Whole Grain Rice Pilaf

I spent a good part of my weekend doing what I love best… cooking for others. I spent the rest of it putting shelves together for my garage and organizing all the stuff that goes on the shelves. Not nearly as much fun as cooking but I sure am happy to have all my Christmas decorations in one location

I made my favorite chicken and rice casserole for my friend Melanie.

I made a meal of pesto cream chicken, whole grain rice pilaf and asparagus for Lysa TerKeurst to celebrate the completion of another book. (I can’t wait to read it!)

I made peanut butter cookies for Nick, and drizzled some with dark chocolate for a couple of dudes with sweet teeth. (Is that you you would reference two dudes, each with a sweet tooth? Hah?)

I also made chicken marinara with pasta and a pumpkin spice coffee cake with maple glaze.

Oh… and I ran the dishwasher THREE TIMES!

It was worth it. I love to cook, especially when I know that the meals will be enjoyed by others. It makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside to prepare a meal for someone else, knowing that it will make them feel special.

I will share all of the recipes from my cooking adventures in the weeks ahead. For today, I’m sharing this yummy Whole Grain Rice Pilaf.

Whole Grain Rice Pilaf

(Is it just me or does the pesto cream chicken look a little like poached eggs with cream sauce in this photo?)

Ingredients:

• 4 cups low-sodium chicken stock
• 2 cups whole grain and wild rice mix
• 1 cup shredded carrots
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 2 ounce packages sliced mushrooms, chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 4 small leeks, white part only
• 3 cloves garlic, minced

In a large saucepan with a tight-fitting lid, combine chicken stock and rice. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer for 50 minutes. Turn the burner off and stir in the carrots. Cover and set aside.

In a large skillet, heat the butter and olive oil over medium heat. Add the mushrooms and saute for about 2 minutes. Salt the mushrooms to draw out their liquid. Meanwhile, clean and remove the outer layer of the leeks. Cut in half lengthwise and then slice into thin half circles. Add to the mushrooms and saute until the mushrooms have given off their liquid and it has almost completely evaporated. Stir in the garlic and continue to cook for 1 minutes. Stir vegetables into the rice.

Sweetest Blessings,
LeAnn