Mexican Rice Mix

They weren't joking when they said your second child would be nothing like your first. Our second born LOOKS exactly like her sister, and eats like her too. But that's where the similarities end. Our firstborn never slept, had colic and hated being held. Emma sleeps beautifully day and night, hardly ever cries and wants to be held ALL THE TIME.

As you can imagine, I find it hard to find time in the day where I have free arms. I have been using a lot of my well stocked freezer meals. Or ordering take out. And lately my husband has been into making his famous baked chicken legs from his bachelor days. But a woman cannot live on chicken alone, so today I came up with an easy side dish mix to go with it.

Mexican Rice Mix

1 cup uncooked rice
1 teaspoon dried onion flakes
1 teaspoon dried cilantro
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon nutritional yeast
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon dried garlic flakes
1/4 teaspoon hot pepper flakes

What else you'll need

2 cups water
2 tablespoons oil
1 tablespoon tomato paste

Combine mix with water, oil and tomato paste in a saucepan and simmer until rice is tender.

This made a delicious side dish for my husband's chicken legs, and our eldest daughter loved it.

This recipe is similar to my Spanish rice mix, but that one is much sweeter and this one is savory and a bit spicier.