This rice is quite dry although I do like rice which is sticky … I think that Aunt Mary mixed rice with “Cream of Something-Or-Other” soup plus she added lots of broccoli. Whatever is was … it was sticky good. This rice is just the opposite … very dried out … but people like it a lot. Plus, if you make a bunch, it freezes well. You don’t even have to get air out of the container you store it in. Just put it in a container and put it in the freezer. Microwave a portion when you need a quick side dish. I don’t know why it doesn’t get freezer burn. The method was inspired by making fried rice for kids. It’s weird that kids love it considering it has lots of onions. Of course, the onions are cooked down. Maybe the kids didn’t know what they were eating. This dish is not really “fried” when compared to most fried foods. That is due to a trick that I learned accidentally. A few drops of olive oil is added to the water in which the rice is cooked. I was a few beers into “Football Sunday” when I was on the phone discussing the use of olive oil. As I mentioned to the friend that a little oil works well everywhere, I carelessly added a few drops to the boiling water before adding the packaged rice. The olive oil worked magic. A thin film must have stuck to the individual grains of rice. Not only did the rice not stick to the pot but when the done rice is placed into a pan for frying, very little additional lubricant is required. Also, there is little worry about overcooking the rice while it is in the pot. You can cook it beyond the point where there is no water left in the pot. I used to add nuts to this rice but when I took it to a party, some young kids were allergic to nuts. This time I experimented by adding some colorful lentil beans to half of the rice. The extras you add may just improve the look of the rice, or they may add some crunch. Use your imagination. This recipe does take a lot of time. It’s another Football Sunday recipe. Once in the frying pans you turn the rice mix every first down, every interception and every commercial. The portions of ingredients shown are for two pans worth of rice. Might as well make a lot at a time. I used two pots of water, 2 cups of water per pot for 1 cup of rice per pot. | The onions were placed in just one of the 2 pans with a bit of “Country Crock”. I am a “real butter” person but it doesn’t seem to make much sense in this recipe … but if you want to use butter, go ahead. Cook down the onions over medium heat. |
| These lentil beans were cooked in water according to instructions (10 minutes). Drain the beans and set aside. |
| One of the 2 pots of rice. Set aside while the onions are cooked down. Timing is not important since the rice will later be heated with the onions. |
| I used frozen broccoli. Had to chop it a little finer. |
| When the onions are half cooked down, add the broccoli. |
| This shows the other pan. Just this much spread was added to each pan after the onions were cooked down … before adding the rice. Remember the olive oil coated rice requires little lubricant. |
| The onion broccoli mix has been cooked. Split the mix between the two pans. |
| Add the rice. Note one of the pots which held the rice. Very little rice is stuck. Easy cleanup. |
| Lentil beans added to just one of the pans. It was just an experiment. Add what you want … or don’t. I fry the rice with a medium flame … enough heat to get a sizzle. Your goal is to brown the rice so it looks great. |
| Halfway through frying (the rice is just beginning to brown) add a bunch more chopped onion. The onions are such a sweetener that even brown rice tastes great. I did use brown rice this time … so easy to make correctly because of the olive oil in the water. Most of you will use white rice. |
| More onions added. Return to stove until you like the amount of browning. |
| Done. This is the pan with no lentil beans. |
| This is the pan with lentil beans. A bit more colorful. |
|