puerto rican rice

1 ounce of achiote oil
1/4 cup of chopped onion
3 ounces of sofrito
2 1/2 cups of water
2 cups of fresh gandules (pigeon peas), or
1 (15 ounce) can of gandules
4 ounces of tomato sauce
2 cups of white rice
14 - 16 manzanilla olives
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
pinch of black pepper
pinch of oregano
2 beef bouillon cubes

1 - On medium flame, bring the the oil and one sazon goya packet to a simmer in a medium-sized saucepan.
2- let it simmer for a min or two
3 - Add the chopped onion, and simmer approximately 1 - 2 minutes, until onion is translucent.

4 - Add the sofrito.

5 - Simmer until the sofrito starts to thicken - this could take up to 3 to 10 minutes, depending upon the heat of the stove, and whether your sofrito is at room temperature, or still slightly frozen.

6 - Add the rest of the ingredients, starting with the water.

7 - Let everything come up to a simmer. You may increase the heat to Medium-HI.

8 - Once simmering, stir once, while scraping the rice on the bottom of the pot (to prevent sticking).

9 - Allow the liquid in the pot to evaporate

10- Lower the flame to LOW. Cover, and let simmer approximately 20 minutes.

11- After 20 minutes, uncover the pot by quickly flipping the lid- this will catch the water that's under the lid, instead of it falling back into the rice. Discard the water.

12- Carefully stir the rice as follows: with a large serving spoon, take a spoon of rice from the furthest side of the pot, and scoop it into the middle. Turn the pot a little, and repeat. Do this until you've turned the pot once completely around (about 4 or 5 times).

This process is called 'moviendo el arroz' in Spanish - literally meaning 'moving the rice'.

13- Cover and simmer another 20 minutes on Low heat.

14- After 20 minutes, again uncover the pot carefully, and take some rice out with a spoon. Taste the rice: a) If it's still a little hard, cover and cook for another 5 - 10 minutes. Then test it again. b) If it's a little sticky, cook uncovered for another 5 - 10 minutes. Then test it again.

Serving Size: makes 8 good size servings

Number of Servings: 8

Recipe submitted by SparkPeople user AXSEAG05.