Awesome Mexican Rice

This is one of the best recipes I’ve found for Mexican rice.

INGREDIENTS
1 cup of uncooked rice
2 cups water
4 cloves garlic, minced or crushed
1-2 Tbsp. olive oil
½ sweet yellow onion
Coarsely chopped small roma tomato, chopped into 4 pieces
Hot pepper of your choice, sliced lengthwise
¼ cup tomato sauce
1 teaspoon cumin
2 Tbsp. chicken bouillon

DIRECTIONS
Heat olive oil in medium sized pot over medium heat. Add uncooked rice to the pot and make sure all of the rice is lightly coated with the oil. Sauté the rice in the oil and as it gets browner, stir the rice more frequently so that it does not turn black. Toward the end of the browning, add garlic and sauté for about 30 seconds.

Next, carefully add the water to the pot (be mindful that it will steam up). Add all remaining ingredients to the pot; stir and cover. Reduce heat to medium-low to medium and let the rice cook for 20-25 minutes.

Cheesy Green Chile Tailgate Rice

INGREDIENTS
1 large sweet yellow onion, chopped
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
4 cups hot cooked long-grain rice
2 cups sour cream
1 cup small curd cottage cheese
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon garlic powder
Cajun seasoning to taste
2 -3 (4 ounce) cans chopped green or hatch chilies, drained
2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese

DIRECTIONS
In a large skillet, cook onion in butter until tender. Remove from the heat. Stir in rice, sour cream, cottage cheese, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and Cajun seasoning. Spoon half of the mixture into a greased 11-in. x 7-in. x 2-in. baking dish. Top with half of the chilies and cheese. Repeat layers. Bake, covered, at 375 degrees F for 20 minutes. Remove cover and bake 10 additional minutes, or until heated through and bubbly on top.

Recipe adapted from http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Cheesy-Green-Chili-Rice/Detail.aspx

4th Annual Crawfish Boil Jambalaya

The Grier tends to overextend himself when it comes to the annual Crawfish Boil, and the Cajun gastronomy of it all. This recipe came about as a result of a “Cajun Challenge,” to create a pot of jambalaya that was fit for a crowd and would meet the standards of a discerning Cajun. Here is the result, Enjoy!

Ingredients:

¼ cup + 2 tablespoons unsalted butter

¼ cup + 2 tablespoons olive oil

2-3 Texas 1015 onions, diced

3 poblanos, diced

2 green bell peppers, diced

2 red bell peppers, diced

1 bunch of celery, diced

12 cloves of garlic, minced

32 oz andouille sausage, sliced (remove the casing if it is thick. I used Cajun Hollar brand)

1.5 lb chicken thighs

3 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts

4 Tablespoons of tomato paste (not condensed)

28 oz diced tomatoes, with juices

10 cups of or chicken or turkey stock (I used “Better than Bouillon” Organic Roasted Chicken product to make stock)

2lb box of Uncle Ben’s Converted White Rice

3-4 Tablespoons of Cajun seasoning (I used Emeril’s Bayou Blast recipe)

Flour

Salt, Pepper, & Cayenne (to taste)

File powder (optional)

Directions:

Heat ¼ cup of olive oil, ¼ cup of butter over medium-high heat and melt butter. Sprinkle chicken with some of the seasoning and add to the pot, browning in batches until cooked through. Remove from pot and tear apart into bite-size pieces – set aside. Add sausage to pot. Brown and remove, set aside. Add remaining butter and oil to pot and melt. Dust flour over the oil, reduce heat and stir slowly to make a light roux. Add paste and whisk to combine. Add garlic, onion, peppers, and celery to roux mixture and sauté until soft. Add about 2 cups of stock and deglaze pan, stirring to combine. Add remaining seasoning, tomatoes, and sprinkle with file, and simmer for 10 minutes. Add cooked sausage, chicken, and remaining stock the pot. Sprinkle with cayenne, salt & pepper (to taste). Add the entire box of rice. Allow for low simmer covered for 25 minutes stirring occasionally until rice is cooked and liquid is absorbed.

Yield: A big ass pot of food.