This green rice is the side dish that we have used at the Coyote Cantina for over twenty years. Its bright balance of herbs and chiles works well with almost every dish because it is not the usual “red-chile Mexican rice.” It tastes of pureed vegetables and chiles, but doesn’t overpower some of the milder tacos. And as most tacos contain smoky grilled flavors, this rice provides a fresh accent, rather than duplication of what’s already there.

　　

Ingredients

makes 8 cups, to serve 8

　　Leaves from 1 bunch cilantro

　　1 poblano chile, oil-roasted, peeled, cored, and seeded (page 154)

　　1 jalapeño chile, stemmed and seeded

　　3 green onions, trimmed

　　2 leaves romaine lettuce

　　1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

　　2 tablespoons unsalted butter

　　3 1/2 cups water

　　1 clove garlic

　　1 cup baby spinach

　　3 teaspoons kosher salt

　　2 1/4 cups raw parboiled white rice (such as Uncle Ben’s)

　　

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 400°F.

　　

Step 2

In the jar of a blender, add all ingredients except for the rice and puree. There should be 5 cups liquid; if not, add more water. Place the chile puree and rice into an ovenproof container and cover tightly with aluminum foil.

　　

Step 3

Bake until the rice is tender and all liquid has evaporated, about 40 minutes. Mix the rice with a spoon before serving to reincorporate any bits of chopped greens that rise to the top during baking.

　　

Step 4

Serve immediately. The dish can be made up to 2 hours ahead and held at room temperature. Reheat in a microwave.

　　Tacos by Mark Miller with Benjamin Hargett and Jane Horn. Copyright © 2009 by Mark Miller with Benjamin Hargett and Jane Horn. Published by Ten Speed Press, an imprint of the Crown Publishing Group, a division of Random House, Inc.Mark Miller is the acclaimed chef-founder of Coyote Cafe in Santa Fe, New Mexico. He has started and owned thirteen different restaurants on three continents from 1979 to 2008. He is the author of ten books with nearly 1 million copies in print, including Tacos, The Great Chile Book, The Great Salsa Book, and Coyote Cafe. Mark currently works in International Culinary Consulting and lives in Santa Fe, New Mexico.Benjamin Hargett is a travel-loving chef who has cooked in Europe, the Carribean, Mexico, and the United States, where he worked with Mark Miller at the Coyote Café for many years.