Lemon Scented Rice Recipes

GREEK LEMON RICE RECIPE

Steps:

• Wash rice well and then soak it for about 15 to 20 minutes in plenty of cold water (enough to cover the rice by 1 inch). You should be able to easily break a grain of rice by simply placing it between your thumb and index finger. Drain well.
• Heat about 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil in a large sauce pan with a lid (like this one) until oil is shimmering but not smoking. Add onions and cook for about 3 to 4 minutes until translucent. Add garlic and orzo pasta. Toss around for a bit until the orzo has gained some color then stir in the rice. Toss to coat.
• Now add lemon juice and broth. Bring liquid to a rolling boil (it should reduce a little), then turn heat to low. Cover and let cook for about 20 minutes or until rice is done (liquid should be fully absorbed and rice should be tender but not sticky.)
• Remove rice from heat. For best results, leave it covered and do not disturb rice for about 10 minutes or so.
• Uncover and stir in parsley, dill weed and lemon zest. If you like, add a few slices of lemon on top for garnish. Enjoy!

LEMON RICE

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the onions and cook until soft, taking care not to let them color, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the rice and stir to coat with the oil. Add 3 cups water and 1 teaspoon salt and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, then cover and cook until all of the liquid has been absorbed, about 20 minutes. Remove from the heat and fluff with a fork to separate the grains. Let sit, covered, for 5 to 10 minutes.
• Add the lemon juice and mint to the rice and toss to distribute evenly.
• Serve hot, garnished with chopped mint.

LEMON RICE

Steps:

• In a medium saucepan, bring water, broth, lemon juice and butter to a boil. Stir in rice, basil and lemon zest. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes or until the water is absorbed. Before serving, sprinkle with lemon-pepper.

LEMON BASMATI RICE

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a pot over medium heat. Cook the rice, ginger, and lemon zest together in the hot oil for about 1 minute; add the lemon juice and chicken broth. Bring the mixture to a boil; cover the pot and allow the mixture to simmer until the liquid is absorbed and the rice is tender, 18 to 20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

CUMIN SCENTED RICE

Steps:

• Heat butter over medium heat in a large saucepan. When butter is melted, add cumin seeds and saute for 1 minute. Stir in the rice and cook for 2 minutes.
• Turn the heat to high and add the lime juice, water and salt. Mix well. Bring to boil on high heat. Reduce heat and cook covered on low for 15 minutes until water evaporates.

LEMON-SCENTED SAFFRON RICE

Steps:

• Melt butter in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add shallots and saffron and cook 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add rice and stir to coat. Add stock and lemon juice; bring to boil. Reduce heat to low, stir and cover. Let simmer until creamy and tender, stirring vigorously every 10 minutes, 20 to 25 minutes. Add lemon peel and chives. Season with salt and pepper. Stir vigorously until well combined.

SAFFRON AND PRESERVED LEMON SCENTED SHRIMP RICE PILAF

Steps:

• In a medium saucepan, add 2 tablespoons of the vegetable oil and heat. Add the onions and saute for 3 minutes, until soft and translucent. Add the garlic and saute for another 2 minutes. Add the saffron threads and saute for 1 minute. Season with salt. Add the rice and saute, stirring constantly for 2 minutes. Add the water and cover the pot. Lower the heat to simmer and cook for 20 minutes. Remove from the heat and let sit, covered for 5 minutes. Uncover and fluff with a fork. While the rice is cooking, in a saute pan, over high heat, add the remaining vegetable oil. When the oil is hot, add the tomatoes and the cayenne pepper. Saute for 5 minutes, or until the liquid begins to evaporate. Add the olives, shrimp and preserved lemons and cook until the shrimp turn pink and their tails curl completely, about 4 to 5 minutes. Be careful not to overcook. Season with salt and pepper. Add the shrimp mixture to the rice mixture and mix well. Check for seasoning. Garnish with almonds and parsley.

LEMON-CUMIN RICE

Steps:

• Soak 1 1/2 cups basmati rice in cold water, 15 minutes; drain. Heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add 2 teaspoons cumin seeds; cook 30 seconds. Add 1 chopped onion and cook, stirring, 5 minutes. Add 2 1/4 cups water, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, the rice and 3 strips lemon zest. Bring to a simmer, cover and cook over low heat, 15 minutes. Let stand off the heat, 10 minutes. Stir in 1/4 cup toasted sliced almonds, and lemon juice to taste.

LEMONGRASS-SCENTED COCONUT RICE

Steps:

• 1. Place the rice in a 1-1/2- or 2-quart saucepan. Fill the pot halfway with cold water. If any rice hulls or small twigs float to the surface, scoop them aside with your hand and discard them. Gently swirl your fingers through the rice until the water becomes cloudy with the rice's surface starch, about 20 seconds. Be careful not to massage the rice aggressively-you don't want to crack or break the grains. Allow the rice to settle for a few seconds. Tilt the pot over a sink and drain out all the water, cupping the rice with your hand to prevent it from spilling out of the pot. Repeat this process with three more changes of water. The water after the first 2 rinses will be quite cloudy; by the fourth rinse, it will be much less so. The water need not run completely clear by the final rinse-slightly cloudy is fine. Leave the rinsed rice in the pot.
• 2. To the rinsed rice, add the tied lemongrass, the cooking water, the coconut milk, the salt, and the daun salam leaves (if using). Stir well to combine, making sure that the lemongrass stalks and daun salam leaves are submerged in as much of the rice as possible.
• 3. Place the pot over high heat and, stirring constantly with a large spoon to prevent the rice at the bottom of the pot from scorching or burning, bring the liquid to a rolling, noisy boil. Allow the rice to boil vigorously for fifteen seconds, continuing to stir constantly. (It's essential that you stir constantly, otherwise the fats and proteins in the coconut milk will cause the rice at the bottom of the pot to become gummy and stick together, which will ultimately lead to the final dish having a scorched or burned bottom layer.) Immediately reduce the heat to the lowest possible setting and cover the pot tightly with the lid. Continue cooking for 15 minutes. Don't be tempted to lift or remove the lid during this time-you'll lose essential cooking steam if you do.
• 4. Remove the pot from the heat and allow the rice to continue to steam, covered, away from the heat for an additional 10 minutes.
• 5. Open the pot and discard the lemongrass and daun salam leaves. Fold the rice over gently with a spoon, distributing the aromatic flavors which may be concentrated in pockets in the rice. Transfer the rice to a deep serving bowl, fluffing it gently with a fork and lifting it into a high, peaked mound. Serve hot or warm. (If serving the rice warm, keep it covered with aluminum foil until then.)

LEMON SCENTED RICE WITH PISTACHIOS

Steps:

• Wash the rice (and soak, if desired) as described on package, if needed.
• Bring water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Stir in rice, raisins, and lemon peel. When water boils again, reduce heat to medium-low, cover saucepan, and simmer 20 minutes (45 minutes for brown rice), until liquid is absorbed.
• Remove from heat and let stand covered, 5 minutes. Fluff rice with a fork, spoon into a serving bowl, and sprinkle with pistachios.