Recipe Post: Chorizo Rice

When I am at home, I normally just call this "Chorizo Hash," but it's not really a hash since there are no potatoes. I changed the name, just for your guys.

This is one of the first things I ever made with the soy chorizo, when I was first experimenting with it after I first found out that it existed. It's still one of my favorites, and when I don't feel like cooking anything fancy it works just fine for a quick dinner. It's even vegan!

Here is my usual disclaimer for soy chorizo: You can use other brands, but the Trader Joe's Soy Chorizo is the best I've found so far. The other brands do change the flavor in a significant way. You are welcome to try something else, though!

Let's get down to it:

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 15-20 minutes

Serves: 2-4

Ingredients:

3/4 - 1 package Trader Joe's soy chorizo (or comparable)
1 onion
1 tbsp minced garlic
1 cup brown rice
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder

Directions:

1. Follow the directions on the brown rice package to make one cup of rice. Mine involves boiling water...

Adding rice...

And waiting with the pot covered, stirring occasionally, until rice happens. (P.S., this is not a brand suggestion. Use whatever the heck kind of boxed or bagged rice that you want to use.)

I am sure yours will be similar, unless you have a rice cooker in which case you are cooler than me. Still use brown rice, please. Brown rice is so good! And better for you! And just...better! (I may have something against plain white rice.)

P.S., If you're like me and you sometimes forget that you're not using a non-stick pan, you may get your rice stuck to the bottom of your pan. Once it's done cooking, add a teensy bit of water (maybe 1 tsp) and use the moisture to dislodge the rice from the bottom. It should get up most of the rice.

2. Take the skin off your soy chorizo. It's soy chorizo, so the "casing" is plastic and not edible.

I say this every time, but the one time I don't, someone will not remove the plastic. These are the things I think about.

Mash it up.

(This is only half of what I used, so ignore how much it looks like.)

Chop your onion.

Mince your garlic.

3. Spray a skillet and heat on low. Add your onions and garlic.

Cook those until soft and almost translucent, about 4-5 minutes.

4. Add your soy chorizo and stir in. Cook this for another 2-3 minutes.

Then add your rice, which will hopefully be done for you by now, and then the garlic powder and onion powder. And you're done!

Spoon into a bowl and eat it straight...

Or serve with tortilla chips.

Hubby and I do a little bit of both.

(Does anyone else see Mickey Mouse?)

Enjoy!

Kitchen hacks for less time/money:

-Substitute frozen packaged rice for dry rice. It steams in the microwave and is done faster than dry rice, though it is usually a little pricier. No risk of sticking to the pan here!