Mexican Rice

This is such an easy way of cooking rice and there are so many different ingredients you can add to change it from a side dish to a main meal

Basic ingredients:
1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil 1/2

1/2 to 1 teaspoon of Noccas (this is optional but it does add that extra little something)

3/4 cup of rice (I use basmati)

1 teaspoon tomato paste

2 cloves of crushed garlic

1 1/2 cups of stock (vegetable or chicken)

1/3 cup peas

corn kernels from 2 fresh corn cobs.

Heat the oil in a heavy based frypan with a lid,

add the Noccas and let it heat,

then add the uncooked rice and make sure you keep stirring until all the rice is covered with oil and with out it browning.

Add the crushed garlic cloves and the tomato paste to the hot stock stir through then pour into the rice mixture in the frypan.

Place the lid on and reduce the heat to low, cook until rice is nearly tender, do not stir .

Add the peas and the corn , place the lid back on , still not stirring , when the rice is tender and vegies are cooked stir in 1 teaspoon of butter or substitute.

Variations:

I often add chopped chorizo with the Noccas,

or instead of the tomato paste I puree some fresh spinach leaves and coriander leaves with the stock and garlic and let the rice cook in that liquid.

You can also add chicken, or prawns or both and make like a paella type dish.