Mexican-Style Grain-Free Rice

So, last weekend we did a big BBQ contest right near our house in Southaven, Mississippi.  It was a lot of fund and we got two calls… 6th place in ribs and 3rd place in brisket.  It was a big deal for us because it was a touch contest where we competed against world champions like Myron Mixon and Heath Riles.

KCBS BBQ is NOT for the faint of heart.  It took over a week of prep work, countless to-dos, long days and nights with little to no sleep, lots of lifting and hard labor and YEARS of practice and learning to get us even to this point.  But, we have a TON of fun and getting calls for awards is certainly rewarding.

Needless to say, we have a lot of leftovers after a weekend like this.  So I try to do my best with using them for dinners and lunches.  I especially love using the leftover brisket, because we don’t add any sugar to it in the cook so it’s low carb, and it’s so yummy!

Last night I made some leftover brisket “fajita” tacos.  I used my favorite low carb tortilla recipe found HERE.  Then topped with the brisket, sauteed onions and peppers, and some cheese.  In retrospect, I should have put some mushrooms in that saute!  Good idea for next time.

For a side dish, I wanted some restaurant-style Mexican rice.  We do eat some grains in our house, but I’ve been so impressed with the Banza pasta that I’ve been using their rice, too.  It’s made from Chickpeas so it’s grain free and it’s so good!  It kind of tastes like a cross between white rice and orzo.  It has a lot more protein and less carbs than rice.  I turned it into some Mexican “rice” and it was fantastic.  My husband and kids loved it, too!

Right now, the Banza rice is available at Whole Foods, but I’m guessing it will be available at Thrive Market and other places soon!  It was easy to put together, too.  It would be good with any Mexican dish, or even some grilled chicken or steak.  The recipe is below!

Have a great day!

<3

Shannon

Mexican-Style Banza Rice

admin
A grain-free version of classic Mexican-restaurant rice.
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Resting Time 5 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Course Side Dish
Cuisine Mexican
Servings 6

Ingredients
  

  • 1 8oz. package Banza Rice
  • 2 tbsp butter
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 3 cups chicken broth
  • 3 tbsp tomato paste
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp celery salt
  • 1/2 tsp ground cumin
  • 1/2 tsp ground pepper (I used white pepper)
  • 1/3 cup salsa of choice

Instructions
 

  • Melt the butter over medium heat in a medium size saucepan.  Add minced garlic and saute for about 30 seconds.  Add the package of Banza rice, and the seasonings (except salsa) and saute while stirring for about 1 minute.
    Pour in chicken broth.  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until almost all of the liquid is gone.  Stir in the salsa, remove from heat and let stand for 5 min.  Fluff with a fork and enjoy!

Notes

My favortie salsa to use with this recipe is Pepita Salsa from Trader Joes.  It’s rich with a nice little kick that’s good on nachos or anything else!
Keyword grain free, mexican, rice