Santa Fe Brown Rice Bake

By Alqualonde

Make this Southwestern-inspired rice dish as spicy or as mild as your taste buds prefer. We serve this as a vegan recipe, but if you love cheese, try topping it with fresh crumbled goat cheese.

Ingredients

• 2 cups raw brown rice, long or short grain
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 4 cloves of garlic, chopped
• 1 sweet or red onion, diced
• 1 sweet bell pepper, red, yellow, or orange
• 1 fresh yellow tomato, chopped
• 3/4 cup roasted or frozen corn kernels
• 2 roasted or fresh green chilies of choice, seeded and chopped
• 2-3 tablespoons lime juice
• Sea salt, to taste
• 1-2 teaspoons chili powder
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• A touch of cinnamon -- my secret ingredient
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro or Italian parsley
• A splash more of extra virgin olive oil to moisten the rice
• 1 14-oz can Fire Roasted Tomatoes with Green Chiles, with juice

Preparation

Step 1

Cook 2 cups raw brown rice, long or short grained, in 5 cups fresh water.

Heat a skillet over medium heat and add a tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil. Add the garlic, chopped onion, sweet bell pepper, and cook for five minutes.

Add the fresh yellow tomato, roasted or frozen corn kernels, roasted or fresh green chiles, and lime juice, to taste. Stir-fry very briefly, just until crisp-tender (you want to soften, not cook, the veggies).

Remove from heat and set aside.

*Note: To roast frozen corn, spread kernels on a baking sheet and roast at a high temperature until slightly charred; or pan roast them in a large dry skillet until sweet and toasty.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

When the rice is cooked, assemble your casserole.

Spoon the cooked brown rice into a casserole dish. Add in and stir dashes (to taste) of sea salt, chili powder, cumin, touch of cinnamon, and chopped fresh cilantro or parsley.

Add a splash of extra virgin olive oil to moisten the rice. Stir.

Add the fire-roasted tomatoes with green chilies and the skillet vegetables. Add fresh chopped herbs, to taste. Toss to combine.

Cover and bake for 25 to 35 minutes until the rice is piping hot and heated through