Mexican Rice

I wanted something filling for lunch and we have a lot of bits and pieces around to use up, including a small chicken breast that I had taken out of the freezer a couple of days ago and not used as intended.  I was going to make some wraps and make chicken fajitas, but decided to make Mexican rice instead.  This is a great meal to use up what you have in, but I will write it with what I put in it today.  I have done it with different vegetables, including frozen peas and sweetcorn, in the past.  If you are going to put carrots into it they do need to be cooked first.  I have also put chorizo into it or made it vegetarian when we have not had any meat.

Ingredients

1 small chicken breast cut into small pieces

A quarter of a red pepper, diced small

3 mushrooms, diced small

1 large shallot, or one small onion, diced small.

3 heaped dessert spoons full of fajita seasoning (or a packet if you do not make your own).

1 tbsp of tomato puree (optional)  I am on a pantry challenge and so didn’t, but the rice is a darker red if you do.

1 cup of uncooked rice (but left over cooked rice could be used).  I used brown as it doesn’t go mushy like cheap rice.

Cooked red kidney beans (optional).  My pantry challenge means that I did not add these today.

Oil for frying

Salt and pepper

Method

1.  Cook the rice in 2 cups of water until it is soft (unless using cooked rice).
2.  In a frying pan with some oil in it, fry the diced chicken, onion or shallot, and pepper, and then add the mushroom.
3.  When cooked add the fajita seasoning, puree and a cup of water, and let it continue to cook.  It needs a little bit of sauce left and so add more water if needed.
4. Season with salt and pepper
5. Drain and rinse the rice and add to the frying pan and cook for a couple of minutes, stirring all of the time.
6. When the liquid has gone, and the rice is coated, serve.

This was enough for a pasta bowl full for two of us.  Some times I will use a chorizo or vegetarian one as a side dish for 4 of us.  It took 20 minutes to make and so was a nice, quick lunch after we had finished in the garden today.  This had a hint of a kick but was not too spicy.  I you want it more spicy you could add a bit of extra chilli powder, or some hot sauce, before you add the rice. We like to eat Mexican rice cold in summer as it can be made ahead and eaten instantly. I often add diced cucumber to it when eaten this way.