Gluten-Free Mexican Rice for Cinco de Mayo

Today is the fifth of May, also known as “Cinco de Mayo”.  Cinco de Mayo commemorates the Mexican army’s victory over the French forces at the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862.  While celebration is primarily limited to the state of Puebla, many in the US celebrate by dining on Mexican fare & margaritas.

Dining out in a Mexican restaurant while following the gluten-free diet is fairly easy.  Many of the traditional dishes are naturally gluten-free.  Corn tortillas are more commonly used than flour tortillas; salsa,  guacamole, beans and rice are all usually safe choices.  Of course speaking with the manager and/or chef is the safest way to dine out.  Ask how the sauces are made, whether there is gluten in the marinades used for the meat and if the corn tortilla chips are fried in a dedicated fryer.  As in any restaurant, cross contamination can be a risk, so make sure to ask how they keep the gluten-free food safe.

If you prefer to make your own Mexican feast, the sky is the limit!  Some of our favorites include:

• Tacos – fish, ground beef, chicken or turkey
• Mexican pizza
• Burritos
• Chimchangas
• Taco salad
• Enchilada bake
• Mexican rice
• Fajitas
• Horchata (this brand is gluten-free)

My son requests Mexican once a week, so we eat a lot of tacos in our house.  He prefers them on warmed, soft corn tortillas; I prefer a tostada shell or hard taco shell.  You can find many of our recipes in this post.  Here is our favorite recipe for Mexican Rice that my mom made for us when I was growing up.  I will never tire of this rice:

Mexican Rice

• 1 cup brown basmati or jasmine rice
• 2-3 tsp EVOO
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1/2 onion (I omit this b/c I can’t eat them)
• 1 large tomato
• chicken broth (verify that it is gluten-free)
• cumin
• chili powder
• red hot
• salt
• pepper

Directions:

1. Drop tomato into boiling water for 60 seconds. Remove tomato from water and then remove the skin. Careful not to burn yourself as I have done too many times when I am in a hurry.
2. Chop tomato, peel garlic, chop onion and place all ingredients in a food processor/blender. Puree until everything is liquid. Add cumin (about 1 tsp), chili powder (1/2 – 1 tsp), red hot (I like a lot, but use your own judgement), S & P. Blend.
3. Place EVOO and rice in a 2 qt. sauce pan and warm over med to med-high heat. Brown rice, but don’t burn it.
4. Dump tomato mixture into a glass measuring cup and then add chicken broth to equal 2 cups of liquid. Dump your 2 cups of liquid into the rice; stir and bring to a boil.
5. Stir and reduce heat to simmer for 40-50 minutes, depending on what kind of rice you are using.
6. Remove from heat and let stand for 10 minutes. Fluff with a fork & serve.

Here is a picture of the rice served alongside Mexican pizzas.

Tacos & Mexican pizzas are great for busy nights and letting kids “create their own masterpiece”.