Wednesday, April 14, 2010

Calico Rice Pilaf - side dish with a splash of color...



The fluffy texture of this brightly colored rice makes it a nice addition to an otherwise plain meal.  You can also add other vegetables to mix it up a bit - a good idea for your summer produce coming on soon.   Prepare this first, get it started baking, and then finish up the rest of your meal.  It holds well ‘till dinner is on... 


I don’t often have chicken bouillon on hand, so I appreciate recipes that use chicken bouillon cubes or granules.  I don’t notice much difference, other than you need to be careful not to add too much salt.  

There’s nothing spectacular in this list of ingredients - which is an  advantage if you don’t enjoy store-hopping for one or two more items you don’t have on hand.  The flavor is just right for a side dish.  It doesn’t steal the thunder of the main dish, yet it's a splash of color for the eyes.  

The most time-intensive step is prepping the celery, carrot, and onion.  I like the vegetables to look “hand-diced”, but next time I’m going to try pulsing the veggies in my blender with water, then draining.   When you make this for a crowd, it isn’t necessary to have them perfectly diced.

This is easily warmed up in the microwave, and maintains it’s fluffy texture even the day or two after.  This colorful rice could also be a unique base for a casserole with diced chicken, sauce, and some kind of topping. 

For this recipe, go to:

1 comment:

  1. I had a similar rice while visiting the Sunshine Coast in Canada and it was delicious!

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