Ole!

As you may have realized by now, my culinary adventures involve more than a little travel, and although the results might not be authentic, I can verify through extensive testing (the fussy palates I live with, are definitely the equivalent of a sizable, and picky, focus group!) that they taste delicious.

This time, we head for sunny Mediterranean climes, which, as the first rains of the promised El Nino season fall outside, is no bad thing. As with many of my favorite dishes, this one has a touch of spice, a hint of heat, a smidgeon of warmth on the palate, but not so much as to scare those less adventurous in the spice department.

It's quick to prepare and relatively labor-free as it bubbles away on the stove. This is fortunate, as it leaves me plenty of time to go in search of the fuzzy slippers I clearly 'tidied away' at the end of last winter, and persuade the dogs that, whether or not there is cold water falling from the sky, they still need to go outside to pee, and no, that doe-eyed look is not going to persuade me otherwise :-)

Spanish Rice Bake
Adapted from Allrecipes.com
Serves 6

1lb lean ground beef
1 large onion, chopped
1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper
1 14.5oz can diced tomatoes
2-3 cups beef broth
3/4 cup uncooked white long grain rice
1/2 cup sweet chile sauce
1 tsp salt
1 tsp brown sugar
1 tsp ground cumin
1 1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
2 15 oz cans black beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro (coriander leaves)

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C)
2. In a large skillet (with a lid), brown the beef over medium-high heat, breaking it up as you go. Add onion, green pepper, tomatoes, 1 1/2 cups of broth, rice, chile sauce, salt, brown sugar, cumin, Worcestershire sauce and black pepper to the skillet and stir to combine. Bring to a boil, turn heat down low and simmer.
3. Continue to simmer for around 30 minutes, stirring every 5-10 minutes. If the pot seems to be going dry, you can put more stock in, and also put the lid on to stop liquid from evaporating so quickly.
4. As soon as the rice is tender, transfer the contents of the skillet to a 10" square baking dish (or equivalent). Sprinkle with the cheese.
5. Bake in the oven for 10-15 minutes or until cheese is melted and starting to turn golden.
6. Sprinkle with fresh cilantro to serve.