I have a thing for rice; it has to be cooked a certain way and there are really two ways I like it – sticky as in Jasmine at Thai or sushi restaurants or Mexican style, or red rice as my kids call it.
This is green rice. Well its supposed to be green, it didn’t come out as green as I thought it would have, but we will go with it. When we ate lunch once at this AMAZING Mexican place, Taqueria Canonita at the Venetian casino, I had ordered pork belly tacos ( AMAZING by the way) and it came with cilantro rice. I was a little skeptical at first, I mean it was my normal red or sticky rice, and it was REALLY green. I took one bite and YUM. I was hooked. I love cilantro and it has a nice tang from the limes. I needed to make this at home asap.
I had my items out as I was waiting for the light to change to get pics in the light I wanted, so I was messing around taking shots for practice and I actually liked how these came out with the more drastic shadows. The light stayed like this for a little bit so I played around with taking pics of my limes as well.
So yeah, now I have a new rice recipe I like. I had actually made this to go with a grilled pork tenderloin I made for dinner the other night and wasn’t planning on blogging about the rice, I was just planning on posting the pork recipe ( which was killer by the way) but the rice came out so good, I felt it needed its own post.
I am not 100% sure on how they make it at the restaurant to get it as green as they did, mine was a slightly brighter green when I first was stirring in the cilantro lime puree, but it started to fade the more I mixed, but the flavor became better. I really loved it and I will be making this rice a lot more from now on. My kids even loved eating the green rice! Now that’s a winner in my book if my kids love it.
- 2 cups white rice such as jasmine, basmati, long grain
- Zest and juice of 2 limes
- 1 bunch cilantro
- 3 tsp olive oil, divided
- Sea salt
- Pepper
- Rinse the rice until the water runs clear. Drain well and place in a saucepan and add 3 cups water. Bring to a rapid boil over high heat. Lower the heat all the way, cover and cook 15 min. Turn off the heat after 15 min and let steam for 10. While the rice is cooking prepare the rest. In a food processor add the cilantro, lime zest and juice and turn on, while on slowly add 2 tsp of the olive oil, occasionally scraping down the sides to get it all chopped up.
- Fluff the rice with a fork or rice paddle and add 1 tsp of olive oil then the cilantro mixture. Fold the rice until well combined and all the rice is mixed with the cilantro and is green. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot
Stay tuned because next up will be the grilled pork tenderloin I mentioned that I made this rice to go with.
Yes please!!
mmm, i love cilantro lime rice!
sarah k @ the pajama chef recently posted…Italian Sausage and Red Rice
This is my kind of rice!! Love the freshness of cilantro & lime always.
Aggie recently posted…Whole Wheat Rotini with Meyer Lemon and Arugula Pesto
My only experience with the side dish is at that nameless fast food chain once owned by McDonalds so I must give this a try because it sounds very flavorful!
DB-The Foodie Stuntman recently posted…Miso Soup for #SundaySupper
Ha!! Your comment made me crack up!! This dish is very flavorful!
This looks fabulous. I LOVE mexican rice, and I love these flavors!
Dorothy @ Crazy for Crust recently posted…Carrot Cake Brownies
Thank you!! I guess chipotle makes this rice and I have never had it there and I LOVE chipotle so I will have to try their version and see how it compares! ha ha
I love the bright flavors of cilantro & lime, especially paired with some Mexican or Cuban pork or some black beans? Yes, please!
kelly @ kellybakes recently posted…Meyer Lemon Meringue Pie Marshmallows
I made it with a pineapple and anaheim chili marinated pork tenderloin with a pineapple salsa SO GOOD!! Those are getting posted this week too!
I love trying different types of rice and surprisingly I’ve never tried any with lime! Job well done. I’ll have to try this one real soon!
Christy @ My Invisible Crown recently posted…Deconstructed Croque Madame
I think you would like it – its not overpowering at all – compliments Mexican food dishes really nicely