Rice Pilaf Recipes - ?

A variety of meals are enhanced by serving a rice pilaf instead of plain rice. I decided to add a few recipes for rice pilaf to Food Nirvana simply to provide some variety to the starch food items. Even the best foods can become boring if we eat them too often, so make some rice now and then for variety. It also tastes fine and it is very easy to prepare.

Almond Rice Pilaf:

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup of chopped onion
• 1/2 cup of slivered almonds
• 2 tablespoons of butter
• 1½ cups of chicken broth
• ½ cup of orange juice
• 2 cloves of garlic, sliced
• ½ tsp. of black pepper
• ¼ tsp. of sea salt
• 1 cup of raw/uncooked basmatic rice

Directions:

In a saucepan, sauté onion, garlic and almonds in butter until the onion is tender and the almonds are lightly browned. Add the pepper and mix.

Cook the basmatic rice in the chicken broth and orange juice with ¼ tsp. sea salt … then add that to the sautéed onions, garlic and almonds done in the butter.

Serve hot.

Fragrant Rice Pilaf:

Ingredients:

• 1/2 teaspoon of ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon of crumbled saffron threads
• 1/4 teaspoon of salt
• 1 tablespoon of butter
• 1 tablespoon of olive oil
• 1 cup of finely diced onion
• 2 tablespoons of finely minced garlic
• 4 carrots, cut into 1/4" by 1/4" diced pieces
• 1 1/2 cups of long-grain rice
• 3 1/2 cups of chicken broth
• 1/2 to 3/4 cup of dried cherries

Directions:

Combine the cumin, saffron and salt. Set aside.

Heat the butter and oil in a pot over low heat. Add the onion and wilt, stirring, for 5 minutes.

Add garlic and carrots; cook 5 minutes more, sprinkling with the spice mixture.

Add the rice and cook for 1 minute, stirring to mix well. Add the broth and cherries.

Bring the mixture to a boil, reduce the heat to a simmer and cook, covered, until all the liquid is absorbed, about 20 minutes.

Fluff the rice with a fork. Serve hot.