I have a confession to make. You may think it's nonstop cooking around here, even that we are whipping up wholesome, local, organic, vegetarian, completely-from-scratch meals day after day. We all have to have our aspirations, but the truth is that as a family we have developed a wee addiction to Chipotle.
As fast food goes, Chipotle is fresh, tasty, and fairly healthy. Added bonuses are that there's one close to home and we all like it. It's hard to beat for a quick dinner when no one feels like cooking or we are behind on our shopping.
The base for all of their dishes is a fresh tasting rice, with just a hint of lime and cilantro. One of the employees who worked there told me that there's no oil in it, but I just don't believe it. It's not at all sticky and the grains are smooth and moist, so I'm guessing that it contains a good bit of oil.
When Chloe suggested that we make burritos at home recently, I told her that we'd recreate our own homemade version of Chipotle's rice. I only used a touch of oil, so our version was a bit stickier but it was still quite tasty. Also, we kept the flavor mild to ensure that it would keep its universal kid appeal, but if just Gabe and I were eating, we would have punched up the flavor by adding more cilantro and lime juice. The beauty is that because you add those flavors at the end, you can taste and adjust to suit yourselves.
The result was a hit, even before we added all the other fixings. We've now added burrito night into our regular repertoire, although I don't think our Chipotle addiction is going anywhere anytime soon. This week, we were away for the weekend so didn't shop, daily swim practice started, and I have been a bit under the weather. In other words, we were there last night.
As my very wise aunt said, "The one good thing about an addiction is that you always know how to satisfy it."
Cilantro Rice, Chipotle Style
If you chop the cilantro and squeeze the limes while the rice is cooking, this dish is very quick to make.
Makes about 4 cups of cooked rice
15 minutes preparation and cooking time
2 cups Basmati rice
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice (from about 2 limes)
Pour the rice into a strainer and run it under cold water to rinse it.
Heat the olive oil over low heat in a large stock pot. Add the rice and salt and stir to coat the rice with the oil. Add 3 cups of water and bring the water to a boil. Boil the rice for 1 minute, reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook for 10 minutes. Remove the lid and fluff with a fork.
Add the lime juice and cilantro and stir.
Great idea! We love their rice too and with swim and dive practice nightly in our home, this is a great make ahead item that we can pack with some burrito fixings for poolside dinners!
By the way, I noticed Hunger Games in the photo...How are your kids liking the book?
Have a great weekend!
Posted by: Leticia- Tech Savvy Mama | June 03, 2011 at 10:30 AM
Miam! Miam!
Posted by: Chantal | June 03, 2011 at 12:29 PM
Chipotle is our go-to fast fix too. :)
Posted by: Anna | June 03, 2011 at 06:33 PM
Leticia, Olivia is loving the book, but not quite as much as her mother. I'm obsessed!
Posted by: Margy | June 08, 2011 at 01:42 PM