RED RICE

I am on a never ending search for good side dishes. This is one of my favorite "go to" recipes for seasoned rice. It is FULL of flavor and goes well with just about any choice of meat dish. It is especially handy for a potluck or buffet since it can easily be doubled/tripled and remains tasty at room temperature. We take this with us (already cooked) when we go camping, since it reheats nicely and really "rounds out" those campfire masterpieces Hubby grills. 1 cup raw white rice (not instant rice)
2 tablespoons canola oil
½ cup chopped onion
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
15 oz. can diced tomatoes in juice
1 tomato can of water + ½ cup
1 red bell pepper chopped
1 cup red kidney beans

Heat the canola oil, then add the raw rice, onion and spices. Saute this mixture until the onion is transparent and the rice is opaque. Add the red bell pepper, kidney beans, the whole can of diced tomatoes (plus the juice) plus 1 full can of water and another ½ cup of water. Stir well and bring to a boil.

Put a tight fitting lid on the pan and turn the heat down to a slow simmer. Cook for 20 minutes, then turn off heat and let sit for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork and serve. NOTE: "Toasting" the spices in the oil/raw rice mixture at the beginning of this recipe really "wakes up" the spices and helps the flavor get deep into the rice.