I love rice. White rice, brown rice, wild rice (really a grass seed) and pilafs of every sort. Partially because of the flavor, but mainly because while I was a working mommy, putting white rice and water in a rice cooker was the easiest way to get a starch on the table after a long day of work.

Coming home to a hungry husband and a hoard of starving kidlets was always both a joy and a concern. What could I fix that would taste great and would fill up the tummies of my little darlings? Easy – rice with something yummy on top or beside it, and a green salad or veggie on the side. The kids all loved rice and it was an inexpensive ingredient. And did I mention – easy?

Having a rice cooker was this working moms answer to “what’s for dinner”, quickly followed by “when’s dinner”? I used my rice cooker a lot!

Of course at the time I was working for Seattle First National Bank in the International district. So getting good rice at Uwajimaya was easy and cheap. And recipes to go with the rice from the Asian ladies I worked with was definitely a bonus. I still feel terribly grateful for the chance to work for almost 10 years with these amazing folks. I learned a lot about different cultures and cuisines. And through daily lunches spent together, and even cooked together, I gained a whole new perspective on how to approach food. Appearance is important. The quality of ingredients is important. Meat is not as important as vegetables. Especially cooked veggies that were crisp tender. And variety truly is the spice of life. A little bit of this and that, is so much more appealing than a big old chunk of “whatever”.

So even as an often tired working mother, I tried to fix food with an eye towards presentation as well as flavor. And somehow it must have worked, because all 4 of the kids not only survived my cooking, but actually grew up to be very fine cooks themselves. Does a mother proud I tell you! Anyway – back to this dish.

It’s not easy! Well let me re-state that. The prep is easy, but it’s not a quick dish to fix. So in that regard, it’s not what I consider to be easy. But delicious? Oh my yes. And worth the effort? Again a resounding YES! And perfect for a large group. I found the bones of this recipe on the Food&Wine site. (Really great site BTW.) Changed up a couple of things, but basically followed their directions as much as possible. When I served the rice the only thing that bothered me was that it was a bit too sticky. But I did some research and I think I solved the problem. So give it a try. The addition of the bit of olive oil infused with garlic, thyme, crushed red pepper flakes, lemon zest, and lemon juice just before serving is absolute genius. Happy New Year everyone.  

• ½ c. wild rice, rinsed well   
• 5 c. vegetable stock, divided
• ½ tsp. kosher salt, divided
• 2 c. brown rice
• 2 T. unsalted butter
• 1 lg. shallot, finely chopped
• freshly ground black pepper
• 2 T. extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves, finely minced
• ½ tsp. dried thyme
• scant ¼ tsp. crushed red chili flakes
• zest of one lemon
• 2 T. fresh lemon juice

Wild Rice: Place wild rice, 2 cups of the veggie stock, and ¼ teaspoon salt in a heavy lidded saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil. Turn the heat down to low, cover the pan, and let simmer for 45-60 minutes. Stir once or twice. (You will know when the rice is cooked when some of the kernels have burst open.) Remove from heat and leave the cover on while the brown rice is cooking. Drain excess liquid just before adding the cooked wild rice to the other ingredients.

Rice Cooker method: Rinse the brown rice in a mesh strainer until the slightly milky water that comes off the rice runs clear. Let sit in the strainer while you prepare the next part of the recipe.

Heat the butter in a small frying pan. Add the shallot and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally until softened, about 5 minutes. Scoop the fried shallot into your rice cooker. (Don’t wash this pan, you are going to use it later.)

To the rice cooker, also add the remaining ¼ teaspoon salt, pepper, washed and drained brown rice, and remaining 3 cups of veggie stock. Give everything a good stir, add the lid, and turn the rice cooker on “go”. (If your rice cooker has a “brown rice” button, that’s the one to use!) Should take about 45-60 minutes to cook. Once the rice is finished cooking, don’t lift the lid for about 15 minutes after the rice cooker transfers from cook to warm.

While the rice cooks, heat the olive oil in the same pan you used to cook the shallots. Add the garlic and cook over very low heat until the garlic is just beginning to brown, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the thyme, chili flakes, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Set aside.

Just before you are ready to serve, add the drained wild rice and the seasoned olive oil to the cooked brown rice. Gently toss the whole mess. Adjust seasoning if necessary.

Top of Stove method: Rinse the brown rice in a mesh strainer until the slightly milky water that comes off the rice runs clear. Let sit in the strainer while you prepare the next part of the recipe.

Heat the butter in a heavy covered pan. Add the shallot and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the remaining ¼ teaspoon salt, pepper, washed and drained brown rice, and 3 cups of veggie stock.   Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer over low heat until the broth is absorbed and the rice is tender, about 45 minutes. Stir a couple of times as the rice cooks. Remove from heat and let stand, covered, for 15 minutes.

While the rice cooks, heat the olive oil in a small frying pan. Add the garlic and cook over low heat until the garlic is just beginning to brown, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the thyme, chili flakes, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Set aside.  When the brown rice is ready, add the drained wild rice and the seasoned olive oil to the brown rice. Gently toss the whole mess. Adjust seasoning if necessary.