Kate's Picks: Springtime Rice

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This week's pick: Springtime Rice

Have I got the perfect side dish for Mother’s Day, or really, any day. It’s called “Springtime Rice,” although I assure you, you can enjoy it any time of year.

Yet, I remember my mother serving it most at this time of year. It’s perfect with any chicken or fish you could imagine and plays well with pork and beef—especially a pork roast. Springtime Rice is at home with the fanciest holiday meal and with dinner on a busy Wednesday night.

To be honest, my mom didn’t hesitate to buy fancy ingredients and fancy dishes to serve the food in. Like gardening, the kitchen was a place where Mom expressed herself creatively, and so she bought what she could justify, and Dad never cared, because he was her biggest fan. In fact, if Mom made something and Dad didn’t like it, we never ate it again. But this recipe is not only delicious, it’s cheap!

As we move closer to Mother’s Day, I’m thinking a lot about my mother, who we lost in 2019. In fact, I think about her and miss her every day. Ditto with my dad. That’s why I’m sharing this recipe today as my pick. It also has an enchanted quality to it: It’s hard to mess up and people will think you’re kitchen royalty when you serve it, even when you feel like Cinderella.

So to celebrate Mom and spring, here you go.

Springtime Rice

• 1 cup long-grain white rice

• 2 Tbs. vegetable oil, like Canola

• 3/4 cup onions, chopped

• 1/2 cup green peppers, chopped

• 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped

• 1 can (14-oz) chicken broth

• 1 tsp. salt

• 1/4 tsp. pepper

Sauté rice in oil, stirring often until lightly brown. Stir in onions and cook until soft. Mix in green peppers, parsley, and broth. Put in a casserole dish and bake, covered, at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.

Note: This recipe can be prepared in a rice steamer.

I did not have time to make this dish and take a picture of it, which explains the stock photo of rice, but I assure you, it looks as good as it tastes.

Enjoy!

Kate