What can I add to white rice to make it more flavorful?!


Question: I will occasionally eat Rice-a-Roni but my husband is not a big fan of it. He likes just plain old white rice and I hate it! I used to eat it with sugar and butter when I was a kid, but my husband likes to eat it with salt and pepper and I think that's gross! He is always asking me to fix rice with our meals but I rarely do because he usually likes to have some sort of gravy on the side. I don't like brown or white gravy either. What kind of sauce or flavoring could I add to the rice. I am looking for homeade recipes.

10 points will go to the person with the best answer.


Answers: I will occasionally eat Rice-a-Roni but my husband is not a big fan of it. He likes just plain old white rice and I hate it! I used to eat it with sugar and butter when I was a kid, but my husband likes to eat it with salt and pepper and I think that's gross! He is always asking me to fix rice with our meals but I rarely do because he usually likes to have some sort of gravy on the side. I don't like brown or white gravy either. What kind of sauce or flavoring could I add to the rice. I am looking for homeade recipes.

10 points will go to the person with the best answer.

You can cook the rice in beef, chicken or vegetable broth.
Add clam juice for part of the water if you're fond of clams (about 1/4 the amount of liquid total).
Make a pot of rice earlier than dinner will be ready and leave half plain and turn the other half into fried rice.
Before adding your liquid, heat 2 Tblsps. olive oil in a large saucpan and stir in your dry rice, coating with the oil a bit so it won't stick later. Add some chopped veggies such as onion, garlic, tomatoes, whatever type of pepper you like or even some almonds, pinenuts or peanuts. Heat, stirring frequently, over low flame until whatever you've added becomes fragrant. Then add your liquid, turn the heat up so it comes to a boil, cover and finish over low heat.
Put your rice in a greased casserole dish, add liquid and whatever bits of leftover meat you may have, cover and bake in the oven (about 35 minutes on 350 for my altitude). Pop the cover off and sprinkle with shredded cheese. Pass salsa/sour cream at table.
If you like mushrooms, remove the stems from some decent sized fresh ones, about 3/4 of a pound. Chop the stems finely, add to 2 Tblsps. butter in a small saute pan (add garlic, if you like; I use 2 cloves minced finely) over medium low heat and cook, stirring once in a while until the moisture is pretty much gone. Remove from the heat and let cool a bit. Take a 11x7 glass pan, butter it and add 1 1/2C. dry rice, spreading fairly evenly over the bottom. Take the mushroom caps and spoon a bit of the cooked down stems into the centre. Arrange the mushroom caps on top of your rice. Add 2 3/4 C. hot liquid (I like beef stock for this), cover and put in a 350 oven for 35 minutes or so. Remove, let stand a couple minutes, uncover and serve.
Saffron is great in rice, though it may be hard to find, depending on where you live. Try a speciality market.
You can add a packet of taco seasoning to rice with your liquid. Not outstanding, but not terrible either.
Cook rice early and let cool. Beat a couple of eggs (I use 2 to 2C. cooked rice), chop some veggies (onion, asparagus, jalapenos, whatever may complement the main dish) and stir together. Using hands, scoop balls up and pat into little cakes. Put them on a wax paper lined tray and refrigerate half an hour or so. Heat a bit of oil, butter or meat drippings in a frying pan over medium heat. Add a layer of the rice cakes and cook until lightly browned, turn and heat through.
If you're making chicken and rice, brown your chicken in a 13x9 pan in the oven at 350F. Remove the chicken, add 1C. dry rice and 2 C. liquid, any seasoning you like (1C. orange juice and 1C. chicken broth is interesting or add tomato, onion, taco seasoning and water), and arrange chicken pieces on top of rice/liquid. Cover and bake about 1 hour. Remove and check chicken for doneness.

Instead of boiling it in water, use chicken broth.

or

Once it is prepared add a can of Cream of Chicken or Cream of whatever soup to it, mix it well. Very good side dish.

or

Just make a cup or two for him and make whatever side you like too.

Saffron

Cook it in chicken or beef broth (depending on what meat you're having for dinner) instead of water.

Yes use either chicken broth or beef broth instead of water. I put butter on mine after cooking.

Chicken or beef stock, fresh spices such as parsley.

You could mix a can of cream of mushroom soup or cream of chicken in with it. It's pretty good that way. Or douse it with a bit of soy sauce or hot sauce.

BTW... when I was little, my mom always fixed sweet rice for me w/ sugar and butter too!! That was always such a treat!

sumtimes after i cook it i add sum soy sauce and mix it up

cook it with a little bit of chicken broth, makes it taste much better!

Add to your cooking water a bouillion cube and it can be; chicken, beef, vegetable, ham. Use whatever flavour according to the meat you will be serving with the rice.

A sauce or flavouring for the rice no gravy: That's a little harder because you don't say what you are serving the rice with. My personal preference is virgin olive oil and salt & cracked black pepper..goes with everything.

Butter, salt, and pepper with white rice is DA BOMB!

use chicken stock instead of water, and add some veggies, like broccoli, peppers, or peas to it.

Try cooking in beef or chicken broth or broth from meat you are making. What about a cheese soup over top of it after cooking. Add some vegetables for differnt taste. mushroom are gooddddd, peas, corn, green peppers, onion. Why not cook rice, then give husband his, and re-fry some for your self in a broth with additional food. Tomatoe sauce is an ecellent chpice to use over rice, or stewed tomoatoe or diced tomatoe. Or put in a gralic white wine and butter sauce, or a plain butter sauce, or just a garlic sauce. Or just addd some butter and season to your taste. good luck

Pineapple rice. 1 1/4 cups long-grain rice
3 tablespoons butter
1 2/3 cups (14 ounce can) crushed pineapple
1 teaspoon salt
1 3/4 cups water
1/2 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
PREPARATION:
In a medium saucepan, melt butter over medium-low heat; cook rice, stirring, for 3 to 4 minutes. Drain pineapple, reserving 1/4 cup syrup. Add syrup, salt, and water to saucepan with rice; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, or until rice is tender and water is absorbed. Stir in pineapple, sugar, lemon zest, and nutmeg. Transfer to lightly buttered 1 1/2-quart casserole. Cover with foil and bake at 400° for about 20 minutes. Serve pineapple casserole with ham.
Recipe for pineapple rice casserole serves 6.

chicken broth is good..or try sprinkling with seasonings...liitle garlic, ginger, onion salt...or any of the pre mixed spices...

I'm thinking that if you add anything to your rice, your husband isn't going to like it. He seems to like the plain variety with some gravey. So, here's another option:

1. Purchase individual portions of rice that can be cooked separately. Make his plain, as he prefers and then you have the option to make yourself some or not. You can also make up the Rice-A-Roni that you love and store it in individual serving containers to re-heat when you want some.
2. Cook the rice in a savory broth, then separate out his from yours. He can have the gravy! To yours, you can add:

1/2 cup diced tomatos, 1 tsp cumin, 1 T chopped green chili's, 1/2 cup cheese for Spanish Rice

3 T toasted slivered almonds, 2 T butter, 1 T chopped chives for Rice Pilaf

1/4 cup diced onion, sauteed in butter with 1/2 tsp minced garlic, 1 tsp Italian herbs, 1/4 cup bacon, chopped for an Italian flavor.

Come up with some of your own creative ideas, just separate out the rice!

Minute Rice makes single-serving boil-in-bags. Those might come in handy for you. :)

As others said, use broth, not water. It improves the taste immensely.

Add frozen mixed veg - the varieties are amazing. I like the "Santa Fe" blend, which includes black beans.

And broccoli and cheese can improve *anything*. :-D

Try adding some long grain wild rice ... although it takes MUCH longer to cook, so you might make it separately then mix it in. Or just get a box of Uncle Ben's and see how well that goes over.

Zatarain has some interesting varieties of creole rice. ( http://www.zatarains.com/ )

Or convert him to the realization that rice is a DESSERT ... make rice pudding, rice & raisins, or glorified rice. :-D

Good luck!

Maybe soy sauce or barley? I hope this helped you.

Use a fried rice seasoning and soy sauce and put in some peas.

you can always use seasonings like garlic salt,lemon pepper, our my favorite rosemary and butter.





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