Santa Fe Brown Rice Bake

Santa Fe Brown Rice Bake

One of the most popular foods searched here at Karina's Kitchen is brown rice. And why not? It's naturally gluten-free. It's a good source of fiber for hearty omnivore appetites. And it's a complementary protein for earthy vegan tastes.

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- I found a beautiful heirloom yellow tomato at Whole Foods this week but you could also use green or grape or plum tomatoes, even tomatillos!
3/4 cup roasted or frozen corn kernels*
2 roasted or fresh green chiles of choice, seeded and chopped
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar- or lime juice
Sea salt, to taste
1-2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
A touch of cinnamon
Chopped fresh cilantro or parsley, if desired
A splash more of extra virgin olive oil to moisten the rice
1 14-oz can Muir Glen Organic Fire Roasted Tomatoes with Green Chiles, with juice

First step:

Cook 2 cups raw brown rice- long or short grained- in 5 cups fresh water. I use a rice cooker to do this, but you could easily cook the rice in a covered pot.

Meanwhile:

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 balsamic vinegar or lime juice, to taste. Stir-fry just until crisp-tender- you want to simply soften 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, assemeble 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, if desired.

Add a splash of extra virgin olive oil to moisten the rice. Stir. Add the Muir Glen Organic Fire Roasted Tomatoes with Green Chiles 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.

Serves 6.

Want more brown rice comfort food?

• For my version with pine nuts and feta cheese, scoot over to my recipe for Pinon Rice Bake.

• Try my easy, simple Baked Chicken Chili Brown Rice Casserole which takes advantage of- you guessed it- leftover chili. Favorites here are: Santa Fe Chicken Chili and Butternut Bean Chili.

• How about my Pineapple Salmon Brown Rice Bake with flaked salmon, green chiles and sour cream?

• Check my Brown Rice Pilaf & Variations for tasty and simple stove-top rice combo ideas.
  

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