Lemon Parsley Rice

Parsley is one of the healthiest greens around and I like to use as much as I can in side and main dishes.  One day I invented this easy side dish that can easily be turned into a main dish.  All you need are brown rice, curly parsley and lemon.  I plant parsley in the spring and it seems to spread and come back every year.

Use your favorite rice--my favorite is California grown.

Here's the recipe:

Lemon Parsley Rice

(Serves 4)

1 3/4 cup water

1 cup brown rice

1 fresh lemon--zest and juice

1 teaspoon agave nectar or honey

2 cups finely chopped curly parsley

Sea salt and freshly ground pepper

Bring water to a boil in a small sauce pan.   Add brown rice and lemon zest. Add a bit of sea salt and when water boils again, reduce heat, cover and simmer for 45 minutes.  Water should all be absorbed.  If not continue cooking for a few minutes.  Remove from heat.  After 5 minutes, fluff with a fork.

Combine lemon juice and agave nectar.  Place rice in a serving bowl and stir in parsley and lemon juice.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.

I turned this easy side dish into a main dish by adding diced carrots to the rice, during the last 30 minutes of cooking.  Then I sauteed seitan and onions, and I topped the finished dish with toasted almonds.  Now that's an easy dinner! 

Both the rice and almonds were from Massa Organics--one of my favorite splurges for my normally tight food budget.

Serve it with crusty artisan bread or corn tortillas.  Add some avocados to top it off.

My Cooking Assistant is dreaming sweet dreams of eating the whole thing.