I am crazy about red rice. There are dozens of red rice recipes. I happen to like this one. If you have fresh tomatoes, just use those instead of the canned variety. Skip the shrimp if you like.
Ingredients:
1 (28-ounce) can whole tomatoes in juice 3 thick or 4 thin bacon slices, cut into 1/2-inch pieces 1 1/2 cups finely chopped onion 1 cup coarsely chopped sweet pepper 1 1/2 cups long-grain white rice 1 cup boiling reduced-sodium chicken broth 1/4 cup tomato paste 1 teaspoon kosher salt 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper 3/4 pound medium cooked, peeled shrimp 1 cup toasted and coarsely chopped pecans
Preparation:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Pour the canned tomatoes into a colander set in a bowl. Press down lightly on each tomato to release the juice. Let drain for about 10 minutes, reserving the juice. Puree the tomatoes in a food processor until smooth (you should get about 1 3/4 cups. Add a little of the reserved juice if needed; discard or save the rest of the juice for another use.)
Cook the bacon in a Dutch oven over medium heat, stirring often, until fat is rendered, about 8 minutes. Add the onion and bell pepper and cook, stirring often, until tender, about 6 minutes.
Add the rice. Cook, stirring, reducing the heat if necessary, until the rice is coated and smells toasty, about 2 minutes. Add the pureed tomatoes, chicken broth, tomato paste, salt, thyme, and black and cayenne peppers. Stir well and bring to a boil. Boil for 1 minute and stir well again. Cover with a lid, transfer to the oven, and bake until the rice is just tender and the liquid has been absorbed, 35-40 minutes. Remove from the oven and let stand, covered, for 5 minutes. Fluff well with a fork. Add shrimp, if using. Cover and let stand for another 5 minutes or until ready to serve. Taste for seasoning. Sprinkle with pecans and serve hot.