Tonight's Dinner: Spanish Rice

This is tonight's dinner. I adapted it from Welcome to Juniors, the cookbook.  They bake theirs - they cook all the ingredients in a skillet and then add them to a casserole dish and bake it. I omitted the oven all together. I thought it needed a bit more salt too. I served it with some cooked sausages (for those who wanted them). I ate the rice the way it was - I can have carbs as long as they are served only with vegetables.

I just made it more like paella. I omitted the mushrooms and I used spanish smoked paprika and some saffron, both ingredients that weren't in the original. I also didn't have any celery so I had to omit that. I sauteed the garlic, onions and green bell peppers, added the tomatoes and added the saffron to the boiling water.

Anyway, this is what I did - see recipe:

                     *  Exported from  MasterCook  *

                               Spanish Rice

Recipe By     : adapted from Welcome to Juniors by Alan Rosen
Serving Size  : 4    Preparation Time :0:00
Categories    : Rice

  Amount  Measure       Ingredient -- Preparation Method
--------  ------------  --------------------------------
   1      tb            olive oil
   3      cloves        garlic -- minced
                        salt and pepper -- to taste
   2      tb            olive oil
   1      cup           basmati rice -- or similar
   1                    onion -- chopped
     1/2  lg            green bell pepper -- diced
   1      14 oz can     diced tomatoes -- undrained
   2      cups          boiling water
   1      ts            smoked paprika -- * see note
   1      pinch         saffron -- ** see note

Heat a large skillet over MED-HIGH heat. Add the 1 tbsp oil and the onions, green bell pepper and 1 tsp of the minced garlic. Saute until the veggies begin to soften. Lower the heat to MED. Add the rice, the remaining oil, and brown the rice over MED heat. Add the tomatoes and their juices. Boil the water, add the saffron, stir and then add to the rice mixture. Cover, lower heat to MED-LOW and cook for 20-25 minutes until all the water is evaporated and the rice is tender.

Serve as an entree with some cooked sausages OR as a side dish to pork chops OR chicken. Or add some scallops and shrimp and make it more like paella.

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NOTES : Risa's notes:

* Original recipe called for paprika
** Original recipe did not include saffron. If using saffron, make sure to boil the water and add the pinch, stir it, and then use it to cook the rice.

Original recipe called for cooking all the parts in a skillet and then putting it all together and putting it in a casserole dish and baking it at 350 for 30-40 minutes.

RisaG