Mexican Brown Rice

I grew up eating Mexican style rice a made a variety of ways. Everything from prepackaged mixes to authentic homemade rice from a Mexican family in the U.S. or in Mexico and it has always been one of my favorite foods. 


However, a few years ago I starting eating more whole grains and brown rice and wanted to essentially remove white rice from my diet as much as possible but I was having trouble converting the old recipes I had learned to use brown rice. The texture was inconsistent and it would take about four times as long to cook as the long grain white rice I used to use. 

Salsa verde pulled chicken w/ mexican rice and black beans.

That is, until I won this awesome rice cooker in a chili cook-off. (That recipe will be coming soon!)   I had never used a rice cooker before but this one is easy to use and the rice comes out consistently good and much quicker than my old stove top method. 

So for those of you with a rice cooker, I encourage you to make good use of it with this delicious and nutritious recipe and for those of you who don't, I will include stove top directions as well.

A recreation of a favorite dish called the "James Special"
Mexican Rice topped with chili verde and cheese.

Mexican Brown Rice

Ingredients

1 cup      Uncooked Brown Rice

2 cups    Chicken Broth
2 Tbs     Tomato Paste
1/2 tsp    Ground Cumin
1/2 tsp    Chili Powder

1/2 tsp    Dried Oregano
1            Bay Leaf
1/2 cup  Peas
1/2 cup  Corn
Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions

For Rice cookers: Just add all ingredients to your rice cooker, mix to combine, and use the brown rice setting.

Stove-top Method: 

1. Add all ingredients to pot and mix to combine.

2. Heat until boiling, then cover and reduce heat to low.

3. Cook for 45 minutes or until all water is absorbed.

4. Turn off heat and leave rice covered for 5 more minutes, then fluff with a fork.