• 1 cup long-grain white rice (jasmine or basmati work well)
• 2 tablespoons neutral oil (avocado or vegetable)
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• ½ teaspoon ground cumin
• ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
• ½ teaspoon dried oregano
• ¼ teaspoon turmeric or annatto (optional, for color)
• 1¾ cups chicken or vegetable broth (low sodium)
• ½ teaspoon salt, or to taste
• Optional: 1 small bay leaf, 1 chopped green or poblano pepper
• Optional garnish: fresh cilantro or lime wedges

Directions:

1. Rinse the rice in a fine-mesh strainer under cool running water until water runs mostly clear. Drain thoroughly.
2. In a skillet over medium heat, heat the oil. Add the drained rice and toast it, stirring often, for 5–6 minutes until golden and fragrant.
3. Push rice to the edges of the pan, leaving a well in the center. Add the tomato paste and let it cook in the oil for 1 minute, stirring gently to caramelize. Then stir it into the rice.
4. Add cumin, paprika, oregano, turmeric (if using), and salt. Stir everything together to coat the rice evenly with the spices.
5. Transfer the seasoned rice mixture into the rice cooker pot. Add 1¾ cups of broth and the optional bay leaf or chopped pepper, if using. Stir to distribute evenly.
6. Start your rice cooker on the regular white rice setting. Do not open the lid until the cycle is complete.
7. Once done, let the rice sit in the warm cooker for 5–10 minutes before opening the lid. Fluff with a fork and remove the bay leaf if used.

1 box Wild Rice, cooked in a rice cooker.
1 lb Ground Beef, browned
Salt & Pepper
Chopped Vegetables: zucchini, yellow squash, carrots, onions, garlic, spinach, etc.

Start the rice in the rice cooker. Then, cut up whatever vegetables you have on hand. Cut them pretty small and all about the same size. Sauté the vegetables until softened and then take them out of the pan and set aside. (Some take longer than others, so for example start onions and carrots before adding in the zucchini).

Brown the ground beef, seasoning with salt and pepper. When the rice is done add the vegetables and rice back into the pan with the ground beef and stir everything together. If adding spinach, chop it up and then stir it in at the very end. The heat will wilt it.

The wild rice has a lot of flavor, so I don’t usually add much else, but if you want more flavor, add any spices that sound good. The main thing is to get the salt right for the ground beef.

(This Recipe is from “A Saucy Kitchen.” It is Low FODMAP + Dairy Free)

NOTES: 

I use this as a base recipe and change up the spices to make a totally different meal. I have tried a Cajun version where I changed the spices to:

2 tsp brown sugar
1 tsp sweet paprika
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
cayenne, if want to add heat.

• 1 teaspoon coconut oil, olive oil, or butter
• 1/4 cup onion, diced
• 1/2 cup carrots, diced
• 1-2 stalks of celery, diced
• 1-2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon Marjoram
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 1 box Long Grain & Wild Rice with Flavor Packet
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 3 cups water
• 3/4 cup heavy cream
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1 cup cooked and shredded chicken
• salt, to taste
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Instructions:

1. Melt oil or butter in a large pan over medium heat. Add onion, celery, and carrots and cook until softened. Add dried marjoram, flour, and seasoning packet from the rice; stir to combine.
2. Add rice, chicken broth, and water; bring to a boil. Cover, lower to a simmer, and let cook for 15 minutes.
3. Heat heavy cream and milk in a small saucepan over low heat. Stir into the soup. Stir in the shredded chicken.
4. Cook about 30 minutes or until the rice is cooked. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Cook rice in the rice cooker. Meanwhile cook chicken and chop. Set aside. Dice vegetables and saute until tender. In a pot, melt butter, add in the flour and salt, then add in the milk. Stir until thickened. Add in the broth, chicken, and sauteed vegetables to the pot. Simmer on low. Add pimento and parsley for color if desired. Server over rice.

Season the pork all over with salt and pepper. It takes quite a bit of salt! Put in your slow cooker for 6-8 hours on low.  Shred and let sit for one more hour. 

For the rice:
3 cups of rice 
3 cups of water
1/2 onion
1/2 bunch cilantro
1 can green chilies
4 t garlic- minced
4 t chicken bouillon
1/2 t salt
1 T butter
4 T lime juice

Blend/Chop onion, cilantro, and chilies in a food processor.  Then put all ingredients in with the rice and cook in a rice cooker.

For the dressing:
1 pkg. Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing (dry mix)
1 cup buttermilk
1/2-1 bunch of cilantro, chopped
1 cup mayo
2 tsp. lime juice
2 tomatillos (remove outer papery skin)
2 garlic cloves

Blend all ingredients in blender or food processor.  Refrigerate.

My family calls this recipe “Sweet Pork.” You can serve this many ways.  It makes excellent taco’s, burrito’s, and rice bowl’s. I like to make a salad with some lettuce, pico, guacamole, etc. I haven’t been in forever, but I think Cafe Rio puts a large tortilla in the bottom of a bowl, then rice, then meat, then lettuce, pico, guacamole, the dressing, and crunchy tortilla strips. 

INGREDIENTS

1 pound shredded, cooked chicken
1 (15 ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes, mashed
1 (10 ounce) can enchilada sauce
onion, chopped
1 (4 ounce) can chopped green chile peppers
1 cloves garlic, minced
1 (14.5 ounce) can chicken broth
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 bay leaf
1 (10 ounce) package frozen corn or can of mexi-corn
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
tortilla chips
shredded cheddar cheese

DIRECTIONS

Place chicken, tomatoes, enchilada sauce, onion, green chiles, and garlic into a slow cooker. Pour in water and chicken broth, and season with cumin, chili powder, salt, pepper, and bay leaf. Stir in corn and cilantro. Cover, and cook on Low setting for 6 to 8 hours or on High setting for 3 to 4 hours. To serve, sprinkle tortilla strips and shredded cheese over soup.

3 chopped peppers

3 chopped onions

1 stalk celery, chopped

4 boxes Lipton’s chicken noodle soup mix

2 cups uncooked rice

2 cups mushrooms, drained

2 cups sliced almonds

Cook sausage and drain. Add peppers, onions, celery. Cook soup in half the amount of water called for on box. Add rice and mushrooms to mixture and top with almonds. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 ½ hours. Serves 25

For Sauce heat in a sauce pan:
1 cup pineapple juice
3/4 cup water
1/4 cup vinegar
1 Tbsp. soy sauce
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
Bring to a boil. In a small cup mix 2 Tbsp. cornstarch and 2 Tbsp. cold water. Stir into the hot sauce mixture to thicken.

Add sliced port to sauce and serve over hot cooked rice.

Brown ground beef, onion, and bell pepper in a skillet. Drain. Add taco seasoning, Rotel, water, rice, and salt. Bring to a boil, reduced heat, cover and simmer until rice is done.
Garnish with lettuce, green onions, tomato, olives, sour cream, cheese, and tortilla chips.