Before I get into this recipe, I want to apologize in advance if I don’t post much next week. My beautiful sister-in-law will be having a baby girl in March and I’m co-hosting her shower. This weekend I’ll be working on making 50-60 onesie sugar cookies. Next week I’ll be prepping all the food. I’m super excited about the shower and will blog about it when it’s all over.

Onto the recipe. I made the Basmati Rice Pilaf when I made the Chicken In A Pot. The sauce from the chicken went perfectly with the rice. The one thing I forgot to add to the rice was the scallions. I don’t think it made a huge difference, but I love scallions and would loved to have had them in it.

Basmati Rice Pilaf:

• 1 tbs olive oil
• 1 small onion, minced
• Salt and Pepper
• 1 1/2 cups basmati rice, rinsed and drained *See note at bottom
• 2 1/2 cups water
• 2 minced garlic cloves
• 1 tsp grated lemon zest
• 1/8 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1/2 cup frozen peas, thawed
• 2 thinly sliced scallions
• 1 tbs fresh lemon juice

1. Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat until shimmering. Add the onion and 1/4 tsp salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is softened, about 5 minutes.
2. Stir in the rice, garlic, lemon zest and red pepper flakes and cook, stirring often, until the edges of the grains begin to turn translucent, about 3 minutes. Stir in the water and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to low, cover and continue to simmer until the rice is tender and the water is absorbed, 16-18 minutes.
3. Remove the pot from the heat and sprinkle the peas over the top. Lay a clean folded kitchen towel on the pot and replace the lid over the towel. Let sit for 10 minutes. Add the lemon juice and scallions, fluff the rice with a fork, season with salt and pepper to taste, and serve.

*Note: Rinsing the rice: Rinse the rice in a fine mesh strainer under cold water until the water runs clear, then set the strainer of rinsed rice over a bowl to drain until needed. Rinsing the rice removes excess starch so the rice is light and fluffy, not clumped and sticky.

Source: America’s Test Kitchen Healthy Family Cookbook