Tomato and Garlic Fried Rice

A fast and delicious side dish using leftover rice! Tomato and Garlic Fried Rice is prepared with a hint of fresh lime, and the rustic flavours of onions, garlic, and tomatoes, this dish is sure to bring much-needed life to any plate!

Leftover rice is always a problem in our home – or at least it was until I started to experiment with using leftover rice in dishes like this Tomato and Garlic Fried Rice! You see, Dear Reader, whenever John.e cooks rice, he always makes a large amount of it so that we can use it up as a side or as an ingredient in another dish at some point during the week.  In most cases, John.e always makes rice, because rice is just one thing that I cannot cook.  It just will not work for me.  He has the magic touch, I guess.

A few weeks ago, I saw a recipe by my good friend, Amanda; she blogs at The Chunky Chef.  The recipe was Easy Baked Mexican Rice – it had me drooling!  I knew I needed to make it right away.  After reading her recipe, I knew I needed to change a few things around.  I omitted the jalapeno because only one of us can handle the spice.  I also knew I wouldn’t need the broth since I was using leftover rice.  And, lastly, I needed to omit the cilantro, because I’m one of those people who thinks cilantro tastes like soap.  

After a thought process which included a notepad, a hot cup of coffee, and my thinking cap, I was able to recreate the dish using a non-bake method using my leftover rice.  I’m sure the flavours were quite different from Amanda’s original version, but the basic flavours were there and we all loved it!  So, thank you, Amanda, for another inspiring recipe!

DO YOU PUT MUCH THOUGHT INTO PLATING?

When it came time to plate up the rice and photograph it for you, I decided to use one of my mom’s crystal serving dishes.  Recently, I visited with my sister who had been housing/inheriting all of my mom’s crystal collection.  She encouraged me to take a few pieces home with me to remember my mom.  I’m not a huge fan of crystal, but I immediately loved this little serving dish as soon as I laid eyes on it.  I knew it would be perfect for this rice dish.

The spoon you see in the photos belonged to John.e’s mom.  I wasn’t sure at first, so I asked him about it.  He told me that it was his mom’s sugar spoon.  I thought it would work well with my mom’s serving dish.  So, you see, Dear Reader, this entire post is comprised of a borrowed recipe, inherited serving ware, fond memories, and phenomenal taste! I’m so proud of how these photos captured such a simple dish in such an elegant fashion.  Doesn’t it look pretty!?

Without further delay, I’ll let you get to the recipe.  But, first, let me say a quick thank you to Amanda, my mom, and my would-be mom-in-law.  Enjoy!

INGREDIENTS NEEDED FOR THIS RECIPE

The following is a list of the ingredients needed to prepare this recipe. For exact amounts and measurements, refer to the printable recipe card located near the bottom of this post.

• Tomatoes – Use good meaty tomatoes like roma or beefsteak. I like to remove the seeds and pulp. Removing the pulp will speed up the cooking time because you will have less moisture content to evaporate from the skillet before adding the rice.
• Onions – You can use yellow or white onions.
• Olive Oil – Just a little bit of olive oil is needed. Since it has a higher smoking point, it will prevent the garlic and onions from burning.
• Leftover Cold Rice – This recipe calls for 3 cups of leftover rice. You can cook the rice a day or two in advance if you need to.
• Garlic – Fresh garlic is best.
• Tomato Paste – In savoury dishes, tomato paste adds a deep, home-style flavour.  It also adds colour to the dish and in some cases, will help to bind or thicken sauces too.
• Salt and Ground Black Pepper
• Green Onions – These make the dish colourful and add some fresh onion flavour.
• Lime – Serve the rice with lime wedges so that everyone can add as much or as little as they like.
• Parsley – Fresh chopped parsley is great for garnish, but when added to savoury dishes, it adds freshness and colour too.

HOW TO MAKE TOMATO AND GARLIC FRIED RICE

Begin by adding the tomatoes, onions, olive oil, and garlic to a food processor. Pulse until finely pureed. Pour the mixture into a large skillet and turn the heat to medium. Add in the tomato paste, salt, and black pepper. Allow the mixture to come to a bubbling heat. Continue to stir and cook the mixture for 3-5 minutes until the water from the tomato and the onion has reduced.

Add in the cooked rice and stir into the tomato and onion mixture. Stir well to fully coat the rice. Cook for another 3-5 minutes until the rice has been fully reheated. Remove the skillet from the heat. Add the green onions (saving just a few for garnish) and toss.

Plate the rice and garnish with the remaining green onions, parsley and a spritz of fresh lime. Serve immediately.

SERVING SUGGESTIONS

When it comes to my Tomato and Garlic Fried Rice, I feel like I’m eating Mexican food – especially with the zesty spritz of lime on the rice! For a meal, why not try my Mexican Dry Rub Grilled Chicken Skewers? After all, you cannot go wrong with going all out with a fully inspired Mexican meal. I would suggest serving some cooling sides, like this Mexican Street Corn Pasta Salad – especially if you increased the spice level with extra cayenne in the chicken dry rub! If you want something less carb-laden, you could try my Mexican Corn and Black Bean Salad. It’s made with sour cream, so it will be nice and cooling as well.

Rice is good with just about anything, and, whenever I have chicken, I tend to want rice as well. You could most certainly go the plain route with some steamed white rice and just keep it simple, or you can try my Mexican One Pot Instant Rice. I love this stuff! It’s absolutely delicious!

Coleslaw is also quite good with spicy Mexican-inspired chicken. Whenever I think of spicy chicken, I always think of coleslaw. Now, if you were to serve coleslaw with this chicken, I have a few options for you. You can keep up the spiciness with my Jalapeno Buttermilk Ranch Coleslaw, or you could go with a more mild option, like this Homestyle Creamy Coleslaw. Either way, it’s going to be a very delicious meal!

QUESTIONS?

If I have not answered all of your questions in the text above, don’t hesitate to reach out to me! You can contact me by sending me a message in the comments section further down the page. I will try my best to answer as soon as possible! You might reach me even faster by following me on Facebook and sending me a private message. Scroll down below the recipe card to find my Follow Me on Social Media box and never miss another recipe!