Rice Pilaf Garden Style Food

AWESOME RICE PILAF

Steps:

• Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat; cook and stir carrots, celery, red bell pepper, onion, and garlic until the vegetables begin to soften, about 5 minutes.
• Gently stir rice, corn, and peas into vegetables to combine. Pour chicken broth, soy sauce, and Worcestershire sauce into rice mixture. Season with lemon pepper, parsley, thyme, saffron, salt, and black pepper, bring to a boil, and reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer until rice is tender, about 20 minutes. Remove from heat and let pilaf stand covered until grains are separate, 10 to 15 more minutes.

PILAF-STYLE RICE

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the rice and cook, stirring, until slightly toasted and golden, about 1 1/2 minutes. Stir in the water and salt, bring to a boil, cover, reduce the heat to medium low and cook for 18 minutes. Then let the rice rest off the heat for 5 minutes¿please don't lift the lid to give a peek or stir, or the rice will not cook evenly. Put the rice in a large serving bowl, fluff and separate the grains with a fork. Add lemon zest and/or thyme, if desired, and serve.

SPINACH AND LEMON RICE PILAF

Steps:

• Bring the stock to a boil, add rice, reduce heat to low and simmer till done. (About 40 minutes).
• Melt the butter in a frying pan, add spinach, carrot and green onions, saute over medium low heat till spinach is wilted and vegetables softened, about 2 minutes.
• Stir vegetable mixture and lemon juice into hot cooked rice, fluff with fork and serve.

A PILAF OF ASPARAGUS, BROAD BEANS AND MINT

Steps:

• Cook the broad beans in salted water for 4 mins, till almost tender, drain.
• Trim asparagus into short lengths, steam for 3 mins and drain.
• wash the rice 3 times in cold water, stiring with your hand, cover with warm water, add a tsp salt and set aside for a good hour.
• Melt the butter in a saucepan and add the bay leaves, cardamon, peppercorns,cinnamon stick, cloves, cumin seeds and thyme. Stir in the butter for a minute or two until the fragrance is released.
• Drain the rice and tip it into the warmed spices, cover with 1 cm depth of water and bring to the boil.Season with salt, cover and turn the heat down to a simmer.
• Finely slice the spring onions and chop the parsley.
• After 5 mins remove the lid and gently fold in the asparagus, beans, spring onions and parsley. Replace lid and continue to cook for 5-6 mins, until the rice is tender but still has some bite to it. All the water should have been absorbed, leave with the lid on but the heat off for 2-3 minutes.
• Remove lid, check seasoning, add extra butter if liked and fluff with a fork sprinkle over the mint.
• Can be served with minted yoghurt if liked.