I could never figure out what the green woody things were, but after reading the recipe from Favorite Family Recipes, it must be cilantro. I like this recipe better than the one at Cafe Rio, which tastes a little too lime-y to me.
Look my post for my secret to fluffy rice. I did this simple step in addition to the recipe.
This recipe calls for 1 teaspoon + 1 Tablespoon of freshly squeezed lime juice, which is perfect for me. Now who has 1 Tablespoon of fresh lime juice on hand?
Fortunately, I found a bunch of limes on sale last year, squeezed them and put them in ice cube trays. Another great tip!
I had 1 T. of lime juice left, to which I added 2 t. of sugar.
O.k. Now the recipe needs 3 T. of fresh cilantro. Did you know you can freeze it too? Just wash well and spin dry (or towel dry) in a salad spinner and freeze in a freezer bag. Another tip for ya!
The rice is done and the lime juice mixture is added. So good!
Thank you, Family Favorite Recipes!
Cafe Rio Cilantro Lime Rice Copycat
adapted from Family Favorite Recipes