A couple of weeks ago I had my long time blogging friend Jodi from 5 Boys Baker here visiting because her cute son had served a church mission here and he wanted to show her around! I LOVED having them here and of course we enjoyed some good food!
One meal we made together included this vibrant and delicious Mediterranean Yellow Rice. It was the perfect accompaniment for grilled Greek Chicken (found here). It was So good! We turned it into a yummy bowl —layering this Mediterranean Yellow Rice, grilled Greek Chicken, lots of Taziki Sauce, Kalamati Olives, some greens (I like Spring Mix with greek dressing), warm homemade hummus and naan! Seriously this is one of my all time favorite meals. I like to make enough so I have leftovers all week.
What you need for this recipe:
As with many recipes, this one starts with staples like the first three:
- Olive Oil
- Onion
- Garlic
- Ground cumin: This spice provides a warm, earthy flavor.
- Turmeric powder: A little goes a long way, providing flavor and a beautiful yellow color. It is the spice that gives curry powder it’s golden hue.
- Long-grain white rice: Look for rice labeled “long-grain” Jasmine or Basmati are good choices (both are Long-grain).
- Pine nuts and fresh cilantro: These are optional, but compliment the flavors of this recipe so well. You can leave them out, or substitute hemp seeds and parsley as garnishes.
Mediterranean Yellow Rice
Description
This fragrant and vibrant rice comes together quickly and is bursting with wonderful flavor! Perfect with grilled chicken and/or vegetables!
Ingredients
1 Tablespoon olive oil
½ cup onion, diced small
2 cloves garlic, minced
¼ teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon turmeric
1/2 – 1 teaspoon salt, to taste (depending on the broth you use)
1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
1 ½ cups long grain rice or Jasmine or Basmati, rinsed and drained
2 ¼ cups chicken broth (can use water)
¼ cup pinenuts (toasted)
2 Tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat.
- Add the onions and saute until softened and slightly translucent.
- Add the garlic, cumin, turmeric, salt and pepper, and rice to the pot. Stir frequently for a couple of minutes until the rice starts to look translucent.
- Stir in the water and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to low, cover the pot, and allow the rice to gently simmer until the water is absorbed and the rice is tender.
- Remove the pot from the heat. Lift up the lid and lay a clean dish towel over the top. Replace the lid on top of the towel and allow the rice to steam for 5-10 minutes.
- Fluff the rice with a fork and fold in the pine nuts and cilantro. Taste and adjust for salt and pepper, as needed. Serve.
Recipe Source: adapted from the Veggies Save The Day blog
HI Amanda,
I am so happy that you love it as much as we do!! Thanks for leaving a comment and rating the recipe!~
xo
This is fantastic, made it exactly as written. The only thing I do is use water and knorr bullion powder instead of chicken stock. It is a family fav!
ohh so sorry! I will look into why that is happening. Can you tell me more? What it on your phone or desktop computer? I am so sorry Thanks for letting me know.
This recipe is wonderful— However, the ads that pop up make doing this recipe 4X longer. It was incredibly frustrating .