How to make a nice dish of rice with different ingrediants
 

I'v been to Yo suchsi a couple of times and I love the rice that they make there. i wanted to try and make some nice rice at home but haven't a clue what to put in it apart from bits of chicken.

Anyone got any suggestions? I wouldn't have a clue what to put with it.

Any advice would be great, especially if it totals up to a low calerie meal!

cheers

Throw in a cup of frozen peas (defrosted under running water and drained) during the last 5 minutes of cooking. And/or a can of drained mushrooms. A can of drained/rinsed beans is good (black, pinto, etc.). I also sometimes stir in chicken bullion, beef bullion, taco seasoning, Mrs. Dash (no salt), etc. into the cooking water before it boils. If you are watching sodium, then you might use these with caution. Chopped cilantro (if you like the flavor of cilantro, some people don't) or any chopped herb, during the last few minutes of cooking. Lime juice. Canned tomatoes (drained). So many possibilities!!

Pumpkin!

You need:

Long grain rice
Olive oil (around 1Tbsp)
Sofrito (it is the base of Puertorican dishes. Basically onion, garlic, pepper, aji, culantro and oregano in a food processor). I personally like to chop everything fresh at the time of cooking.
Annatto (also known as achiote, is what gives the yellow color to the rice).
Pumpkin (cut in little cubes)
Tomato sauce
Salt to taste

Heat the oil and add the sofrito (or the fresh ingredients for it), the Annatto, the pumpkin, the tomato sauce, a pinch of salt and cook them for about 2 minutes. Add the rice and mix it very well until it is cover by the mixture. Add water (1 1/2 cup for 1 cup of rice), stir and cover. Turn the heat to medium and let it cook until all the water is absorbed. Once the water is totally absorbed stir one time, cover and turn the heat to low. Let it cook and check if the rice is soft. If not, you can stir again and let it cook longer.

Hopefully I'm not forgetting anything. Also, any Spanish section at the supermarket or Spanish market has a version of Annatto (in powder, choose one with no MSG) and Sofrito (in a jar) but I like to cook old style and hate using the artificial stuff.

Hope this helps!

Yesterday for dinner I had brown rice with tuna and sweetcorn stirred in, and a wee bit of cheese melted through :)