Mennonite Girls Can Cook is a collection of recipes which were posted daily for a period of ten years from 2008 to 2018. We have over 3,000 delicious recipes that we invite you to try. The recipes can be accessed in our recipe file by category or you can use the search engine.

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Rice Guiso


I was not totally sure where this dish originated, as both my husband and I grew up with it in South America where we had traditional Mennonite, German,  as well as some of the local dishes. Finally learning the correct spelling from a friend, I learned that  it was a South American version of stew.  It's a dish that can go far to feed a big family. My mom only used tomato paste for flavor. I've added salsa. If you like spice, you can add chili flakes.

Ingredients:
  • 1 pound stewing beef or one steak chopped small
  • 2 tablespoons oil
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 1/2 green or sweet pepper, chopped (optional)
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • pepper
  • 2 carrots, chopped very fine
  • 1/2 cup salsa ( I like a black bean version)
  • 1 cup rice
  • 2 cups water
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  1. Trim beef and chop into popcorn sized pieces. 
  2. Brown meat in a large pot or dutch oven, stirring as needed. Juices will come out. 
  3. Once the juices disappear, add salt, pepper, chopped onions and sweet pepper if using. Cook, stirring as needed, until onions are soft.
  4. Cover with enough water to almost cover the meat. (about 1 1/2 cups) Bring to boil and simmer on low about 1 hour. ( Less time if using more tender cut of meat) Add water if needed, to keep meat from burning.
  5. Add carrots, salsa and rice,
  6. Add two times the amount of water as rice, mixing some with tomato paste and salt. Do not stir. Simmer for 1/2 hour or until rice is done and not much liquid is at the bottom. 
  7. Serve with a sprinkle of chopped parsley. 
If you are short on dinner prep time, you could cook the meat ahead of time, until ready to add the rice. Later it would only have to be reheated and carrots, rice added in. Or you can make the whole dish ahead of time and re-heat. 

10 comments:

  1. Replies
    1. I have to smile because we have so many options on rice now, when there used to be only one kind. Just regular white rice is what I've used. I like Uncle Ben's converted rice because it's not sticky. I think brown rice would be fine too.

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  2. I'm going to buy ingredients today. I love dishes like this because they are nutritious, unfussy, freeze well, and there's always something to eat those days it hurts to cook.

    Sharon

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  3. That looks so delicious and hearty! I love recipes like this ....

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  4. I made it for dinner and I loved it. Definitely will make it again! Thanks!!

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  5. Made this for supper tonight, we loved it. There were lots of mmmmm's! Will definitely make it again and again. Thanks so much for this recipe.

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  6. My mom made a similar dish when I was growing up, and we only ate it on Monday when my pop was working (for years he refused to eat meals where everything was mixed together - LOL). The recipe would have come from her Irish mom who learned to cook at the side of her German mother-in-law. When I got married I asked, and then begged, for the recipe and she refused to share it. Cannot wait to try this!

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