From Scratch

Think of this as a cousin to Spanish rice but with a kick, a high kick the Rockettes might envy. I love rice, I love hot stuff. Put ‘em together and I’m in heaven.

You can tone it down, of course. Most of the heat is from Tabasco sauce, not the jalapenos, which are mild. I use the full amount.

The tomatoes are not a concern, despite the salmonella outbreak, because this recipe, which I got in email years ago, uses canned tomatoes. Try to buy a brand with tomatoes packed in juice, not puree. Puree is cooked and you’ll get brighter, fresher flavors from juice-packed tomatoes, especialy since the juice goes into the recipe too.

This makes a lot of rice, way beyond the usual yield of three cups cooked from one cup raw. If you’re trying to stretch your food budget, this is a perfect candidate. The dish, leftovers or not, is also a good starting point for your creativity. Almost-raw peas are a nice addition for color and crunch. Sometimes I add rinsed and drained black beans near the end and make a simple meal of it. I’ll use some of the leftovers this time with grilled chicken and perhaps some mushrooms.

The cooking time is variable because of the way different stoves and cookware perform, how vigorous the simmer is, how long it takes to recover after stirring and so on. I can tell you that with my electric stove, using the special simmer setting and the lowest level, it’s 30 minutes. Since it’s cooked uncovered it’s easy to keep an eye on it and once you’ve done it with your equipment it’ll never be a guessing game again.

Hot Stuff Rice

1 28-ounce can whole, plum tomatoes, preferably packed in juice
1 cup (8 ounces) raw rice
1 cup (8 ounces) water, plus more if needed
2 TB Tabasco or other hot pepper sauce
1 TB unsalted butter
3 small or 2 medium jalapeno peppers, chopped or sliced
1 clove of garlic, minced or pressed
1 small onion, diced
1/2 tsp coarse salt

Put the tomatoes and their juices in a Dutch oven or large saucepan, 3 quarts or larger, and break up the tomatoes.

Add the rice, water, Tabasco sauce and butter and stir well. Stir in remaining ingredients.

Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring often to prevent sticking, then reduce heat to low. Simmer, uncovered, stirring from time to time until the rice is cooked and the liquid is absorbed, 25 to 40 minutes. If the liquid is absorbed before the rice is fully cooked, add water as needed.

Stir well, scraping the bottom, and let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Serves 8 as a side dish

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Tags: budget meals, easy, tomatoes