Do you ever get tired of figuring out what side dish to serve with dinner? I do! I can only eat a baked potato or rice so many times, until I am totally bored with dinner. This rice pilaf recipe is the solution to my side-dish dilemma. The salty, garlicky, and herb flavors pair perfectly with fish, chicken, beef, etc. The other great thing about this recipe is it can be made completely from your food storage if needed (just replace the vegetables with dried/dehydrated carrots, onions, celery and then use canned diced tomatoes instead of fresh). I made this pilaf as a side dish for a delicious new recipe for Cajun Cream Chicken Breasts (recipe coming soon!). No matter how, or what you serve this pilaf with, it is sure to be a hit!!


- 3 c. rice, cooked (makes about 5 c. total--brown rice works great!)
- 1/2 c. wild rice, cooked (cook separately than the white rice)
- 1 c. onion, diced
- 1 c. celery, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 t. garlic powder
- Montreal steak seasoning to taste (about 1 T.)
- 4 T. butter
- 2 large tomatoes, diced fine
- 1 can olives, drained and sliced
- 1/4 c. green onions, sliced
- 1/4 c. sliced or slivered almonds (optional)
- 1/4 c. Worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 t. thyme
- 1 T. parsley (fresh or dried)
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Cook the rice on the stove top or in a rice cooker until tender. Set rice aside while you prepare the other parts of the recipe. Meanwhile, saute the onions, garlic and celery in the butter and season heavily. Once onions are tender add the cooked and slightly cooled rice to the large pan (or you can add it to a large bowl--the cooking process of the pilaf will be finished). Cut up the following ingredients and add to the rice and then season as desired. Serve warm.