ARROZ DE TOMATE - TOMATO RICE

Growing up I can remember that everytime we had Fish Fillets or some other sort of fish, we usually had this side dish. It's especially good served with "Pataniscas de Bacalhau". Cod Fish cakes...I will post the recipe one of these days, along with "Peixinhos da Horta", which is green beans fried in batter, sometimes with a little chopped onion too.

Now here's the thing, I'm not a tomato fan, actually you could say that I really dislike them. I will often pick them out of my salad or hamburger, though I do eat them in sauces, jams etc. Go figure!!!

This rice is delicious and makes a great side dish, it's also a great way to serve rice instead of just the usual plain way.

ARROZ DE TOMATE - TOMATO RICE

1 medium onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
½ cup vegetable oil
4 plum tomatoes, peeled and seeded
1 teaspoon salt
1 bay leaf
1 cup white rice


Place the chopped onion and the minced garlic in a skillet with the peanut oil over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is transparent. Add the tomatoes, salt and the bay leaf. Simmer 5 minutes or until the tomatoes are almost puréed.

Stir in the 2 cups water and bring to a boil. Add the rice; stir; cover, and cook for 20 minutes or until all the water is absorbed.

Serves 4.

Optional: I also like adding some spinach leaves to it, it adds some color and is really tasty too.