Wild Basmati Pilaf

This is a very plain and simple recipe. I find that if I have days of eating rich foods, I crave a simple (but still tasty!) meal. I found it in “Food that Cause you to Lose Weight : the negative calorie effect” by Dr Neal Barnard.

What you will need:

¼ cup wild rice ( Available in supermarkets. A bit pricey, but you don’t need to buy much.)

2 cups vegetable stock (You can get Massel vegan stock at supermarkets.)

¾ cup basmati rice

1 onion, finely chopped (Optional.)

3 garlic cloves, minced (Optional.)

2 cups thinly sliced mushrooms

2 stalks celery, thinly sliced

½ tsp thyme

½ tsp marjoram

1/3 cup chopped parsley

¼ tsp salt (Optional.)

¼ tsp black pepper (Optional.)

Method:

Rinse the wild rice and place it in a saucepan with the vegetable stock and ½ cup of water. Stir to mix and cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Then add the basmati rice and cover and cook for about 50 minutes. Both varieties should be tender.

Heat ½ cup of water in a large pot and add onion and garlic (if using) and cook until all the water has evaporated. Add another ¼ cup of water, scrap the pot and cook until onions begin to stick. Repeat the process of adding water and cooking until the onions are browned. This will take about 15 minutes.

Stir in the mushrooms, celery and seasonings. Cook, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes and then add the cooked rice and parsley. Cook over low heat, turning gently until mixture is heated through.