ARROZ BRASILEIRO

"Arroz Brasileiro" or "Brazilian Tomato Rice" is a typical dish from Brazil. It can be compared to the flavored rice that the Mexicans eat or even to the Italian Risotto...

This rice cooked with onions, diced tomatoes and/or black olives is a holiday treat which is generally served as accompaniment to the traditional Chrismas Turkey (Ceia De Natal) eaten after the midnight Mass at church. You'll find that side dish throughout Brazil as rice is a staple that appears on nearly everybody's table.

I took this recipe from the site www.astray.com and added my own touch to this dish. I must say that I am very pleased with this recipe as I particularly love "Arroz Brasileiro"! It is a side dish that goes well with many different kinds of meals and although it is quite frugal, it acts like a ray of sunshine over the dining table! This sunny dish is very flavorful, yet quite mild and round in taste. It is just the perfect rice dish for a feast, a South American "fiesta" or a hyper yummy meal!!!

Serves 8-10

Ingredients:
1/4 Cup Olive Oil
1 Large Onion, thinly sliced
1 Tsp Dried thyme (my addition)
1 Medium eggplant, cubed (my addition)
3 Cups Raw Long-grain Rice
3 Cups Chicken Stock, heated to the boil
3 Cups Water, heated to the boil
2 Medium Tomatoes, peeled, seeded and coarsely chopped
1 Tsp Salt

Method:
1. In a heavy 3-quart saucepan over medium heat, warm the olive oil for about a minute, tipping the pan to coat the bottom evenly.
2. Add the onion and sauté, stirring constantly, for about 5 minutes or until the onion is soft and transparent, but not yet brown.
3. Add the eggplant and thyme. Sauté, stirring constantly for another 3 minutes.
4. Pour in the rice and stir for about 3 minutes, until all the grains are coated with the oil.
5. Add the boiling chicken stock and water to the rice.
6. Add the tomatoes and salt, and return the mixture to the boil, making sure to stir occasionally.
7. Cover the saucepan and reduce the heat to a simmer.
8. Cook for 20 minutes or until the rice has absorbed all the liquid.
9. Serve warm.

Remarks:
When you sauté the rice, don't let it brown.
You could also easily replace the eggplant by zucchini, halved black olives or mushrooms.
While it is cooking you can stir the rice a little and check if it needs more water. In fact, you should treat this rice a bit like Risotto.

Serving suggestions:
Eat this "Arroz Brasileiro" with my "Italian Meatloaf" (see recipe) or as accompaniment to any kind of meat (BBQ's, sausages, chicken, roast, etc...). It is also possible to eat it alone...

(Rio - Pic by Jonathan Duriaux www.trekearth.com)