It has been said that we are a bit overboard in our love of rice. In fact, when the Wee Child was younger he declared to someone who asked that all his Daddy liked to eat was rice. This happened a few days after we had been cleaning out the fridge prior to a vacation, and yes, my Beau made a good effort to have rice with every meal for a couple of days. While I don't know that you could actually say rice is our favorite food, it is common in our house and a popular side. We prefer a nice brown rice or this Easy Wild Rice Pilaf over other versions. While we do limit our carb intake typically, we aren't afraid to include some rice once a week. This recipe resulted in our desire to have something more substantial than the usual white rice we found served most places.
EASY WILD RICE PILAF
To us, the key to rice is seasoning. While plain steamed white rice has it's place in the world, a truly well seasoned brown or wild rice is a great addition to any meal. By adding a few of our favorite spices, a bit of broth and some wine to this as it cooks, we created a delicious side dish that is great with our Easy Roasted Broccoli or Broiled Dill & Caper Salmon. We recently had it with some BBQ seasoned pork tenderloin and broccoli as shown.
Ingredients:
3 Cups Organic Wild Rice Blend
1 Cup White Wine
2 Cups Organic Low Fat Low Sodium Chicken Broth (we make our own)
¼ Cup Bragg's Liquid Aminos
1 Cup Water
1 Clove Garlic, Minced
1 Teaspoon Salt
1 Teaspoon Onion Powder
¼ Teaspoon Cumin
¼ Teaspoon Sage
1 Tablespoon Organic Unsalted Butter
Directions:
We prefer to use our rice cooker instead of the stovetop method. Not only do we have fewer problems with sticking and burning, but it is almost always spot on accurate in timing. We simply punch the cook button and when it is done it pops over to the warm setting. This typically takes around 25 minutes for the recipe listed above. While there are a multitude of rice cookers out there, we have really grown fond of our Black & Decker Rice Cooker (yes, that is an affiliate link, but mostly it is a personal recommendation). There are others of much higher cost and quality out there, but for the average home chef, it is more than acceptable and under $20 it can't be beat!
Rinse rice well and drain. Add all ingredients to rice cooker and cook as directed, OR: Add all ingredients to large stockpot and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Then cover with lid and reduce to low for an additional 10 minutes. Remove lid, stir and check for doneness. May cook for additional 5 minute intervals as needed.
When done fluff with fork and enjoy!
- 3 Cups Organic Wild Rice Blend
- 1 Cup White Wine
- 2 Cups Organic Low Fat Low Sodium Chicken Broth (we make our own)
- ¼ Cup Bragg's Liquid Amino's
- 1 Cup Water
- 1 Clove Garlic Minced
- 1 Teaspoon Salt
- 1 Teaspoon Onion Powder
- ¼ Teaspoon Cumin
- ¼ Teaspoon Sage
- 1 Tablespoon Organic Unsalted Butter
- Rinse rice well and drain.
- Add all ingredients to rice cooker and cook as directed.
- OR
- Add all ingredients to large stockpot and bring to a boil stirring occasionally.
- Once boiling point has been reached, stir, cover with lid and reduce to low.
- Cook additional 10 minutes on low.
- Remove lid, stir and check for doneness. May cook in additional 5 minute intervals as needed.
- When done fluff with fork and serve.
Makes 12 servings
6 SmartPoints per serving on Weight Watchers FreeStyle, Flex, Your Way, Beyond the Scale, and PointsPlus Plans
Get creative with this easy wild rice pilaf. Vegetarian? Use vegetable broth or water & wine only. Like a little veggie in your rice? Add a cup of frozen peas, carrots, or some diced onion for a bit more flavor and texture. Want to go a little more Mexican or South American? Add more cumin, 1 cup of salsa, and some lime or cilantro. Rice is so versatile and one of our favorite additions to any meal.
Be sure to check out these other great recipes!
Mira Sil
This sounds so delicious!