Spanish Rice

One of the most difficult parts of cutting dairy out of my diet is that most side dishes I like include cheese or milk. (Which means I can't eat them anymore.) I'm finding new foods to replace these, but it's a slow process. This rice is something I combined together after doing some internet searching and it goes very well with chicken.

The amounts listed below should work fine. The only things I don't measure are the peppers, onion, or taco seasoning. The amounts you use will depend on how much you like those flavors. I forgot to add the garlic while making the rice this last time. It is much better with the garlic, so don't forget the garlic. This recipe is also for one serving, which means you may need to adjust it accordingly. And finally, you can use white rice, but it's the same thing as brown rice, just naked.

Spanish Rice
1/4 C brown rice
3/4 C water (or go with what the bag of rice says)
2 T bell pepper, chopped
2 T onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
2 T salsa
1/4 t taco seasoning
1/2 T canola oil

Chop up the peppers, onion, and garlic.

(garlic not pictured due to forgetfulness. peppers icy looking due to being frozen.)

Measure out rice, salsa, and water. Set aside.

(thought you might like to see some salsa)

Saute the peppers, onion, and garlic in the oil over medium low heat until the onion starts to turn translucent. (not pictured because my phone decided to restart at this point.)

Add the rice and saute until browned.

Pour in the water and salsa along with the desired amount of taco seasoning. Stir it all together and then bring it to a boil.

Cover, reduce heat, and simmer according to directions on the rice bag. Rice should be cooked properly.

Caution, the rice will be very hot. I have not learned this yet and I keep burning my mouth.

Enjoy!

Taco seasoning

While I haven't used this for tacos, it is a version of what recipes call for when they list "taco seasoning" as an ingredient. I suppose this could more realistically be called "Mexican seasoning" since it goes into a variety of Mexican style foods. I realized it was silly to pay around $1 for a packet of mixed spices when I had all of the spices in my kitchen, so I searched for recipes and created this based on my findings.

This is super easy to make and will most likely save you money over time. I tend to double the recipe whenever I need to mix more. Just be sure to keep the mixed spices in container with lid that seals. This recipe produces a rather mild seasoning. If you want it to be spicier, increase the amount of cayenne pepper.

Taco (Mexican) seasoning

1 T chili powder
1/4 t garlic powder
1/4 t onion powder
1/4 t ground red (cayenne) pepper
1/4 t oregano
1/2 t paprika
1 1/2 t cumin
1 t salt
1 t pepper

Measure out all of the ingredients in a container that has a lid the seals.

Put the lid on the container and shake up the ingredients.

Now you have 2 2/3 Tablespoons, or 8 teaspoons of seasonings, taco seasoning!