My New Favorite Drink

Dr. Pepper has always been my favorite beverage. I loved it! Then we moved to Mexico. I can find it here, but it takes a little bit of searching. So I switched to Coke. The Mexican kind. In a glass bottle. Mmmm!

But then......

Someone taught me how to make my own "Agua de Jamaica" (pronounce it "AH-gwa day hu-MY-cuh").

Can you say delicioso????? I could drink this stuff all.day.long. And it is good for you! Just research "hibiscus tea". "Agua de Jamaica" is just that, tea made from dried hibiscus flowers.

Here's how to make it:

First get your dried hibiscus flowers. I usually buy mine in bulk here in Guadalajara. This time I bought it in a package at the supermarket. In the states you can find it online. Check it out at Bulk Herb Store. If you live near any Hispanic grocery stores, you may be able to get it there.

When I have bulk flowers, I use about two handfuls for 2 one-gallon pitchers. 

Boil the dried flowers in water for several minutes.

Then strain it into your pitchers, sweeten to taste and add water to fill your pitchers. 

Enjoy a nice cold glass of "Agua de Jamaica". Tangy and refreshing!

**I did find a warning about the use of hibiscus tea during pregnancy. Please do your research before drinking this during pregnancy.

Excellent (and Easy!) Mexican Rice

It took me a while to perfect it, but now my husband raves on my Mexican rice and even claims it is the best he's eaten. (Which is a great compliment since he's Mexican!) :)

This is one of the few dishes I make without a recipe. You will have to play around with the spices a bit to get the "feel" of how much to use.

The ingredients are: oil, white rice (I cannot get this recipe to work well with brown rice), tomato/chicken bouillon powder, garlic powder, onion powder, ground cumin, frozen vegetables. In this particular pot of rice, I used peas and carrots. You can use frozen corn, carrots, peas or mixed veggies. You can also use canned. I prefer frozen because while canned corn works well, canned peas can turn mushy and unless I'm making a massive amount of rice, a regular-sized can is too much. You can also use fresh vegetables. I have used fresh carrots with great success. 

Another option would also be to use fresh onion and garlic. You would saute them until soft, along with the rice. 

Start by heating some oil in your Dutch oven over a medium flame. I like to use my cast iron one, but any large pot with a lid will work. You need the oil to cover the bottom of your pan well. Once it is somewhat hot, add your rice. You will need to measure this part. The ratio is one cup rice to 2 cups water. Right now we are only adding the rice. I used 2 cups of rice for this pot of rice. You will want to saute the rice until it is golden brown, but not burned. You have to stir it often to keep it from burning and to ensure even browning. I didn't get a picture of the browned rice. Sorry. Just be patient and keep sauteing until it is a nice golden color. 

Once the rice is nicely browned, add your water. Add it carefully, since there is hot oil in the pan. It will hiss and spit at you! I added 4 cups of water since I used 2 cups of rice. Be sure to measure both the rice and the water since the proportion is key to rice that is not sticky. 

Next stir in your spices. Here is where you have to get the "feel" for how much to use. I usually add 2-4 teaspoons (not measured teaspoons, just regular eating spoons) of the tomato/chicken bouillon powder, and then shake in the rest. Taste test the water and add more if needed. Finally, add your veggies. Turn up the heat to high and bring to a boil. Then put on a lid and reduce the heat to low. Allow it to simmer until the water is absorbed. This is usually around 15 minutes or so, but this becomes something I "feel" as well. I don't time it. 

Don't lift the lid too much and don't stir it!! Check it once, quickly. If there is still water in the bottom, let it simmer a couple more minutes. When the water is gone, turn off the heat. (If your stove is electric, move it to a cool burner.) Be sure to leave the lid on!! The rice may not be fully cooked yet, but it will finish cooking with the steam in the pot. 

It will look like this, with all the veggies on top. Just stir it up before serving. Yummy! :)

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