Spanish Rice

My mom has been making this rice for years and I love it so much that I've been known to eat it as a meal in and of itself. Actually, I eat most of it straight from the pot when I think nobody is looking. I'm sneaky like that.

Making this is simple, and I'd be willing to bet that you have everything on hand to make it at the drop of a hat. My mom and I love the onions, but if you're not a fan, leave them out. Same goes for the heat—we clearly like things spicy in our house, so we add a lot more salsa than the average person. If you want things a bit more mild, start with less and add more later.

This is definitely more of a tomatoey rice, but it's what we like and what I grew up eating. The flavors from the salsa really enhance the entire dish, so pick out a good salsa. Serve this with as a side dish to tacos, tostadas, or enchiladas, or incorporate it into a meal of its own by combining some ground beef and stuffing it into a bell pepper!

Spanish Rice

by The Tale of Two Kitchens

Ingredients:
splash of oil
1/2 small onion, diced
1 8oz tomato sauce
8 oz instant brown or white rice (use the tomato sauce can to measure)
1/2 cup salsa
salt, pepper, garlic powder, and red pepper flakes to taste

Directions:
Heat oil in a small pot. Once hot, saute onions until soft and fragrant. Set onions aside in serving bowl.

Add tomato sauce to pot and rinse can out with about half a can's worth of water; add water to pot. Boil sauce; keep an eye on it, because it won't boil like water.

Once sauce boils, add one can of rice, onions, and salsa (you can add more salsa later if you're afraid of adding too much). Cover and simmer for five minutes.

After five minutes, turn off heat, stir, and recover for an additional five minutes. Recheck rice and add additional seasonings (if needed) and continue to leave covered until rice is fully cooked, at a consistency you like, or ready to serve.

(Optional: sprinkle in some shredded cheese after cooking.)

Come join the fun at the My Baking Addiction and GoodLife Eats Holiday Recipe Swap sponsored by Le Creuset.

Easy Fried Rice

There's just something about fried rice that I absolutely love. What I don't love is how absolutely horrible it is for you. Sure, there are veggies in there, but sometimes they're so tiny that you can hardly call it a serving of vegetables. Not to mention, it's typically fried in a lot of oil and then saturated with tons of soy sauce. Hello, MSG! But I love fried rice and continue to eat it all the time—in fact, I've had it four times this week!

Since I'm trying extremely hard to be healthy, I took matters into my own hands and tried making my own fried rice. It can't be that hard, right? But after three tries, I gave up. My attempts never tasted like the real deal. I chalked fried rice up as something I'll leave to the pros, and went on my way.

Then I found this recipe on Weight Watchers' website and decided to give it a shot since it had the word "easy" in the title. It turns out that not only was it ridiculously easy (seriously, how was I messing this up before?), but it actually tasted great, and it's only 3 points+ per serving! The trick, I think, is using older rice—if it's too fresh it just makes it mushy, so I made the rice in the morning and used it at night. I plan on bulking it up with even more veggies (bean sprouts, snap peas, more onions, etc.), trying it with brown rice, and adding some protein the next time I make it. In the mean time, this is a perfect, basic recipe for fried rice. Enjoy! 

Easy Fried Rice

adapted from Weight Watchers 

Ingredients:
2 spray(s) cooking spray   
2 large egg(s), lightly beaten (or 1/2 cup egg beaters)   
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup mushrooms, chopped    
1 cup scallions, sliced, divided  
3 cups cooked white rice   
1–2 cups frozen green peas and carrots (or mixed veggies), thawed  
1/4 cup(s) low-sodium soy sauce, or to taste   

Directions: 
Coat a large nonstick skillet with cooking spray; warm pan over medium-high heat. Add eggs; tilt pan so that eggs cover bottom. When eggs start to set, break them up into pieces with a heat-proof spatula or wooden spoon. Cook until eggs are cooked through, about 1 minute more; remove eggs from skillet and set aside.

Off heat, recoat same skillet with cooking spray; set over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms, garlic, and all but 2 tablespoons scallions; sauté about 2 to 3 minutes.

Stir in cooked rice, veggies, and soy sauce; cook until heated through, stirring once or twice, about 1 minute. Gently stir in cooked egg and remaining scallions; heat through. Yields about 3/4 cups per serving.