“Doesn’t get any better than this folks. If you love rice; and if you love garlic and lemon and snow peas, we’re going have fun in the kitchen.  No trumping here, all the ingredients complement each other  – in color, taste and texture. I mean come on, the citrus of lemon, the smooth smell of garlic, the crisp, crunch of the apple green snow pea, on a boat of rice – it’s near-addictive.

We’ll need a few other add-ins  like onions, parsley, oils and wine but the dish is simple, delicious and pretty. You can serve it with baked or fried chicken, marinated shrimp or broiled lump crab cakes. For me beef is too heavy and would overpower the delicate flavor of this particular rice dish.

Remember I explained in an earlier blog about the value of freezing rice. Well you;re going to need a couple of packets (frozen in zip lock bags) to make this properly. If you don’t have it save this recipe for another day.

What I love about this recipe is it’s so easy to make a stunning plate presentation. You can dress  this dish with the snow peas toppled in the middle of the rice or gather them around the edge of the casserole bowl. Oh so lovely against the clean white rice and bright lemon skins. I’m headed to the kitchen. You coming?

The Ingredients

Snow peas -1/4 pound

Garlic cloves – 2 crushed

Lemon –  4 quarter slices

Onion – 1/4

Hot Sauce – teaspoon

Olive oil – 1/4 cup

Parsley – 1 teaspoon

1/2 stick butter

Pinot Grigio wine – 1/4 cup

The Work

Saute snow peas 1 minute in sauce pan with Pam Spray/ set aside in dish

Saute sliced onions in small sauce pan with Pam Spray and a little olive oil, drizzle in hot sauce/ set aside in dish

Saute parsley in sauce pan with butter on low heat/ add crushed garlic, squeeze lemon

Microwave rice in zip lock packets for 2 minutes to loosen

Place loosened rice in Pam sprayed frying pan on low-med temp/ slowly add olive

oil and stir lightly to continue to loosen rice. Squeeze lemon into rice. Do not let rice stick or become mushy. Turn off heat for a few minutes to keep rice firm.

Now add hot sauce onions, butter garlic lemon parsley mix gently stirring, add several drops of wine and toss gently. Turn on heat medium for 1 – 2 minutes, tossing with an easy hand. Turn off heat/set aside

The Presentation

You’ve got some great choices here for presentation. I like this dish served in glass but other dishware works just as well.

Scoop rice into large glass casserole or pedestal dish.Place remaining lemon on top, Arrange snow peas around edge of serving dish. Serve with your favorite chicken, or seafood recipe.