My apologies to Vanilla Ice.  I know he likes to cook so I am hoping this will be flattering to him…. Be happy right now that I did not make a video to accompany my mutilation of this awesome classic rap song.

Yo, homecooks, let’s kick it!

Rice rice baby

Rice rice baby

All right stop

Collaborate and listen

Rice is back with my brand new invention

Something grabs a hold of me tightly

Then I flow with a spoon daily and nightly

Will it ever stop?

Yo, I don’t know

Turn on the stove and it’ll glow

To the extreme I rock a spatula like a vandal

Light up my house and kitchen like a candle

Cook

Bum rush the pot lid that booms

I’m awakening your tastebuds like a fancy mushroom

Happy, when I cook a dope recipe

Anything less for my rice is a felony

Love it or leave it

I better gain way

I better hit bull’s eye

This recipe don’t play

If there was a problem

Yo, I’ll solve it

Check out the blog while my hubby devours it

Rice rice baby

Rice rice baby

Rice rice baby

Rice rice baby

All of this came about because of my quest to make a rice dish for Cinco de Mayo. I think I wanted a mix between a great paella and then the basic rice you get at most restaurants.

My problem (besides poor rapping skills) was that I don’t think I was using the right rice. I kept trying to add things and it just fell flat.

The go-to in my house is the short grain. Most people think of short grain as a sticky rice. It tends to be a little clumpy and holds its moisture.

I use it as a side for a lot of my side dishes and it is a must for sushi.

Since it does tend to lump up, I don’t usually add any mix-ins to it. (Unless it is a day old….and then it is fabulous for my fried rice bowls I love to eat at lunchtime.) With that said, it was NOT a good option for a Mexican side dish creation.

My next option was a medium grain rice. (Are you catching on that I’m giving you a little rice tutorial today?) Medium grain is a little chubbier than a long grain (we’ll get to that in a minute) and can have it’s own sticky moments. Most of us hear of us will use a medium grain for paella.

The interesting thing I found in my research today was that risotto can be made with either a short or medium grain rice. I normally would use an Arborio (a short grained rice from Italy) but I found some banter online that others like a medium grain for a smoother less starchy risotto. (I think this topic requires further research so look for another fascinating blog on rice in the future.)

Finally, the option that worked the best is long grain rice. It apparently is the most forgiving rice (forgiving like Vanilla Ice is going to be if he ever sees this post). It is long and lean and cooks up fluffy.

The method behind my mix madness was to add my spices to the rice as it cooked and mix in some fun ingredients like chorizo, peppers and onions at the end. (I thought the word mix was a good rapper/DJ kind of word….aren’t I hip?)

So the lesson learned today is to know your ingredients. (I left out a lot of rice info like browns and specialty rices but I’ll get to those one day.)

I’ve gotta say I think this one will hit the top of the charts!!! It had some zing to it but wasn’t so hot that you would need a vanilla ice cream after you ate it.

Chorizo Rice
Great side for your favorite mexican dish but don’t serve it to Vanilla Ice….he is a vegetarian.
Ingredients
  • 1 tsp Mexican oregano (I’m not sure if this was necessary so I may omit it next time)
  • 1/2 tsp Spanish paprika
  • 1 cup long grain rice
  • Chicken Broth (keep reading for the amount)
  • 9 ounce Mexican chorizo (take out of casing)
  • 2 cloves garlic, chopped
  • 1/4 cup red pepper, chopped
  • 1/4 fresh peas
  • 1/4 cup chopped green onion
  • Olive oil
Instructions
  1. Add the paprika and oregano to your rice. Follow your package directions for the amount of broth to use per 1 cup of rice. I found A LOT of variations so foliow your package and everything else will fall in place.
  2. While rice is cooking, cook up the chorizo. Remove from pan and let it drain on some paper towels.
  3. In the same pan, heat a little olive oil over medium heat. (If you have some chorizo drippings, use those.)
  4. Add minced, garlic and cook about a minute. Just until it is fragrant.
  5. Add red pepper and cook until just soft. As they soften, add the peas. Give the peas a chance to get warmed up but you really don’t need to cook them long.
  6. Ding. Your rice is done.
  7. Mix the cooked chorizo and red pepper/pea mixture to the rice. Mix well but don’t mash up the rice.
  8. Sprinkle with green onion and serve with your favorite rap music. : )