Lemon Pepper Rice

Every now and again, I get the temptation to step away from my rice cooker and make a rice dish the old fashioned way. Now, truth be known, this is usually because my rice cooking bowl is in the dishwasher, but it makes for a better story if I sound ambitious about the whole thing.

Anyway, tonight was just such a night. Not wanting to wait for the dishwasher to complete its cycle, I pulled out a pot and, with a really determined look on my face, set out to create a tasty rice dish that I wouldn't try in my rice cooker.

The lemon pepper rice that resulted from my, um... impatience had a few cool things going for it. First, it allowed me to make a dish from scratch ingredients I already had on hand in one pot... so less mess for me to clean up later. Second, it was downright yummy, enough so that even my five-year-old was willing to try it. Third, it was pretty healthy, weighing in with only 0.2 grams of fat and about 120 caleries per serving. Not bad.

So here you go. This rice made a nice side dish for my portabello burgers, and I imagine it would work quite well with aked tofu or steamed vegetables as well.

1 cup long grain rice (I had basmati rice on hand, but white rice would work just as well, and probably better.)
2 1/4 cups water
1/2 cup chopped scallions
Zest of 1 lemon, finely grated
Black pepper to taste
Garlic salt to taste or 2 cloves minced garlic (I opted for the garlic salt tonight. Chalk it up to a long day.)

Add all ingredients to the pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 25 minutes or until rice is tender, stirring occasionally.

That's it. Very little knife action, and the dish does most of the work on its own. I can certainly appreciate a side dish that doesn't require my constant attention, and this lemon pepper rice certainly makes the list.

Enjoy!

Lee (The Veggie Guy)