Spanish Rice

Happy March!  Even though I wish it was spring, the ten-day weather forecast does not have a single day above freezing.  It is for days like this that I am glad for the taste of summer that I have in the freezer.  On a hot August day we peeled and chopped roasted Hatch chili peppers, vacuum sealed them, and put them in the freezer.  All summer long we are canning tomatoes until I almost can't stand to pick another bowl full. Some years we have frozen sweet corn too. Then we have a string of days like we have now where the weather is cold and I'm grateful we did all that work.  This recipe will work whether or not you can your own tomatoes, and is the perfect warm food for a cold winter day.  You can put chicken in it if you want, top it with cheese, fresh salsa, or avocado slices. You can use it as a filling in a burrito, or on a salad.  We like it all of those ways, but plain is really good too. Feel free to be creative as well. I like to change out the beans (the girls like black beans, I prefer pinto). Steven likes to change out the grain (he likes farro, brown rice, or kamut better than white rice).   We almost never make it the same way twice, but it's  good every time.  Enjoy!

Spanish Rice
 3 cups of uncooked rice (or farro)
1 15-oz can black beans
1 15-oz can pinto beans
I quart home canned tomatoes or 4 cups canned crushed tomatoes
4 oz chopped roasted green chilies or a can of diced green chilies
16 oz frozen corn
½ teaspoon smoked paprika
3 Tablespoons dried onion
¾ teaspoon chipotle powder
½ teaspoon black pepper
6 cups of water
1 teaspoon salt

​Directions:
Add all ingredients to a large pot and stir briefly.
Simmer until rice is done and the water is absorbed.
Serve with fresh salsa, a squeeze of lime, or guacamole.

Recipe Notes:
​This recipe is very flexible and easy to make.  Add veggies or wrap in a tortilla shell to serve as a burrito.  It freezes and reheats beautifully, so make a big batch for lunches ahead. It works well in a thermos for a hot lunch on the go.
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