Becca's...Red...Rice....

This was a shockingly easy beautiful little side dish the other night.
Red...Rice....

2 tbsp or so olive oil
2 cups cooked rice
3 tbsp or so tomato paste
sea salt
pepper
fresh cilantro, chopped

Heat the olive oil in a saute pan, add the tomato paste and spread it around, let it cook for 30 seconds or so. Add the cooked rice and the salt, combine it all thoroughly, and stir it until the rice gets a teeny bit carmelize. Grind some pepper and toss with cilantro, and voila. Practically instantaneous.

Becca's Coconut Rice Pilaf

I found a dusty and foreign smelling 5 pound bag of basmati rice on the "deep discount" shelf of our local grocery store. I couldn't resist its burlappy charms. Here's what I did with it when I got it home, inspired by Ajanta.

Coconut Rice Pilaf

3-5 tbsp oil
1 onion
1 chopped carrot
2 c. basmati rice
4 c. coconut water
1 bay leaf
1 stick cinnamon
pinch salt

Saute the onion and carrot in the oil until nicely carmalized. Add the rice and stir fry for 3 minutes. Add the coconut water, bay leaf, cinnamon and salt, and bring back to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to Very Low, and cook for 18 minutes. Voila!