¡Arroz a la mexicana! (Fancy Spanish for Mexican rice)

¡Holà señors y señoritas! This week I have been feeling exceptionally lazy. Mostly because I had a bit of a hangover after a little farewell party that my landlord organized for my neighbours. (Yeah, she's awesome like that.) Also, the weather is deathly cold outside. It's so cold that all humidity has been frozen right out of the air into snow and ice. The moment you open the door and take your first breath, it feels as if your lungs are about to collapse and you get in a fit of coughing for a few seconds. Then you get used to it. I think in lazy cold times like these, there's only one thing to do. Mexican rice. I made mine a little extra spicy to bring on the heat. It may be muy frío outside, but I'm gonna make it muy caliente.

Mexican rice is super easy to make. Especially the lazy way. You get a pound of ground beef, an onion,a green pepper, some taco beef seasoning, rice and oil. You chop and cook the onions and green peppers until the onions are transparent. Add the beef and cook it a little and add the seasoning with water and let that cook for a while until it thickens. Then cook some rice. When the rice is cooked add a can of tomato paste, mix the beef in with it and add a whole jar of salsa. BOOM! Mexican rice. But, lemme show you in pictures. I didn't almost burn my dinner taking these for nothing. Plus, you'll get a little surprise.

Do you have any idea how hard it is to take 

a picture like this by yourself with a timer on 

a cell phone with no stand?

Ingredients:

• 1 lb of ground beef
• 1 jar (650 ml) of mild or medium salsa.
• 3 tbs grape seed oil
• 1 small can of tomato paste
• 1 1/2 cup of Uncle Ben's converted rice
• 1 green bell pepper
• 1/2 spanish onion (or 1 regular onion)
• 1 packet of taco mix
• 1/2 tsp chili pepper flakes
• 1/2 tsp chili powder
• 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (ay ay ay!)
• 1 tsp cumin
• salt + pepper to taste

Directions:

First, we need to chop our vegetables up.

Then, in a large pan, add 1 tsp of oil and cook the onions and green peppers until the onions are transparent.

Then add the beef and cook until almost completely browned.

At that point, add the taco seasoning mix with a cup of water and add the other spices in there as well if you want it more spicy. Don't add them if you want to keep it mild. And let simmer until it has thicken to a good enough consistency.

That's good enough.

Now, it's time for the rice. Of course, if you're a real pro and want to save time, or if you actually have a stove large enough, you can do this wile cooking the beef. First, pour about 2 tbs of oil in a large pit and stir in the rice. (1.5 cups) Then put on medium to high heat and stir the rice and oil until you hear it pop a little. 

Now, add 3 cups of water. WARNING: Be careful when adding the water. Water reacts with hot oil and might splash everywhere. Be sure to pour the water completely as to prevent this from happening. Then let the rice cook; it should take up all the water.

When the rice is cooked, reduce the heat to low and stir in the tomato paste. Empty the whole can in there and mix it until the rice gets all red.

After that, add the meat and the salsa, then stir to mix it all together.

Add some extra seasoning to taste with the cayenne pepper, red chili, etc.

And that's it! Es muy fácil! Now, let's eat!