This Christmas make some Spanish rice for Dinner

When Christmas is around not just gifts and decorations are important but the Christmas recipes that you will make are considered to be important too. As we all know, a meal consists of an appetizer or starter, main course, side dishes, gravies or dip recipes, desserts and drinks. A complete meal is consist of each item but in an order. In this, sides are very important like you have vegetable or chicken side dishes or pasta sides or rice sides or whatever you prefer as side dish along with main dish. In fact, quinoa is also served if you are health conscious people.
 

Anyways today’s bottom line is what you will serve on Christmas Eve. I was planning to serve some Spanish rice sides this festival. There are many recipes for Spanish rice available online and even in our granny’s cookbooks. Spanish rice is also known as Mexican rice as it is available in Northern Mexico. This recipe is mostly famous in Southwestern United States especially, there are many families who make this recipe exclusively for Christmas. This rice sides go perfectly with roasted or baked chicken or turkey. Spanish rice is an appetizing recipe that goes perfectly with seafood, chicken, beef, or just by itself. This recipe is juicy and tangy and completely moist which makes it really flavorsome and delicious. Well I am not sure about the recipe’s name that how they started calling it Spanish rice, because it got nothing with Spain.

Originally, it is a Mexican dish or Mexican rice where they also call it “Arroz” i.e. the Spanish word for “rice.” Although Spain got a cuisine which is full of rice recipes but it is not related to this recipe. Anyways in this, rice is cooked with shrimps, chicken breasts, tomatoes, onion, garlic and vegetables cooked in broth and water. And there are many variations of this recipe. Although as the time changed the recipe also took few alterations like Mexican rice sometimes uses cumin in the recipe whereas Spanish rice uses saffron instead for color and flavor.

Ideally this recipe is cooked by first frying the veggies with rice, chicken pieces and shrimps. In this you fry onion and garlic first and add veggies like bell peppers, carrots and peas. And add the cooked chicken and shrimps with long grain rice. Once it’s little fried, add chicken bouillon cube or chicken stock in this mixture. Add more onion, garlic, tomato paste and little chili paste over this recipe. If needed, add water and let rice cook properly and let all the moisture gets absorbed completely by rice, also add salt and pepper as required. Note – bouillon cubes already have salt content so add salt as per your taste and check the salt before adding.

But if you are in hurry and looking for a best and quick alternative for Spanish rice then Knorr Fiesta Sides Spanish Rice may be the best option for you which also fits to the budget. It’s a one skillet recipe and super easy to make. It got approximately 2 and one half servings per package. In this, calories per serving are 280, with 50 of those calories coming from fat. In fact, you can make this recipe even in the microwave. It got red and green bell peppers, onions, tomatoes, garlic and sweet tomato sauce which makes it an authentic yet simple recipe to try.

Enjoy this Christmas with some authentic and tasty Spanish rice and woo your guest! Happy Holidays and Bon voyage.