– A Spanish rice recipe you can serve with almost anything. –
Had a bad day? Dig out your favorite Spanish rice recipe and you’ll feel better. (My easy brown rice chicken enchilada casserole does a pretty good job also.) Come on, you know how this goes: It’s been a long one, and you somehow got stuck in that time warp where it seems to take 12 hours to get from noon to 5 pm. You’ve been eyeballing the clock every fifteen minutes for most of the afternoon, and even though you’re super busy – or rather, stressed to the max – the day is dragging like an ’85 VW Jetta with two flat tires. (Because you had one of those, too? Right?)
By the time you get home, you feel like you’ve aged ten years when it’s barely been ten hours. You walk in the door, wander into the bathroom, look in the mirror and think, oh god… this day sucked.
The last thing you want to do is cook, right? I don’t blame you. I sure as hell wouldn’t want to either after a day like you’ve had.
The thing is, I know I always feel better when I’ve eaten something that’s both healthy and delicious, and I’ll bet the same goes for you also. Now where’s that damn personal chef?
Since it looks like you’ll need to fend for yourself tonight, I’ve got something for you. It’s a dinner recipe that will not only feed you well, but will leave you feeling a lot better after even the crappiest of days. I’ve made countless variations on the classic Spanish rice recipe, but this is by far my favorite because it’s easy, healthy, and – fancy that! – crazy delicious.
Enter: A Spanish rice dish that’s simple and healthy.
This Spanish rice is both simple and versatile. It can be served with tacos, in burritos, alongside fajitas, stuffed into peppers, or eaten on its own in a big bowl. When I know I’m going to have a crazy week, I make double the amount of this recipe and eat it for dinner until it runs out. Then every night I sit on the couch with a bowl and a fork, and eat until I forget what caused me to want to crawl under the bed with a blankie and a bottle of Scotch.
You can use white or brown rice in this recipe, though you’ll have to adjust the rice’s cooking time (here are some tips for cooking and storing brown rice and other grains, which can save you serious time). For an even heartier meal, try tossing in a chopped avocado and sprinkle with shredded cheese right before you dive in. Without the added avocado or cheese, this recipe freezes well or keeps in the refrigerator up to five days, so feel free to make enough to feed an army.
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 cups uncooked white rice
- 3 cups hot water
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef
- 2 cups tomato sauce
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon chili powder, (more to taste)
- Add olive oil to a pot over medium flame and heat until it shimmers. Add rice and fry for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add hot water and salt, stirring well. Cook rice according to the timing on the package, roughly 20 minutes, checking occasionally to make sure it does not burn. Remove from heat, cover, and let sit until ready to use.
- While the rice is cooking, fry the ground beef in a large frying pan, cooking until well browned. Drain off and discard most of the fat, leaving just a little in the bottom of the pan for flavor.
- Add tomato sauce, tomato paste, chili powder, and cooked rice to the pan. Set over medium-low flame and cook for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally but making sure to not smash the rice. Taste and add more chili powder, salt, and freshly-ground black pepper to taste. Serve immediately.
You can use white or brown rice in this recipe, though you will have to adjust the rice cooking time for brown rice. If cooking with short-grain brown rice, add 25% more rice.
Swap out the beef for ground turkey, or whatever you prefer.
For an even heartier meal, toss with chopped avocados and sprinkle with shredded cheese. YES!! It also goes very well with black beans for a salad or taco night.
This recipe freezes well, or keeps in the refrigerator up to four days.
This content was originally posted on FearlessFresh.com.
