Spanish Rice! Olé!

My favorite side dish for a Mexican meal is Spanish rice.  I tried quite a few recipes, but they all seemed too strongly flavored for me.  That seems strange, since I love very flavorful dishes.  I think I like a mildly flavored Spanish rice because it accompanies a spicy dish most usually in my kitchen.  If more than one spicy dish is served at once, I feel like they sort of cancel each other out.

SPANISH RICE

2 Tbsp. olive oil, (or up to 1/4 cup)

1 onion, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
2 cups of long grain white rice
1 Tbsp. chili powder or taco seasoning
1 pinch oregano
1 heaping Tbsp. tomato paste
1 tsp salt, or to taste
3 cups of vegetable broth, heated in a microwave until hot

In a large saucepan, sauté the onion for a few minutes.  Add the garlic and saute for about two minutes.  Add the rice and saute about four minutes, stirring often.  Add the chili powder, oregano, and tomato paste.  Saute for a minute or two.  Add the salt and the hot vegetable broth.  Bring to a simmer.  Cover and cook on low about 15 minutes.  Turn off heat and let sit for five minutes, then fluff the rice.

I actually think this is quite authentic, but can't swear to that.  I always thought it would be great to have more diversity in my family, so that I would have grown up eating and learning how to make all those great ethnic meals.