Wild Rice Pilaf

Wild rice has always been a comfort food of mine. I find it perfect for crisp fall days, on its own or as a side dish. This summer, after taking a series of technique courses at the Institute of Culinary Education in New York City, I learned a brilliant way to prepare this dish. However, the recipe from the culinary school took over an hour to make. While I hope to someday have that amount of free time to spend cooking rice, I am currently in grad school. So, I'm providing you with my quick, bastardized, wild rice pilaf. It is still quite tasty and takes well under 30 minutes to make...

Wild Rice Pilaf

Alexandra Rogers 

Ingredients

1 box Uncle Ben's Wild Rice Original Recipe 
3/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1 cup water
1 medium shallot, finely diced
2 cups sliced baby portabella mushrooms
2 Tablespoons minced parsley
2 sprigs of thyme (optional)
salt and pepper
enough olive oil to coat the bottom of a large saute pan


Recipe
In a small saucepan, combine the rice from the Uncle Ben's box with chicken broth and water. DO NOT use the seasoning included in the box. Stir well, and bring the mixture to a boil. Once boiling, turn the heat down to low/medium-low and let mixture simmer, covered for 5 minutes. After 5 minutes, remove from heat and leave covered. 


Place a large saute pan on medium to medium-high heat and add enough olive oil to coat the bottom of the pan. Once oil is hot, add diced shallots. Cook for 1 minute and add mushrooms. Let cook for 4-5 minutes, only stirring once or twice. Add all the rice from the saucepan (now cooked appropriately with all liquid absorbed) to the saute pan with the mushrooms and shallots. Season to taste, with salt and pepper. Add thyme (optional) and parsley and cook for approximately 2-3 minutes. This makes about 3 servings. 


Serve hot and enjoy!