#2,780: Easy Restaurant Style Mexican Rice

I was looking for a super easy, Mexican side dish and this Restaurant Style Mexican rice was not only easy, but I really enjoyed it as well.  Personally, I thought this was great with some fajita veggies and sauteed chicken on top and eaten more like a "bowl."  My kids weren't big fans because they could SEE the cilantro in it.  That's fine...I didn't have to share as much then. 😉 I made this on the stove top, buy you could easily make this in the instant pot too.  I love making rice in my instant pot, however the last time I tried to make Mexican rice in the instant pot I kept getting the burn notice, so I figured I'd go the stove top route this time.   It turned out perfectly too.  

3 Tbsp. vegetable oil

1 cup long grain rice, uncooked

1 tsp. minced garlic

1/2 tsp. kosher salt

1/2 tsp. cumin

1/2 cup tomato sauce

14 oz chicken broth

3 Tbsp. fresh cilantro, finely chopped

Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat.

Add the rice and gently stir until rice begins to lightly brown.

Add the garlic, salt, and cumin and stir the rice til it looks golden.

Add the tomato sauce and chicken broth and turn the heat up to medium high.

Bring the mix to a boil then turn the heat to low and cover the pan with a lid.

Simmer for 20 to 25 minutes.

Remove from heat and fluff with a fork, then stir in chopped cilantro.

#2,639: Instant Pot Mexican Rice

I really struggled with this recipe!  If you've ever gotten a burn notice on your instant pot, you know how frustrating it is to know that you are too late in preventing your food from sticking to the bottom.  When I make instant pot rice with just rice and water (plus a little olive oil and salt), I have never gotten a burn notice.  But the second I add in a thicker liquid like tomato sauce, I get one every-time.  I got the burn notice on this recipe THREE times.  Thankfully, as long as I didn't scrape the bottom, I was able to salvage this rice and still able to serve it.  This recipe though needs a bit more seasoning...and liquid. 


Each time I got the burn notice (after freaking out a bit), I would release the pressure and take the top off and add about 1/2 cup (or more!) of water to this recipe.  After the 3rd time, I just gave up and let it sit with the top on in hopes that the rice would finish cooking.  The rice had a tiny bit of a crunch to it, but I was personally ok with that.  And it was good added into my tacos.  But on it's own, it needed a lot more chili powder, some garlic and/or onion powder, and personally, some petite diced tomatoes and jalapeno would have been good too.  This recipe is a good starting to point for Mexican Rice, but needs some tweaking for sure.  I'll probably try it again with some changes, but it was a good place to start.  

2 cups long grain brown rice, washed and drained

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/4 cup onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic clove, minced

1/2 teaspoon cumin powder

1/2 cup tomato sauce

2 cups vegetable broth

1/2 teaspoon salt

Plug Instant Pot in power and press Saute to heat. Add oil, once it is heated, add onion, garlic, cumin and cook for 2 minutes stirring. Stir in the rice and saute for about 4 minutes.

Add tomato sauce and stir to coat. Add vegetable broth and salt switch Instant Pot to the Keep Warm/Cancel button. Cover Instant Pot with the lid, make sure knob is set on the Sealing position. Now press the Manual button and the display will now say ON. Click the + plus button until it is 22 minutes on High Pressure. (That is a LONG time.  I set my instant pot for FOUR mintues, then let it do a natural release for 18 minutes....well that was my plan if it would have stopped getting the burn notice!) 

At the end of the 22 minutes let the Instant Pot Natural Release pressure for 5 minutes. Then you will turn the knob to Vent and allow it to Quick Release the remaining pressure. I usually put a damp dishcloth over the vent carefully as the final steam releases.

Once the steam releases you can now open the Instant Pot and flurry your rice.

#2,697: Baked Spanish Rice Balls

I had a little more than 1 cup of the leftover Instant Pot Spanish Rice we had for dinner a few nights ago and I wasn't sure what to do with it.  It wasn't enough to serve my family again for dinner, but too much for one person to eat for lunch.  So I decided to see what would happen if I tried to make a baked rice ball out of it.  I'm obsessed with peas lately so I figured I'd just throw some of those in there too.  :)

Personally I loved these.  It probably could have used a little more seasoning (chili powder, garlic salt, and black pepper maybe??), but otherwise it was so good.  No one else in my family will even try these...their loss!  

1 cup leftover Instant Pot Spanish Rice
1/3 c shredded cheddar cheese
2 eggs
¼ c thawed peas
½ cup plain breadcrumbs

Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees.

Place breadcrumbs in a small bowl, set aside.  In a second bowl, beat one egg, and set aside. 

In a separate bowl combine the leftover rice, cheddar cheese, 1 egg (lightly beaten), and peas. 

Form the rice mixture into golf ball sized balls.  Dip each rice ball in egg mixture and then coat in breadcrumbs. 

Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake for 15 minutes. Rotate the rice balls and continue baking for an additional 10 - 15 minutes or until they are golden brown. Serve hot with or without a dipping sauce.

#2,694: Instant Pot Mexican Rice

I needed something quick and easy to go with the Taco Beef Bake with Cheddar Biscuit Topping I was making for my family for dinner.  It should be no surprise that I wanted to make something in my Instant Pot, so when I found this recipe (and that I had everything on hand to make it), I knew it was going to be exactly the thing that I wanted to try!  I was able to throw the Taco Beef Bake into the oven, then start to make the rice, and both were done at the same time!  (Score!)  

Those of us who love rice, really enjoyed this dish.  The other two, were more content to eat the main dish.  However, this rice was perfectly cooked and seriously so good!  I will definitely be making this again in the future!  

2 tbsp avocado oil (I used olive oil)

1/2 onion, chopped

1 tsp minced garlic

3/4 cup tomato sauce

2 cups long grain white rice

2 1/2 cups chicken stock

2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp cumin

dash cayenne pepper

Set the Instant Pot on saute and add your oil and onions. Leave the lid off and stir frequently.  Saute the onions for about 4 minutes and then add in the rice and garlic.  Saute the onions and rice for about 2 minutes, until they begin to turn a golden color.

Add in the tomato sauce, chicken stock, salt, cumin, and cayenne pepper and stir. Scrape the bottom so the rice doesn’t burn.  Close and lock the lid. Turn the Instant Pot to Manual HIGH for 8 minutes.

When 8 minutes is up and Instant Pot beeps, do a quick release of the pressure.  

#2,689: Instant Pot Fried Rice

I had total mixed reviews on this recipe.  First of all, I liked it...but it was NOTHING like fried rice, and I even added in some coconut aminos and sesame oil to amp up the flavor.  Would I make this particular recipe again, probably not only because it didn't taste like fried rice.  But would I make rice in the Instant Pot again?  For sure!  I'm still on the lookout for a more authentic fried rice recipe, but for a veggie rice, this was good. 

2 cups Long Grain Rice

2½ cups Vegetable Broth

2 Carrots

3 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil

½ cup Frozen Peas

2 Medium Eggs (I omitted only because I ran out of eggs!)

Salt and Pepper to taste

Add rice and vegetable stock in your instant pot. Mix so the rice is spread around evenly. Throw in diced carrots and close the lid.

Instant Pot Settings: turn the vent to “SEALING” position, press “MANUAL” and adjust the time to 3 minutes.  When the instant pot finished cooking, press “CANCEL” button. After 10 minutes, release the pressure manually.

Now mix the rice, it will be quite sticky but it should change its texture and lose quite a lot of its stickiness. Move the rice to a side and press the “SAUTE” function. Add oil and frozen peas and saute for about a minute before mixing everything together.

Make a well in the middle of the rice and add beaten eggs. Stir the egg into rice and fry everything together for a further 1-2 minutes before turning off Instant Pot completely. Taste it and if needed, season with salt and pepper.

#2,674: Instant Pot Chicken and Rice Burrito Bowls

Ok...here's the first real recipe I decided to try using my new Instant Pot!  Eeek!  I had super low expectations for this recipe mainly because I have no idea what I'm doing!  As I've mentioned the last several months, I'm trying to use different cuts of meat besides boneless skinless chicken breasts, and ground beef/turkey.  So when I found this recipe which used chicken thighs, I knew I needed to give it a try, rather than sub in some ground beef instead (as I normally would do).

I also knew that serving my family burrito bowls would not go over very well, so although I ate mine this way, I gave the rest of them a tortilla and they filled it with some of the chicken, rice, and cheese.  

This was really good!  There was a little too much rice, but personally I liked it that way.  I added some chopped cilantro and avocado to mine, and topped it with a little sour cream.  I also scooped some of it up with mini tortilla chips.  Yum!  Yes, I would definitely make this again! 

1 1/2 tablespoons canola or vegetable oil

1 medium onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tablespoon chili powder

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 cup low-sodium chicken broth, divided

1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch pieces

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1 (15-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed (I omitted from the Instant Pot and added it in at the end)

1 cup frozen corn kernels (I omitted from the Instant Pot and added in canned corn at the end)

1 (16-ounce) jar salsa (I used mild picante sauce)

1 cup long-grain white rice

1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese

1/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro

Add the oil to the Instant Pot, turn on sauté setting, and heat until the oil is shimmering. Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 4 minutes. Stir in the chili powder and cumin. Cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add 1/4 cup of the chicken broth and cook, gently scraping the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon to loosen any stuck-on bits, and simmer for 1 minute.

Season the chicken all over with salt and pepper. Add the chicken, beans, corn, salsa, and stir to combine. Sprinkle the rice on top of the chicken and beans mixture and pour the remaining 3/4 cup broth on top of the rice, but do not stir. Using the pressure cooker's manual setting, set the pressure to HIGH for 10 minutes. Close and lock the lid. It should take the pressure cooker about 10 to 12 minutes to come to pressure and begin the 10 minute countdown. When cooking time is complete, do a quick release of the pressure.

Gently stir everything together. Divide between bowls and top with the cheese and cilantro.

#2,671: Coconut Rice and Peas

Ok, I'll admit, this recipe is just a tiny bit weird.  I was definitely intrigued by it when I came across it in a recent issue of Food Network Magazine.  It combines 3 of my favorite things, coconuts, peas, and rice.  So I couldn't help but give it a try.

Although it IS a slightly bit weird, I actually really enjoyed it.  I felt like it needed something, more so I added in some sliced green onions.  I also wanted to make this more of a meal, so I added some chopped up cooked chicken sausage as well.  I really liked this.  It's not my favorite thing that I've ever eaten, but it was good.  And I think this would make a great side dish to something like jerk or Thai chicken, or maybe some grilled shrimp.

1 tbsp coconut oil
1/4 c sweetened shredded coconut (I used raw, unsweetened)
salt, pinch

red pepper flakes (to taste) 

3 cups frozen brown rice
1/2 cup frozen peas
1/4 cup coconut water (NOT coconut milk)

Cilantro, chopped (to taste)

I also added some sliced green onion

Heat 1 teaspoon coconut oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add shredded coconut and a pinch each of red pepper flakes and salt; toast, stirring, 3 minutes. Stir in frozen brown rice, frozen peas and coconut water. Cover, reduce the heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until heated through. Stir in some chopped cilantro (and green onion).

#2,006: Spinach-Almond Rice

I love using my Young Living essential oil vitality line when I'm cooking, so I'm always looking for different recipes to try it in.  I was excited to try this recipe because I knew I could make this ahead of time and eat it the rest of the week for my lunch.  Although this was definitely best eaten the day I made it because it was hot, it would still be good reheated, although I prefer to eat it cold.  :)  Weird, I know! 

1 1/2 cups basmati rice
4 cups baby spinach
1/2 c chopped marinated artichoke hearts
1/2 c toasted almonds (I used toasted pecans)
1 c chopped fresh dill (I used 1 drop of Young Living Dill Vitality essential oil)
1 tbsp grated lemon zest
juice of 2 lemons (I used 3 drops of Young Living Lemon Vitality essential oil)

1/3 cup olive oil

Bring 3 cups salted water to a simmer; add basmati rice, cover and cook over low heat until tender, about 20 minutes. Fluff with a fork, then let cool. Toss with baby spinach, chopped marinated artichoke hearts, toasted slivered almonds, dill, grated lemon zest, lemon juice and olive oil. Season with salt and pepper.

#1,827: Sausage Rice Skillet

I don't know about you, but back to school time always kicks our butt!  This time of year is so busy for us all and we often feel like we are barely treading water.  So when I found this simple 3 ingredient recipe, I knew I wanted to give it a try, but I was a little nervous because I know the soup mix is so full of sodium...but I decided to give it a try anyways.  This got mixed reviews from my family.  My husband thought it was ok, but the kids weren't super big fans.  I probably won't make it again because they weren't in love with it, but it sure was easy.  (I thought it was good but nothing special).  

1 lb Hot bulk pork sausage (I did NOT use hot for my family...I used regular)

2 cups long grain rice

1 packet dry Lipton Noodle Soup

In a pan, brown sausage, breaking up as it cooks to crumble into small pieces.  Drain grease if desired.  Next add long grain rice, 4 cups of water, and 1 packet of soup mix.  Bring to a boil, then cover, turn to low and simmer for 20 minutes.  

#1,793: Thai-Style Vegetable Rice

I made this vegetable rice for dinner when my mom was visiting one night.  Although we both enjoyed it, it wasn't something we wanted to take again for lunch the next day.  So I took the leftovers to a coworker who also enjoy it, but agreed, eating it once was enough.  We both thought it lacked a little flavor.  It was good, but it wasn't great.  I personally wouldn't make this again, but was glad to have tried it.  I pulled this recipe out of my Family Circle magazine.  

1 1/4 c chicken broth
1 c frozen edamame (shelled)
1 small sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1 inch pieces (1 cup)
1/2 c thinly sliced carrots
1/2 tsp curry powder
1/4 tsp ground cumin
1/8 tsp ground ginger
1 clove minced garlic
1 c uncooked instant brown rice
1/4 c unsweetened light coconut milk
1 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped
2 tbsp chopped cashews

In a slow cooker combine the broth, edamame, sweet potato, carrot, curry powder, cumin, ginger, and garlic.  Cover and cook on low for 4 1/2 - 5 hurs, or until sweet potato and carrots are tender.  Add the uncooked rice into the cooker, cover and cook 10-15 minutes more or until rice is tender and most of the liquid is absorbed.  Stir in coconut milk and cilantro.  Sprinkle each serving with cashews. 

#1,441: Texas Hash

Does anyone else think the word Texas Hash should include some sort of potato??  Every time I think of this recipe I think I'm forgetting to add potatoes to it.  So this is basically a seasoned ground beef/turkey mixture with rice.  (I think it needs a different name).  Sounds good enough to me though!  I knew I was pushing my luck with this recipe with my husband, and if he was going to like it, I was probably going to have to add texture by crushing up some tortilla chips on top.  Sadly, I didn't have any on hand, so he had to have this as is.  Allison and I really enjoyed this simple meal/dinner.  Brian thought it was just ok (no shock there).  Matthew (2 yrs) would only even attempt to eat this if I put it in a quesadilla for him.  :)  For me, I would make this again (and add some corn and diced tomatoes), but for my family, they weren't overly impressed, so I probably won't make this too often.  

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 cup diced onion

1 cup diced green bell pepper (I omitted, but would add next time)

1 tablespoon minced fresh garlic

1 pound ground beef (I used ground turkey)

½ teaspoon dry mustard

2 teaspoons chili powder

2 teaspoons kosher salt

¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

½ cup long grain white rice

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes with juice (I omitted, but would add next time)

1 cup water

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

In a skillet that has a tight fitting cover, heat olive oil over medium high. Add onion, peppers, garlic, ground beef, dry mustard, chili powder, salt and pepper. Sauté until ground beef is no longer pink, breaking up beef as you cook.  Add rice and cook for two minutes letting rice absorb liquid.

Add tomato paste and cook for one minute. Add canned tomatoes with juice, water and Worcestershire sauce. Stir, cover and simmer for 20 minutes covered.

After 20 minutes, remove lid and fluff the mixture then serve. If the mixture is to wet, cook for another few minutes with lid off.  If you are using the cheese, sprinkle on top for last few minutes of cooking time with lid on.

#850: Crockpot Fried Rice

I have been dying to try this recipe.  The last few times we've had brown rice for dinner and had leftovers I saved it and stuck it in the freezer just for this recipe.  I never had any sort of protein to eat with it.  Then I made the Asian Chicken Lettuce Wraps and knew this would be the perfect recipe to use up the filling with. 

Doesn't it look good?  It's super healthy too because I added ground chicken, and tons of veggies to it.  I love that the recipe is so versatile and you can pretty much throw anything you have in your fridge into this dish. 

I used an 1/8 cup of egg substitute instead of the egg.  I cannot tell it is in this recipe at all so I don't know if it adds much too it.  Maybe gives it a little moisture??

2 cups leftover rice/quinoa (I used 2 cups of brown rice)

3 T butter (I used 2 tbsp ICBINB)

2 T soy sauce

2 t Worcestershire sauce

1/2 t black pepper

1/4 t kosher salt

1/2 diced yellow onion

1 cup of whatever frozen or fresh vegetables you have on hand. (I used asparagus, carrots, orange peppers, zucchini, 1/4 c edamame and 1/8 c frozen peas)

leftover meat (I used 1/2 of the meat/filling from the Asian Chicken Lettuce Wraps)

1 egg (I used 1/8 c of egg substitute)

sesame seeds for garnish (optional)

Plop everything on in there together. Mix it around, and cook on high for 2-3 hours, or on low for 3-4. You are only heating everything up and cooking the egg.

My version made 4 servings at 5 ww+ pts each.  That was a lot of fried rice too!

#829: Baked Cheddar Broccoli Rice Cups

This week I decided to use broccoli in several of my recipes.  This is the first one I tried, and planned to eat it either as a breakfast food or as a side dish to one of my dinners.  It was actually fairly easy to prepare with cooking the rice and broccoli being the hardest steps.  The rest of the recipe you just toss together.  My kind of recipe!!  I pretty much halved this recipe for fear that I wouldn't like it (that wasn't the case by the way!).

When these were about done cooking, I flipped them over and let them go for another 10 minutes or so to help the bottoms brown up a little too.  These are actually quite delightful, even with the removal of a lot of the cheese.  I think I've decided to eat this for dinner tonight and then eat the rest for breakfast this week at school. 

Definitely a keeper in my book!

1 cup quick-cooking rice (I used 1/2 cup minute brown rice)
1 cup chicken stock (I used 1/2 c)
1 10-oz. box frozen, chopped broccoli, thawed and excess water squeezed out (I used about 1 1/2 c fresh broccoli which I steamed)
3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese, divided (I used 1/4 cup)
1/4 cup Homemade Ranch Dressing, or store bought (I used 1/8 c of fat free ranch)
2 eggs, lightly beaten (I used 1/4 c of egg substitute)
1/2 teaspoon salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Prepare rice as directed on package, substituting stock for water. Place cooked rice in a large bowl and let cool slightly. Add the remaining ingredients, using only 1/2 cup of the cheddar cheese, and stir until combined. Transfer mixture to eight well-greased muffin cups–I like to use an ice cream scoop–and top with remaining 1/4 cup cheese. Bake 25 minutes at 350 degrees or until tops are lightly browned and edges are starting to get crispy.


I got 6 muffin cups out of this at 1 ww+ pts per muffin.  (The entire batch was 8 ww+ pts).

#799: Chicken and Wild Rice Casserole

 

I've had this recipe booked on my Pinterest board for over a year now.  I don't know why I keep avoiding making this recipe.  It was actually quite easy, especially when you use leftover chicken from a whole chicken (made in the crockpot).  The hardest part of this recipe is to make the wild rice, which took an hour on the stove.  But I only used half of what I made so the rest is in the freezer for next time.  (Did you know you can freeze cooked rice?!).  I definitely altered this recipe and used WAY less chicken and cheese than it called for.  I'm sure the original recipe would have been better but I was going for healthier (and I didn't want that much chicken in my rice). 

This is really good.  I am really looking forward to lunch again tomorrow and at school.  The oven gives the rice a nice crispy texture and really lets the flavors meld together.  I only got 3 servings out of my batch though, but that's okay. 

1 tablespoon plus 1 tsp olive oil (I omitted)

1 small onion, diced

1 cup mushrooms, sliced

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1 pound chicken breasts (about 2), boneless, skinless, cut into 1/2 inch pieces (I used 3 oz of leftover shredded chicken)

1/2 cup sour cream (I used 4 tbsp reduced fat)

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (plus additional for sprinkling on top) (I used 1/2 c in the recipe and omitted the additional cheese for the topping)

3 cups cooked wild rice (I used 1 cup cooked)

  

Preheat oven to 350 F.  Place 1 tbsp of olive oil in a large saute pan over medium heat and cook the onions for 2 minutes.  Add the mushrooms, season with 1/2 tsp of salt and cook another 4 minutes or until the mushrooms are tender and the onions are translucent.  Remove the mushroom mixture and place in a bowl.  (Since my chicken was already cooked, I just threw everything else together at this point).  Heat 1 tsp of oil in the sauté pan and cook the chicken, garlic powder and remaining 1/2 tsp of salt for 3 minutes or until cooked through.  Combine all the ingredients together, place in an 8 x 8 inch baking dish and sprinkle with additional shredded cheese.  Bake for 20 minutes.

My version was 16 ww+ pts for the entire 8x8 pan.