Spanish Rice

I made this delicious spanish rice to go with our chicken fajitas the other night.  I must preface this recipe by saying that I am usually not a huge fan of the rice you get as a side at Mexican restaurants.  In fact, I usually order my enchiladas or tacos a la cart. But my middle son LOVES rice--in all its many forms.  He could live on rice if I let him!  So I decided to go on a hunt for spanish rice that we would all love--as attempts in the past haven't been successful. 

Well, even I enjoyed this dish.  A lot. It really would be a tasty side to any mexican dish. The sauteed onion and green pepper combined with the tomatoes & chilies and spices are phenomenal!  I loved how light and fluffy the finished product was--not too dense.  My husband and I didn't mind the little chunks of tomatoes and chilies. But I think I may try to run them through the food processor next time as one child is particularly finicky about chunks. But that would be the only alteration I would make.  Which is pretty huge since I have never found a spanish rice recipe that I've liked in the past.  But I will definitely be making this recipe again and again. 

Spanish Rice adapted from Allrecipes 

In a saucepan heat 2 T oil and then SAUTE until tender:

1 chopped onion

1/2 green bell pepper, chopped

1 minced garlic clove

In another saucepan:

Brown 1 C (uncooked) white rice

Then add Rice to Vegetables.  Stir in:

2 C chicken broth

1 (10oz) can diced tomatoes and green chilies

2 tsp chili powder

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp cumin

Cover & Simmer (stirring occasionally) for 30 minutes or until rice is tender and liquid is absorbed.