Mexican Rice

Add this dish to your Mexican feast! Serves great as a side dish or as a filler for a burrito. Add meat such as chicken to make it an entree. 

Recipe by HIllbilly Recipes

What you will need ~

• 12 ounces of tomatoes, very ripe and cored
• 1 medium white onion
• 3 medium jalapenos
• 2 cups long grain white rice
• 1/3 cup canola oil
• 4 minced garlic cloves
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste (may omit if using canned tomatoes)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, minced
• 1 lime

How to make ~

Adjust rack to middle position and preheat oven to 350.

Process tomato and onion in processor or blender until pureed and smooth. Transfer mixture to measuring cup and reserve exactly 2 cups. Discard excess.

Remove ribs and seeds from 2 jalapenos and discard. Mince flesh and set aside. Mince remaining jalapeno. Set aside.

IMPORTANT! - Place rice in a fine mesh strainer and rinse under cold running water until water runs clear- about 1 1/2 minutes. Shake rice to remove excess water. This step removes the starch from the rice so it will not stick. IF YOU OMIT THIS STEP YOUR RICE WILL NOT BE DRY AND FLUFFY. Fluffy rice is good rice!

Heat oil in heavy bottomed oven safe 12 inch straight sided saute pan or over low-medium heat about 2 minutes. (The recipe is very specific about this.) Drop a few rice grains in and if they sizzle then it is ready. Add rice and fry stirring until rice is light golden and translucent, about 6-8 minutes. Be careful that the oil doesn't get too hot too fast or the oil will splatter.

Reduce heat to medium, add garlic and 2 minced jalapenos and cook , stirring constantly until fragrant, about 1 1/2 minutes.

Stir in broth, pureed mixture,tomato paste, and salt. Increase heat to medium high, and bring to a boil.

Cover pan and transfer pan to oven to bake until liquid is absorbed and rice is tender, 30-35 minutes.Stir well after 15 minutes.

Stir in cilantro, minced jalapeno to taste, and pass lime wedges separately.

Helpful Tips ~

• Do not skip any of the steps.
• If you can't get good fresh tomatoes you are better off using canned tomatoes. Don't use hard and under ripe tomatoes! Just be sure that the processed tomatoes and the one onion equals 2 cups. One the other hand- if you find that after processing your tomatoes and onions that you have less than 2 cups- simply add enough bottled salsa to make up the difference.

• Leftovers are just as delicious the next day so this is a perfect dish to make ahead time. This rice also freezes well. For Freezing Ahead: Cool, portion and freeze in a ziploc bag. To reheat from frozen: Place in a pyrex dish and warm in the microwave, stirring every 2-3 minutes until heated through.

If you are traveling to Cancun and would like groceries or goods delivered to you be sure to check out We Deliver Cancun!

Corn Cake Caribe

Looking for something a little different to make? These healthy and tasty corn cakes are great for a filling breakfast, snack or side dish. Served with some salsa and sour cream, you have a fiesta! 

ü  1/4 cup chopped onion

Recipe & photo by Simple & Delicious January/February 2008, p64

ü  1/4 cup chopped green pepper

ü  1 teaspoon canola oil

ü  1/4 cup all-purpose flour

ü  2 tablespoons yellow cornmeal

ü  1/2 teaspoon sugar

ü  1/4 teaspoon salt

ü  1/4 teaspoon dried oregano

ü  1/8 teaspoon baking powder

ü  1/8 teaspoon ground cumin

ü  1 egg, lightly beaten

ü  1/4 cup 2% milk

ü  1 cup frozen corn, thawed

ü  1 tablespoon diced pimientos

ü  1/2 cup salsa

 How to make ~ 

In a skillet saute onion and green pepper in oil until tender then put aside. In a large bowl whisk the flour, cornmeal, sugar, salt, oregano, baking powder, cumin, egg and milk just until combined. Fold in the corn, pimientos and onion mixture.

Heat a large skillet coated with cooking spray. Drop batter by 1/4 cupfuls into skillet. Cook for  on each side or until golden brown. Serve with salsa. 

In case this is the first time you are visiting our blog you should know we aren't here to necessarily give you cooking advice but to share with you what we do, kinda sneaky right?  We are an extension of Cancun Best Discounts called We Deliver. Basically how it works is that you can go online, make an order from our online grocery store and the products will be delivered to your hotel or other rental for the week. Since there isn't much to talk about on the blog about delivering food, we thought we would share some of our favorite Mexican inspired recipes. These can be made at home or with the products you can buy online and have us deliver to you here in Cancun, so you can enjoy some great Mexican dishes in Mexico! WE hope you try some of them and enjoy. Be sure to leave feedback in the comments section, we would love to hear what you think!

The Perfect Guacamole

Nothing says Mexican food like a bowl of delicious guacamole! It can be served simply with tortilla chips or tostadas (flat, crispy tortillas), on top of a burger or add it to any taco and you have a Mexican fiesta (party). The preparation is minimal and fairly inexpensive, but can amp up just about any gathering. In case this is the first time you are visiting our blog you should know we aren't here to necessarily give you cooking advice but to share with you what we do, kinda sneaky right?  We are an extension of Cancun Best Discounts called We Deliver. Basically how it works is that you can go online, make an order from our online grocery store and the products will be delivered to your hotel or other rental for the week. Since there isn't much to talk about on the blog about delivering food, we thought we would share some of our favorite Mexican inspired recipes. These can be made at home or with the products you can buy online and have us deliver to you here in Cancun, so you can enjoy some great Mexican dishes in Mexico! We hope you try some of them and enjoy. Be sure to leave feedback in the comments section, we would love to hear what you think!

The Perfect Guacamole

What you will need ~

• 3-4 ripe and soft avocados
• 1 roma tomato
• red onion
• cilantro
• 2-3 small limes
• 1 jalapeño (if you would like it with a little kick)
• Cajun seasoning (the secret weapon)

How to make ~

First begin by thoroughly cleaning all vegetables. If you have purchased veggies here in Mexico we always recommend using Microdyn to disinfect your fruits and veggies to insure safe consumption. 

(This product can be found on our website as well.) 

Chop the tomato, onion, cilantro and jalapeños. Half the limes and avocados. Scoop out the inside on the avocados into a medium sized bowl. To keep the guacamole greener longer put at least one of the avocado seeds into the mix. Juice 2 of the limes into the bowl, this will not only give flavor to your guacamole but help to keep it from going brown as fast. Keep one of limes apart to add last if you desire more lime flavor. Add in all your chopped goodies as well as some Cajun seasoning and stir. It's best to let set in the refrigerator for a little while to bring out all of the delicious flavors. 

Optional ingredients ~ 

• Garlic
• Black Beans
• Mayonnaise to make it more creamy
• Substitute serrano chilies for the jalapeño to make it less spicy.
• Bacon crumbles
• Chipotle peppers as a sub for Cajun seasoning.
• Sour cream
• Salt & pepper

Be sure to check out our site to see all the items that we offer at - 
We Deliver Cancun