Welcome!

Hello and Welcome to Rachael Jay!

This blog is designed to trace my culinary escapades and to empower students and young people alike to not be afraid of the kitchen! If I can do it, so can you!

Here we go:

Vegetable Rice Pilaf with Lime

Ingredients:
1 cup of white rice
1 red pepper
1 green pepper
2 full handfuls of baby spinach
1/2 onion (I use one whole onion, b/c i love onion)
2 cloves of garlic
EVOO (extra-virgin olive oil for those of you non-Rachel Rayites)
1 small handful of dried basil
1 small handful of dried rosemary leaves
1 tsp of sage
1 half lime

*note: if you are pre-cooking your rice in a rice cooker, make sure to put your rice in about 20-30 minutes before you start to cook the rest. Remember it's about 1.5 parts water to every 1 part rice.
Heat deep frying pan or wok with about 1 tbsp of EVOO. Peel and dice garlic and onion so that they are finely diced, and toss into the pan/wok (give the garlic about a 30 sec. headstart before the onion). Sautee garlic and onion briefly before turning to the peppers.
Chop the red and green peppers in half and remove the center and seeds (don't forget the whitish inside stuff). Chop into small "cubes" and add them to the wok. Add rosemary, basil, and sage. Sautee until 75% cooked.
Chop the ends off the baby spinach (washed) and add to the wok. Add 1/4 cup of water (just a splash) to wok to allow the spinach to wilt and to braise the vegetables. Reduce the liquid until spinach is wilted and peppers are cooked.
*note: here's where whether or not ur using a rice cooker effects things. If you use a rice cooker: 20 minutes before you cook your vegetables, wash 1 cup of rice thoroughly, draining off excess liquid. Put cup of rice in rice cooker with 1 1/2 cup of either salted water or seasoned chicken or vegetable stock. Cook in rice cooker until done.
If you're not using a rice cooker... then place 2 cups of salted water or stock in a deep pan and bring to a simmer. In another pan, heat with oil and sautee onions, garlic and uncooked rice. When rice is brown add to heated water or stock and cook for designated time (usually between 15-25 minutes).
After rice is finished cooking, add rice to vegetables and mix thoroughly, adding more herbs, salt, and pepper as you see fit. To add the final tangy zing, squeeze one lime half into the pilaf.

serves about 4