Mexican Rice

Our busy summer continues! I owed my friend Jenn a belated birthday dinner, so we went to Yama Sushi on Tuesday in Union Square.  We also went for my first 16 Handles frozen yogurt experience.  Using just two words to describe it, I'd say it is both "delicious" and "dangerous."  It's a self-serve place, so it's very easy to go overboard in terms of portion size.  I tried to exercise some level of self-control, but still ended up with a mixture of graham cracker and cookies 'n' cream frozen yogurt topped with cookie dough pieces, gummy bears, rainbow sprinkles, and a few animal crackers.  I dug in too quickly and forgot to take a picture.  Whoops!

KK and I took advantage of Hoboken's free summer events on Wednesday and Thursday.  First, we saw Silver Linings Playbook at Hoboken's Movie Under The Stars on Wednesday.  It was a little breezy on the pier, so the screen nearly blew over a few times, but the film was excellent, and it most certainly lived up to its 7.9 IMDB rating.  On Thursday, we went to Hoboken's Summer Bash at Sinatra Park.  The Summer Bash has live music all night, as well as free food, ice cream, and beer.  Because everything is free, the party attracts what my friend Rachael calls "Hoboken's finest."  Nevertheless, we still enjoyed the free entertainment and beer, the NYC skyline views, and cool breezes off the Hudson River with our friends.

I'll save the rest of my weekend update for another post because this week is going to be another hectic one!

This Mexican rice is quickly becoming an Apartment 3D favorite.  My May Foodie Penpal, Hayley, shared the recipe with me, but also included her expert cooking notes.  The first time KK and I tested this recipe, we used Rotel because we did not have a jalapeno.  This time around, we shopped in advance for the pepper, but also used chipotle-flavored diced tomatoes.  They were an excellent addition, and added a fantastic kick to the side dish.  Any suggestions for my next attempt?

Source: All Recipes

Mexican Rice
Adapted from All Recipes
Time: 30 minutes
Serves: 4

Ingredients
1 cup instant long grain white rice
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
1 fresh jalapeno pepper, chopped
14.5 oz. can diced tomatoes
1 cube chicken bouillon
1 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 clove garlic, minced
Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions
1. In a medium skillet with a lid, cook rice in oil over medium heat for 3 minutes, stirring frequently.

2. Add chicken broth to the skillet.  Stir and bring to a boil.  

3. Stir in jalapeno, diced tomatoes, bouillon cube, onion powder, cumin, garlic, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then cover and reduce heat to low.  Cook for 20 minutes, or until liquid is absorbed and rice is cooked.