)

Directions

1. While draining the beans, saute the onions and shallots in olive oil. Add the cumin. Let the onions get soft.

2. Add 3 dried chiles de arbol. When the chiles are soft, remove them from the pot.

3. Seed and chop the chiles. Add back to the pot. Add the black beans.

4. Add 1 cup of vegetable or chicken stock, or water. Simmer for about 20 minutes.

5. To serve, top with crumbled Cotija cheese and scallions (optional).

* A NOTE:  Available at Smart & Final, Latin markets. Can substitute any mild crumbled white