Rice Verde Recipes

Steps:

• Add olive oil to a medium sauce pan with a tight fitting lid placed over medium heat and warm for one minute,.
• Add rice and saute stirring almost constantly until rice begins to turn clear and just a little brown on the edges.
• Toss in remaining ingredients EXCEPT LIQUID and saute for one minute.
• Add water/broth, stir and cover tightly.
• Reduce heat to medium-low and cook for 20 minutes. Lift lid and check to ensure rice is thoroughly cooked. If not, recover, turn off heat and let pan remain covered on warm burner for a few minutes. Fluff with fork and remove from heat when rice is tender.

Steps:

• The flavoring: In a 2-quart saucepan, combine the broth and chiles, bring to a boil, then partially cover and simmer gently over medium to medium-low heat for about 10 minutes, until the chiles are very soft. Pour the chile mixture into a food processor, add the cilantro (stems and all), and process to a smooth puree. Press through a medium-mesh strainer into a bowl and stir in the salt.
• The rice: Wipe the pan clean, add the oil and heat over medium. Add the rice and onion, and cook, stirring regularly, until the rice is chalky looking and the onion is soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook a minute longer.
• Add the warm (or reheated) chile liquid to the hot rice pan, stir once, scrape down any rice kernels clinging to the side of the pan, cover, and cook over medium-low heat for 15 minutes. Uncover and check a grain of rice: It should be nearly cooked through. If the rice is just about ready, turn off the heat, re-cover and let stand for 5 to 10 minutes longer to complete the cooking. If the rice seems far from done, continue cooking for 5 minutes or so, retest, then turn off the heat and let stand a few minutes longer. Fluff with a fork, scoop into a warm serving dish, decorate with cilantro sprigs and it's ready to serve.
• Advance preparation: The rice can be made several days ahead; turn out the fluffed rice onto a baking sheet to cool, transfer to a storage container, then cover and refrigerate. Reheat the rice in a steamer basket set over boiling water.
• Variations and improvisations: An obvious variation is to use 3 or 4 long green (Anaheim) chiles, or to mix poblanos and long greens with hotter chiles like jalapeño, manzano or habanero. Grilled corn cut from 1 cob or 1 large grilled zucchini (cubed) are tasty vegetable add-ins. About 1 cup coarsely shredded roast (or barbecued) pork or smoked salmon, mixed in toward the end of cooking, will make green rice a full meal.

Steps:

• Put the cilantro, spinach and chicken stock in a blender and blend until finely pureed.
• Add the milk and salt and blend just until everything is blended.
• Set aside.
• In a 3 qt saucepan with a good lid, heat the olive oil and butter.
• When the butter is melted, add the rice and saute until it just begins to brown (3 minutes).
• Add the onion and garlic and cook another minute, stirring.
• Add the contents of the blender, stir well, bring the mixture to a boil, then put the lid on and turn the heat to low.
• Allow to cook at least 20 minutes.
• Stir the rice very carefully with a fork, then cover and let it cook another 5 minutes.
• Turn off the heat and let the rice steam, covered, for about 10 minutes before serving.