Red Pepper Rice Pilaf

From the book Cooking for the Week by Diane Morgan, Dan Taggart, and Kathleen Taggart

Introduction

To make a pilaf, dry rice is stirred in a hot pan along with a little oil or butter (and other seasonings, if desired) until the grains become opaque. Then cooking liquid is added and the rice is steamed. The result is a dish of separate, glistening grains. It is easy to turn leftovers into fried rice.

Ingredients

Steps

1. In a 4-quart or larger heavy saucepan over medium heat, heat the oil and sauté the pepper and onion until they are slightly softened but not browned, about 2 minutes. Add the rice and stir until opaque, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the water, salt, pepper, bay leaf, and celery seed. Stir, bring the water to a boil, reduce to a bare simmer, cover, and cook for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let sit for 5 to 15 minutes. Stir the pilaf and remove the bay leaves.
2. Reserve 6 cups of the rice and serve the rest. Cool the reserved rice, cover, and refrigerate for up to 7 days.

Notes

• Serves 4, with 6 cups reserved for Fried Rice with Julienned Pork

This content is from the book Cooking for the Week by Diane Morgan, Dan Taggart, and Kathleen Taggart.