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• 2 tablespoons olive oil (can use up to 1/4 cup)
• 1 onion, chopped fine
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 2 cups of medium or long-grain white rice
• 3 cups* chicken stock (or vegetable stock if vegetarian)
• 1 heaping tablespoon tomato paste or 1 cup of diced fresh or cooked tomatoes, strained
• Pinch of oregano
• 1 teaspoon salt
• optional - cilantro

• Check the instructions on the rice package for the proportions of liquid to rice. They can range from 1:1 to 2:1. If your rice calls for 2 cups of water for every cup of rice, then for this recipe, use 4 cups of stock for 2 cups of rice.

1. In a large skillet brown rice in olive oil, medium/high heat. Add onion and garlic. Cook onion rice mixture, stirring frequently, about 4 minutes, or until onions are softened.
2. In a separate sauce pan bring stock to a simmer. Add tomato sauce, oregano, and salt. Add rice to broth. Bring to a simmer. Cover. Lower heat and cook 15-25 minutes, depending on the type of rice and the instructions on the rice package. Turn off heat and let sit for 5 minutes.

Serves 4 to 6.

tags: can be made vegetarian or vegan/pareve

source: http://www.elise.com/recipes/archives/000040spanish_rice.php

variation:

1. “Hoosier” Spanish Rice. In a Large Cast Iron skillet. I brown, Kielbasa Sausage, cut in small pieces, with chopped onion, chopped bell pepper, red and green, a bit of Garlic, salt and pepper to taste. Cook until onions and peppers are tender and saugsage partially done. Then I add fresh, small cubed, tomatoes, lightly saute'ed. Then I add my uncooked rice, about two cups, browning ever so slightly. After all cooked together, I then add water, about three cups and simmer until rice gets fluffy. Stirring occassionally. When water boils down and rice is tender, I continue cooking a little, in order to dry up most of liquid ( needs to be fairly dry ).Make sure all ingredients are throughly mixed. It is oh! so good. Served with toasted bread or even heated Taco shells. Maybe a salad and glass of cold sweet tea. It is very filling. Make sure and make a lot, as it is better the next day. To warm up, just pop in Microwave for a minute or two.
2. The latter is a very flexible dish - you can add browned hamburger to make it a more filling dish, for example, or coarse grate veggies like carrots or zuccini (i.e. not strong tasting) and you barely know they are there while adding nutrition. Any form of tomatoes can be used - even tomato juice or half tomato soup+ half another form. Got a couple of stalks of celery you need to use up? Saute them good and throw them in. I've made both recipes with brown rice - they're good but distictly different in taste than with white rice. Of course, nutritionally brown rice is vastly better. I rarely make it exactly the same way twice - I'm trying Kolbase next! And I'm planning to try it with V8 juice or jalapenos soon.
3. I recently obtained a recipe for a very traditional version of this dish from a friend who got it from her mother, grandmother, and so on. It calls for sofrito, which is a heady mixture of red and green peppers, onions, garlic, cilantro, etc.; adobo, which is a seasoning containing pepper, garlic and onion powders, and other spices; pigeon peas; and olives. I made it for a recent get-together at which the main dish was fajitas, and it was a big hit with all age groups. My kids took the cold rice to school for their lunches the next day.

notes: I used my rice cooker (after browning the rice, onions and garlic in a skillet per the recipe), and it turned out great.