Twice As Nice Rice - Rice Stuffing as a Side Dish

Got Rice? Get Twice As Nice Rice.

Sometimes, we have left over rice we all hate to throw out - this recipe brings new life to a staple side dish we have often. Frankly we were going to use this left-over rice as a rice stuffing/dressing for the rosemary orange roasted chicken I posted yesterday, but we ended up reheating the rice and adding the remaining ingredients as described below. The celery and toasted almonds add crunch while the sauteed onions add that "je ne sais quoi' factor - Besides the poor french, this dish was delicious.



Ingredients:

• 1 -2 cups left over cooked rice - We had out 'Basmati Oh So Nice Rice' posted here which we served the previous night with the added loads of fresh minced cilantro and scallions.
  
• 1 celery stalk - rinsed and minced
  
• 1 onion minced
  
• 1/4 cup fresh toasted almonds
  
• 1/2- 1 cup of raisins
  
• 1 cup boiling water

Directions:

1. Take 1 cup of boiling water and reconstitute (big word here) raisins in a heat-safe bowl so they become plump.
   
2. In a skillet, sautee up the onions and celery with a little butter/olive oil or veggie oil - whatever your preference, till onions are translucent though celery still has some crunch to it. Remove from skillet and set aside.
   
3. Throw almonds in same skillet and toss till toasted and set aside.
   
4. Once rice is heated through, drain off raisins well then add to rice, add sauteed onions and celery and stir rice till all ingredients are combined.
   
5. Sprinkle toasted almonds on top - and voila - the rice is ready for round two.
   
6. You can easily put this all together and stuff your bird - add chopped toasted walnuts instead of the almonds and you got yourself one heck of a rice stuffing!
   
7. Rock on with your Twice as Nice Rice!
   

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