Recipe Monday: Create Your Own Pilaf

Here is a recipe to use up little odds and ends that might be hiding in your fridge.

Create Your Own Pilaf

Grain:1 cup uncooked brown or white rice, bulgur, couscous, or favorite grain

Fat: 2 Tablespoons olive oil, butter, vegetable oil

Base Vegetable: 1 or 2 cloves garlic, 1 small onion, 3 shallots, white part of a leek

Liquid: 2 cups Vegetable Broth, chicken broth, cooking water from vegetables or water

Meat or Protein: 1/2 to 3/4 cup chicken, tuna, cooked white or red beans, hamburger, cheap steak, any leftover meat

Additional Vegetables: 1/2 cup fresh or frozen peas, frozen corn, cut up carrots, green peppers, celery, any leftover vegetables

Seasoning: salt, pepper, chervil, parsley, or season to taste

Directions: 1. Heat FAT in skillet. Add BASE VEGETABLE, fry until brown and translucent. Add MEAT/PROTIEN and brown(except fish). Add GRAINS and fry a minutes to coat with fat. Add LIQUID.

2. Bring to boil(add fish). Add other VEGETABLES and SEASONING.

3. Bring back to boil. Lower heat and cover. Check and stir once in awhile.

Note: Whole grains take longer (40 minutes), white rice only 15 minutes. When liquid is absorbed it is done. Stir and check seasoning.

Second Note: Use cooked rice, eliminate the amount of liquid and substitute soy sauce, teriyaki sauce, fish sauce, hoisin sauce, sweet and sour sauce, and scramble an egg, you could easily make this into a Create Your Own Refried Rice recipe.