Well, I almost let Cinco de Mayo pass me by.
However, you know me and holidays or special occasions.
So, I plunged, in the midst of lots of projects we were working on.
It so hit the spot.
I sliced up some oranges and lemon and strawberries…
And created an impromptu best drink ever, me thinks.
I will share more details in a sec.
But first lets talk about Mexican rice.
Several summers ago it was too hot for stove cooking.
So, I decided to experiment with cooking rice in the microwave.
I was making sushi at the time, and the rice turned out great.
Soon after that, I decided to try other types of microwave rice, simply by trial and error.
No self respecting Mexican would ever agree to microwave Mexican rice 🙂
(my mom was horrified, haha!)
But, I decided to break the rules.
And for the last couple years, this is how I make my Mexican rice.
Gasp!
Normally you brown the rice on the stove top, with onions and garlic, then you cook it with broth etc.
The thing is, it comes out so good microwave style, that I just had to share.
Kim tested my recipe this weekend, and it worked, so I decided it was safe to pass it on.
I am going to share a basic recipe.
You can throw in vegetables, like finely chopped carrots, or frozen peas which I always use.
You can also pop in finely chopped jalapenos or red bell pepper.
And you can certainly add a pinch of black pepper or red pepper flakes too.
It's all up to your taste buds.
For now, I am sharing the basic recipe, and you can alter it at home as you wish.
Mexican Rice Microwave Style
To begin, you need a glass bowl with a glass lid.
Mmmmm.
As for the invented cocktail without booze…
Let's call it a Strawberry Orange Virgin Daiquiri.
I used…
The juice of 2 oranges
The juice of 1 large lemon
1 cup sliced strawberries
2 cups ice
1/3 cup granulated sugar
Blend in blender on high setting for a few seconds.
Sip.
I know I used a martini glass, wrong, but it was fun.

We sat in the garden and sipped.
And we honestly felt…
Like were were on a Cinco de Mayo mini vacation.
Then we had to get back to all our chores.
We enjoyed it so much, we made the same drink again in the evening.
Sat on the porch under blankets, listening to good music.
I am not a fruity drink drinker.
At all.
And this was WOWSA good.
A first in liking such a thing for me.
Lovee LOVED it, madly.
The lemon juice really added a freshness I can't describe.
Give a whirl?
Happy bright new week!
Looove, V
Vanessa:
I can’t tell you in the proper words just how Heavenly the Mexican rice was. I am not a microwave cook. I only use it for warm-ups and melting cheese. I was a little scared to cook something in my microwave for such a long time…but I am sooo glad I jumped in and took the chance!
I will never buy boxed Mexican rice again. The recipe is so easy and so tasty. I made my own alterations to fit my taste and I now have a perfect recipe!
I used carrots instead of peas and I only used the tiniest bit of onion. Less than 1/8 cup. But, that’s only because I really have an aversion to anything oniony. I can’t even chop them myself because the smell stays on my hands for days and days. I popped in some black pepper and some red pepper flakes too. I love hot and spicy! Just not oniony.
I served the rice with black beans and steamed corn tortillas, a bit of shredded sharp cheddar cheese and lots of lettuce and tomatoes.
Thank you for sharing the recipe with me. I’m a very lucky guinea pi….I mean girl! 🙂
xoxo
Kim
Gerushia’s New World
Kimcakes! You were the bestest guinea girl ever 😉
The fact that it worked for you too, inspired me to share the recipe.
xoxo!
Oh my…it worked perfectly. I hope a lot of readers give it a whirl. It’s well worth the little bit of time and effort it took. Soooo good and super easy too!
xoxo
Oh my both recipes look delicious! I don’t mind breaking the rules as long as the results are tasty!
Yum! I am definitely going to try that rice! Also I shouldn’t have looked at this right now because I am still quite a while from dinner, but my tummy is rumbling. It looks super delicious!
Vanessa,
When cooking the rice, did you microwave on HIGH or at MEDIUM?
Thanks a bunch!
Ps. Just planted my zinnia seeds from last years Flowers. Thanks so much for those! They were HUGE last year. Like 3-4 ft tall stalks. Crazy. All my neighbors would just stare in awe. Fun!
AWESOME!!!
Okay, Kim asked me this too.
My microwave did not have that option, I just popped it in, put in 45
minutes and hit start.
Kim said she did hers on 8, but would do it on 7 next time.
I think?
I hope that helps?
Eeks 😉
Blog: http://www.aFancifulTwist.com
Website: http://www.VanessaValencia.com
In a message dated 5/6/2013 7:00:26 P.M. US Mountain Standard Time,
Kim it is so much easier than making it thr proper way isn’t it? And, the thing is, you pop it all in one dish and it cooks itself, magic! 😉
Hear Hear! 😉
Alia, do let me know how it turns out for ya, k?
Both recipes sound like ones I need to do. Now I need to find a glass bowl with a lid and a new blender is in the mail.
Yes, I put mine on 8, which would probably translate to “almost high.” My microwave goes from 1 to 10, 10 being the highest setting. Next time, I’ll do it at 7 instead.
It is so easy. Throw all the ingredients into one dish. Give it a stir and pop it in the micro. Take it out and fluff it with a fork then cover it back up and let it sit for 5 or 10 minutes. Doesn’t get any easier than that!
xoxo
Kim
Gerushia’s New World
Marilyn, its Pyrex, you can get it anywhere, even at the grocery store in
the container aisle 😉
Blog: http://www.aFancifulTwist.com
Website: http://www.VanessaValencia.com
In a message dated 5/7/2013 10:16:05 A.M. US Mountain Standard Time,
I did have a sort of shocked reaction when I saw this. I thought, rice in the microwave?? Pero como?… I know it makes sense to use the microwave sometimes. Very interesting… I will have to try it. Way to go!
My goal this summer is to buy a blender or food processor so that I can make tasty smoothies & such to sip on my porch. When I get one, I will most definitely be making THIS. It sounds soooooo good! =D
XOXO
Yum!!! I want to try that rice! Looks so yummy and I recipes without a million ingredients! Thanks!
Hi Miss Vanessa, My daughter and I just got back from a fabulous vacation. We went to Cancun for 6 days. We had sun, fun and wonderful food and came back with great tans. It is really good to be home on US soil. Everything is so beautiful and green here. Your recipes sound and so look, I must try them.
You may have just ruined my point count for the day! The rice sounds wonderful. I LOVE the table runner!!! It just screams Cinco De Mayo!!! Happy Happy!! There are certain color combinations that just make my brain into confetti joy.
**kisskiss**
Deb
Mine was burnt and dry after 20 min 🙁 Would def cut the power level by half. I’m sure it would be great then.
That rice looks delicious. In fact, the whole atmosphere you created with the food and flowers was god to immerse myself in for a moment. Thanks!