Mexican Style Rice

The trick to making good Mexican rice, is to let the rice soak in warm water to remove the starch. This will produce a rice that is not sticky and very flavorful.

INGREDIENTS:
1/2 cup oil
2 cups Rice
1/3 cup tomato, diced
1/4 cup onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tsp. caldo de tomate (tomato flavored bullion)
2 tsp. caldo de pollo (chicken flavored bullion)
1/2 tsp. salt
2 cups water, hot

DIRECTIONS:
Soak rice in warm water about 20-30 minutes, to remove starch, then drain.

Heat in a 10” sauté pan:
1/2 cup oil

When oil is hot, add:
2 cups rice
Brown until color of “sugar ants”

While rice is browning dice:
1/3 c. tomato
1/4 c. onion
2 garlic cloves

Place in a bowl with a small amount of water and add:
1 tsp. caldo de tomate
2 tsp. caldo de pollo
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup hot water

When rice is nicely browned (You may need to drain any extra oil from the browned rice) add veggies with their liquid to rice and cover immediately (it will boil aggressively.) When the rice has subsided, add about 1 cup of hot water and cover. Maintain medium to medium high heat and cook until rice is tender, about 10 minutes.

When rice is tender, remove from heat. If rice is not done, you may need to add more 1/2 cup hot water cook an additional 5 minutes. (This is usually necessary for mine!)

Serve warm.

Makes about 4 cups

Frijoles al la Charra

INGREDIENTS
2 bacon strips, diced
1/2 onion, diced
1 seranno pepper (to taste or 1/4 cup green bell pepper)
1/2 tomato, diced
1 tsp. garlic powder
2 tsp. Caldo de Pollo (chicken bullion)
1 can pinto beans, unseasoned
1/2 can (bean can) of water
1 hand fresh cilantro (to taste)

DIRECTIONS:
In a sauce pan saute
2 strips of diced bacon until fat is rendered and crisp (bacon will soften when liquid is added later)

Add and saute until clear:
1/2 onion, diced
1 serrano pepper, cut up (or 1/4 cup green bell pepper)

Add and cook briefly:
1/2 tomato, diced
1 tsp. garlic powder
2 tsp. caldo de pollo

Add and bring to a boil:
1 can of pinto beans, unseasoned
1/2 bean can of water
While boiling beans, smash a few beans against the side of the pan to thicken the bean liquid. Boil the beans strong for a few minutes and taste for seasoning.

Turn off beans and remove from heat.

Add:
1 hand of cilantro, chopped.

Cover and let rest until cilantro has wilted.

Serve warm.