Simple Rice Pilaf Recipe

A good rice pilaf recipe starts with some variety of rice that is fried or browned before adding other ingredients. Rice pilaf can include two or more meats, several vegetables and a multitude of added spices and sauces.

The best rice pilaf recipes, however, are those that allow the rice to take center stage. Showcasing a few fruits or nuts-and a vegetable or two-is always a tasty alternative, too, but when creating this particular dish, rice is king.

Wild Rice Cherry Pilaf
Ingredients You Will Need:
4 green onions, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons butter
2 cups wild rice
2 cups chicken broth
1 ½ cups dried cherries, minced
½ cup sliced almonds
�" cup balsamic cherry vinaigrette

In a medium skillet, sauté the onion in butter, and then add the rice. Cook, stirring frequently until the rice is slightly brown. Add the chicken broth, and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium, and cover the skillet. Cook until the liquid has been absorbed and the rice is tender but still chewy.

Add the cherries and almonds, and stir. Just before serving, pour the balsamic cherry vinaigrette over the rice. Stir gently. Serve on a bed of lettuce.

Hazelnut Pilaf
Ingredients You Will Need:
1 can sliced mushrooms
¾ cup uncooked rice
1 cup chicken broth
¾ cup shredded cheddar cheese
½ cup sliced onion
½ cup hazelnuts, chopped
¼ cup soy sauce

Grease a casserole dish. Drain the mushrooms but reserve the liquid. Add the rice, chicken broth, cheese, onion and mushrooms to the dish, and set aside. Place the hazelnuts into a roasting pan for 15 minutes at 300 degrees. Remove the hazelnuts from the pan, and fold them in with the rice mixture.

In a small saucepan, mix the mushroom liquid with the soy sauce. Bring the mixture to a boil. Immediately pour the hot liquid over the rice mixture in the casserole dish, and cover. Bake for one hour in an oven that has been preheated to 350 degrees.