Spanish Rice - cooking recipe

Ingredients

1 cup brown rice
2 cups water
1/4 cup dried onion
1/4 teaspoon cumin
1 bay leaf
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon garlic salt
1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
1 lb lean ground beef
4 stalks celery, finely chopped
1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
1 tablespoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 cup pre-shredded mozzarella cheese

Preparation

Place rice, water, onion, cumin, bay leaf, red pepper flakes, garlic sale, and pepper into medium saucepan, stir and bring to a rolling boil. Cover, reduce heat to low and simmer 35-40 minutes until water is absorbed. Remove from heat, remove the bay leaf, and allow the rice to sit for 5 minutes covered. In a separate pan, brown and drain the ground beef, add the celery and allow to cook for another 1-2 minutes. Stir in the crushed tomatoes, chili powder and cayenne. Then gently stir in the rice and 1/4 cup of the cheese. Place the mixture into a 9 or 10 inch square pan and sprinkle the remaining 1/4 cup cheese on top. Bake at 350 degrees uncovered for 30 minutes.