Growing up, Spanish Rice was a dish I’ve best described as Unstuffed Peppers. Since I could never stuff peppers and actually get the rice to cook, Unstuffed Peppers (Spanish Rice) matched the flavors without all the fuss. I like it best piled up high on a slice of fresh (baked the same day) buttered bread. Is that a mannerly serving suggestion? Nope. But we’re good friends, so you’ll let it slide, won’t you? At any rate, whatever I want to call it, it’s Bill’s second favorite dinner. The first being my mama’s lasagna.

This is not that Spanish Rice. And I’ve yet to ask Bill if it has supplanted it’s predecessor as Second Favorite Dinner, but it has been declared to be just as good as a Chipotle Burrito (even without the shredded pork) and so I’m pretty darned stoked about that! (Big Family + Chipotle (even with splitting)=$$$)

But I’ll tell you what I love about this dish besides being Yes, it’s THAT Good, it’s a straightforward, pretty quick way to dump a load of garden fresh veggies on the dinner table. These are the meals a homesteader’s wife lives for during the busy September food preservation season. Funny too much time is spent saving the food to actually cook much of it. I spend most days just thanking the dear Lord that I’ve not gone and burdened myself by keeping with the typical school schedule and that there aren’t any lessons to pile up on top of the workload.

Summer Fresh Spanish Rice

Fresh Spanish Rice

Author Reformation Acres

A flavorful Spanish Rice using fresh vegetables from the garden or farmers' market. Enjoy it as a side or wrapped in a burrito for your main dish.

Ingredients

1½ cups uncooked brown rice
1½ cups water
1½ cups chicken stock
1½ teaspoons salt
Add-Ins:
1 large heirloom tomatoes, diced
1 large green pepper, diced
1 jalepeno, diced
1 small onion, diced
3 Tablespoon olive oil
½ teaspoon cumin
½ teaspoon paprika
Optional:
½ lb. cooked shredded pork or chicken
½ can of black beans, rinsed
cilantro to taste
sour cream to taste
soft shell tortillas (My homemade recipe is HERE.)

Instructions

Begin by adding the ingredients for the rice into a medium sized saucepan and turn your burner onto medium heat. Once it begins to boil, reduce the all the way down to low and let it cook for about 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, work on dicing all of the vegetables.
In a skillet (I use my cast iron. It’s my fave.), add a few tablespoons of olive oil.
Toss the peppers and onions into the skillet and sauté over medium high heat, stirring often, until they are caramelized and fragrant.
Add the peppers & onions, along with the tomatoes and spices to the rice after the 30 minutes is up. (If you’re using bean or shredded meat, add them now.)
Cook for another 10-15 minutes to allow the flavors to blend and the rest of the liquid to be absorbed by the rice.
Garnish with sour cream and cilantro and, if you’re using them, serve in a soft tortilla.