Mushroom Rice
Mushroom Rice
I've been trying to eat less pasta lately. This by no means qualifies as fewer carbs mind you. I've just been trying to eat more rice instead of quick cheater pasta dinners.
I adore mushrooms and thought this would be a good way to get started trying out a new rice dish. It seems that any time I want to try something new or out of my comfort zone mushrooms seem to be my go-to gateway veg to get my foot in the door.
I love how versatile this vegetable is. It can feel meaty, it can be soft, but for me it is always delicious.
The recipe below calls to cook the mushrooms in two sections. The first round will give you the really darkened caramelized mushrooms that will be set aside to put back in the dish at the end. I let these get really crisp and dark when cooking. The other mushrooms will be what really give the rice a nice flavor. I think this recipe would work well with brown rice as well. The long grain white rice used this time around maintained it's fluffy nature and didn't get too clumpy or sticky. If you wanted to use cremini mushrooms instead of white the flavor would be enhanced that much more. Enjoy!
Ingredients:
2-3 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp butter (unsalted)
1.5 lbs white mushrooms (sliced)
2 garlic cloves (minced)
1 small onion, (diced)
1/2 cup long grain rice
2 1/4 cups vegetable stock
1 1/2 - 2 cups sliced green onion
Additional Butter to stir through
Directions:
1. Heat 2 tbsp oil in a large heavy-bottomed pot over medium high heat. Add half the mushrooms, and cook for 5-7 minutes until golden. Season with salt and pepper then remove and set aside.
2. If the pot is dry add an additional 1/2 tbsp oil, and add butter. When melted, add onions and garlic. Cook down for 30 seconds, then add remaining mushrooms. Cook for an additional 5-7 minutes until the mushrooms are lightly browned and the base of the pot had developed a fond.
3. Add rice and a splash of broth to deglaze. Mix so the fond is mixed into the liquid. Add remaining stock. Place lid on the pot and bring to a simmer. Turn heat down to medium low and allow to cook for 15 minutes or until no liquid is left in the pto.
4. Remove from heat, remove the lid, Quickly toss in reserved mushrooms and scallions. Put lid back on and let sit for 10 minutes.
5. Fluff rice using a fork and if needed stir in more butter before serving.
