"Dee Randall" > wrote in message
...

> I am looking for a recipe used by anyone who
> swears by its being absolutely wonderful. I don't
> care where it has come from, internet, book, personal
> use, family recipe.

Well, I'm very fond of the recipes in Diana Kennedy's _Recipes from the
Regional Cooks of Mexico_. This book has been a godsend since moving to
Denmark. I didn't need to make my own Mexican food when I lived in San
Diego, but now? Trust me, there is *NO* really good Mexican food here.

Anyway, I don't know how close these recipes will come to what you're
looking for, after reading through the thread, especially when it comes to
the "very very simple" part. Mexican food is peasant food, by and large
(like much of Danish cooking), which often assumes a fair bit of available
prep time by the cook. Still, I think it's worth it. I've included the
recipes for the traditional Mexican Rice, with tomato, and a recipe for
Green Rice, which I'd never tried before experimenting with it here -- I
think it's brilliant. It's not what you asked for, but the flavors are
bright and appealing, and really nice with a variety of dishes. And it's
extra good with a squeeze of lime. My comments are in brackets [].

Hope this helps.
-j

*****
Arroz a la Mexicana -- Mexican Rice
From Diana Kennedy's _Recipes from the Regional Cooks of Mexico_
6 servings

Hot water to cover
1-1/2 cups long-grain white rice [I use Jasmine]
13/ cup peanut of safflower oil
1 large tomato (about 1/2 pound), chopped
1/4 medium onion, roughly chopped
1 clove garlic, peeled and roughly chopped
3-1/2 cups well-salted chicken broth [I use homemade stock made from roasted
parts and bones, plus a good-sized bouquet garni with lots of fresh thyme
and parsley -- it makes a huge difference -- and I usually add salt to taste
to the whole dish, rather than to the stock]
1/3 carrot, scraped and thinly sliced (optional)
2 tablespoons peas (optional)
1 whole sprig parsley (optional)
Salt to taste

Pour the hot water over the rice and let it stand for about 20 minutes.
Drain the rice and rinse well in cold water, then shake the colander well
and leave the rice to drain for about 10 minutes.

Heat the oil in a deep, flameproof dish until it smokes. Give the rice a
final shake and stir it into the oil until the grains are well covered, then
fry until a light golden color, stirring and turning the rice over so it
will cook evenly and will not stick to the pan. This process should take
about 10 minutes, depending, of course, on the size of the pan -- but it
should be done over a high flame or the rice will become mushy in its final
stage. Tip the pan to one side and drain off any excess oil (strain and
refrigerate and use again).

Blend the tomato, onion and garlic until smooth -- there should be about 1
cup of puree [I strongly suggest doing this *before* you put the rice on to
cook; I like using my stick blender for this; also, regardless of which
blender I use; I generally like to force the puree through a sieve to get
rid of the tomato skins, which I find really unappealing in the finished
dish]. Add the puree to the fried rice, then, continuing to cook over a
high flame, stir and scrape the bottom of the pan until the mixture is dry.

Add the broth, carrot, peas and parsley. Add salt as necessary, then stir
well (do not stir again during the cooking time). Cook over a medium flame,
uncovered, until the liquid has been absorbed and small air holes appear in
the rice. Remove the dish from the flame, cover tightly with a lid or
aluminum foil so that no steam can escape, and set it aside in a warm place
for about 20 to 30 minutes, so the rice can continue cooking in its own
steam and the grains expand.

Before serving, stir the rice well from the bottom.

Arroz Verde -- Green Rice
From Diana Kennedy's _Recipes from the Regional Cooks of Mexico_
6 Servings

1-1/2 cups long-grain white rice
Hot water to cover
1/3 cup peanut or safflower oil
1/2 cup cold water, more if necessary
1 small bunch Italian parsley
3 sprigs fresh coriander
3 large romaine lettuce leaves
2 chiles poblanos, charred, peeled, and cleaned of seeds and veins, or
canned, peeled green chilies [I can't get poblanos here, so I use whatever
longish, light to medium green peppers I can get at our local middle-eastern
grocery]
1/4 small onion, roughly chopped
1 clove garlic, peeled and roughly chopped
3 cups light chicken broth [again, homemade is best]
Salt to taste

Cover the rice with hot water and let soak for about 20 minutes. Drain in a
strainer, then rinse well in cold water and leave to drain for about 15
minutes.

In a heavy pan, heat the oil until it smokes. Give a final shake to the
rice in the strainer and stir it into the oil. Fry over a very high flame,
turning the rice thoroughly from time to time, until it is a pale golden
color. Tip the pan to one side, holding back the rice with a wide metal
spatula, and drain off about 3 tablespoons of the oil.

Pour the 1/2 cup water into a blender jar. Add the greens, chilies, onion
and garlic and blend until smooth, adding more water only if absolutely
necessary to release the blades of the blender.

Add the blended ingredients to the rice and fry over a high flame, stirring
constantly and scraping the bottom of the pan, until the rice is almost dry.
Add the broth and salt to taste and cook over a medium flame until all the
liquid has been absorbed and small air holes appear in the surface of the
rice -- about 15 minutes.

Cover the pan with a lid or foil and cook for 5 minutes longer. Turn out
the flame and let the rice continue cooking in its own steam for 20 to 30
minutes.