Spanish Rice

This rice is infinitely better than the boxed Spanish rice you can get at the store. It goes great with with any Mexican/Spanish meal. I find that the amount of broth used should be approximately what your box of rice indicates, so you shouldn't just automatically use 3 cups broth for 1 1/2 cups rice. I say approximately because I use a little less broth than what my box of rice says due to the addition of the tomato sauce.

3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 1/2 cups uncooked long grain rice, such as Texmati
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1/4 cup finely chopped celery (some grocery stores sell celery by the stalk, so you don't have to buy a bunch)
1/4 cup finely chopped green bell pepper
1 teaspoon salt
~ 2 tablespoons ground cumin
1 1/2 teaspoons granulated garlic
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
3 cups chicken broth (or water, to make it a vegetarian rice)
1 (8 0z.) can tomato sauce

Heat the oil in a skillet and sauté the rice until it is golden brown. Add the vegetables and seasonings, and continue to sauté for 1 to 2 minutes longer.

Add the chicken broth and the tomato sauce, bring to a boil. Cover and simmer for the time indicated on your box of rice.

Makes 4-6 servings.

Cheese Enchiladas with Chile Con Carne

This recipe is one of my favorites. When I moved to Boston, I moved out of Tex-Mex land and into Seafood and Italian land. This recipe fills the void, and, while it takes time to make (especially if you make your own tortillas), it is certainly worth it. The enchiladas are actually better the next day, after the ingredients have had time to marry. How sweet! I recommend tasting the chili along the way to see if you want to change the flavor (salt and chili powder are typically the two ingredients I need to alter). Lastly, according to Wikipedia, chile con carne is the official dish of Texas.

Chili con carne ingredients
1 pound ground beef
~3 tablespoons chili powder
~1 1/2 tablespoons ground cumin
~1 tablespoon granulated garlic
~1 tablespoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon dried leaf oregano
4 tablespoons coarsely chopped sweet white onion
3 tablespoons coarsely chopped red bell pepper
1 (14 oz.) can whole stewed tomatoes
2 cups water

Brown the meat until it is done, then drain the fat. Add all of the seasonings, the onion and pepper, and sauté for 2 minutes.

Add the tomatoes and water, and simmer uncovered for approximately 1 hour (more water may be added as needed).

Enchilada Ingredients
1 batch of chile con carne
Vegetable oil (enough to fill a small, tortilla-sized skillet half way with oil)
12 corn tortillas
3-4 cups Cheddar-Jack cheese
1 cup finely chopped onions (optional)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Heat the oil in a skillet on medium heat (you know it's hot enough when you sprinkle a bit of water in the oil and it pops - watch out though!). With tongs, carefully swipe each tortilla through the oil, no more than 2-3 seconds. Drag the tortilla over the side of the skillet, removing the excess oil, and stack the tortillas on a paper towel-covered plate. Then, one by one, dip the tortillas into the chili con carne and stack them again on the plate.

Fill the tortillas with cheese, and if you want, onions. Then, tightly roll up each tortilla. Arrange the enchiladas in a 13x9 glass baking dish and spread the chili over the tortillas. "Sprinkle" with more cheese on top (I prefer to release the cheese floodgates). Bake the enchiladas for 10-15 minutes until the cheese is completely melted. Serve! I typically serve this meal with Spanish Rice.

Chile con Queso

A dish sent from the heavens. Great for game day parties.

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1/2 cup finely chopped sweet white onion
1/2 cup finely chopped bell pepper or jalapeño (or a combination)
~ 3 tablespoons teaspoon ground cumin
~1 1/2 to 2 tablespoons granulated garlic
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 cup chicken broth (or water, for a veggie dish)
8 ounces Velveeta, cubed
1 cup chopped tomatoes

Using a medium sized pot (~3 qt.), heat the oil and sauté the onion, pepper and dry ingredients for 2 to 3 minutes, until the onion is translucent.

Add the broth and heat 3 to 4 minutes, allowing the sauce to thicken, then add the cheese and tomatoes.

Simmer the queso on low heat for 3 to 5 minutes, adjusting thickness to suit your taste by adding water or cheese.

Makes 6 to 8 servings.