Easy Rice Recipes - Rice Becomes Luxurious

Easy rice recipes are always welcome to make any meal more substantial. In South Africa, where I live, it is a vital part of any of our main meals, it is almost a staple. For us a meal starts with rice, meat and potatoes and then the rest follows. So, for us easy rice recipes are a very important part of our recipe collections. Here I have a few very tasty ones for you to try.

The first one is a very tasty and easy one suitable for the birds. You can serve it with chicken, duck and turkey. Do not substitute oil for the butter; it will not taste as good. In South African cooking we use a lot of butter and you cannot use oil in its place, well you can, but it will not be as tasty.

Rice With Almonds And Raisins

Ingredients:
½ cup raisins ½ cup blanched almonds 2 ½ cups water 1 ½ Tsp. butter 1 ½ cups rice 1 ½ tsp. salt
Method:
Cover raisins with water and almonds with milk for 5 hours. Put water, salt and butter in tightly closed pot and boil. When boiling, add rice and cook gently for 20 minutes. Remove from heat. Cover open pot with towel and let stand for 5 minutes. Add raisins and almonds. Delicious - can be served with chicken and any vegetables of your choice.
Here's A Spanish One Who does not love Spanish? Here is a very easy one.

Ingredients:
Cook 1 cup of rice 1 large onion (cut-up) 3 oz. butter or oil 3 large tomatoes (skinned and cut-up) 1 large green pepper (cut into thin slices) Chopped parsley 3 Tsp. tomato sauce Salt and pepper to taste
Method:
Fry onion in butter or oil until golden brown - add tomatoes, green pepper, salt, pepper, parsley and tomato sauce. Mix together with rice.

Delicious served with beef and salads.

And what about Chinese?

As far as this recipe goes, it can really be served with anything. As far as I know there are very few meat dishes that will not be improved by the flavor of this dish.

Ingredients:
1 cup rice ½ cup chopped mushrooms ½ cup chopped celery ¼ cup chopped onion 2 cups boiling water 3 Tsp. chopped green peppers 1Tsp. butter 1 chicken cube (dissolved in the boiling water) Salt 1 cup cubed cooked chicken
Method:
Fry onion, green pepper and celery in butter or chicken fat. Add rice, then chicken stock. When rice is cooked add chopped mushrooms. Simmer for 20 minutes then add chicken cubes and heat through.
Parsley Rice Moulds

Even though this one is a slightly more "fancy" it is still easy and tasty. Except for the mixed spice the tastes are very neutral and it will compliment any dish.

Ingredients:
1 cup cooked rice ¼ cup milk ½ tsp. grated onion ½ tsp mixed spice !/3 cup mayonnaise 2 Tsp. chopped parsley ¾ tsp. salt Dash of pepper
Method:
Mix all ingredients together. Pack into greased moulds. Bake in pan of water at 400° F. for 15-20 minutes.
Now A Baked Pineapple One

Wow, this is a little sweet one! Once again this is one for the birds, chicken, duck or turkey.

Ingredients:
1½ cups rice 2 cups water ½ cup pineapple juice 2 tsp. salt 1 cup drained, crushed pineapple ½ cup brown sugar 3 Tsp. butter 2 tsp grated lemon rind Dash of lemon juice ¼ tsp grated nutmeg
Method:
Combine rice, water, pineapple juice and salt and cook till it is tender and flaky and liquid absorbed. Pass remaining ingredients and stir lightly with a fork. Turn into buttered quart casserole and bake in preheated oven at 350° F for 15-20 minutes

Excellent with roast duck or chicken. Also good with chicken and mushroom casserole.

With these easy rice recipes at hand you will never be at a loss for a suitable companion for your meat or fish dishes. I hope you enjoy them as much as my family does.