We love rice as a side dish. Whether it be Spanish rice or cilantro-lime rice with our Mexican dishes, or plain white or brown rice with our Chinese dishes and stir-fries, it’s always been a favorite around here. I’d picked up a few bags of wild rice the last time I was at Trader Joe’s a few months ago. I use it all the time in soups, but wanted to try my hand at a homemade wild rice pilaf. For too long I’ve relied on old Uncle Ben when I wanted that as a side dish, and it was high time we remedied that situation.
So, I took the recipe for Garlic Rice Pilaf that we’ve loved so long in our kitchen and modified it a bit. A quick saute of a bit of garlic, onions, carrots, and celery – then the rice is added for a quick toasting before adding chicken stock. Then it’s all poured into a baking dish to finish cooking in the oven. A quick fluffing with fork when it comes out of the oven, and you have a great side dish that goes with just about anything.
On a side note, we’ve pretty much completed the move. We weren’t even without internet for a whole day! I’ve just been lazy about posting. It was Pony Penning, and a bunch of family and old friends were in town – so we’ve just been having fun with them and adjusting to being back on the island. I really love the new house, and had an easier time than I thought I would leaving the old one. Now just to get it on the market and sold! Going to get Andrew registered for 1st grade this week, the excitement just never ends around here. Where is this summer running off to, guys?
Wild Rice Pilaf
3 Tbsp. butter
2 carrots, finely diced
2 stalks celery, finely diced
1/2 onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup long-grain white rice
1/2 cup wild rice
3 1/2 cups chicken or vegetable broth, divided
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
Preheat the oven to 375 F. In a saucepan or skillet, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add the carrots, celery and onion and saute until starting to soften, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and rice to the pan and cook until both are golden brown, about 3-4 more minutes. Stir in 1 1/2 cups of the broth, salt and pepper; bring to a boil. Pour the mixture into a 2 qt casserole dish, cover, and bake for 25 minutes.
After 25 minutes, remove from the oven and stir in the remaining broth. Re-cover and bake for another 45 minutes. Remove from oven, uncover, and let sit for 5 minutes before fluffing with a fork and serving.
Source: adapted from Annie’s Eats
