Ingredient Spotlight-Curried Rice and Vegetables

hen I began to choose what recipes I wanted to post for this week's Ingredient Spotlight-half and half/cream, I ended up with three recipes and couldn't decide among them. So there will be two posts today.  One for this recipe and one for two easy dessert sauces, Chocolate and Butterscotch.

This recipe combines rice and vegetables into one side dish.  Although I use peas and carrots, any vegetable of your choice could be used; and it is a good way to use up leftover veggies.  The curry/nutmeg flavor is very subtle and just makes one wonder, "What is that?" I sometimes use chopped, toasted walnuts or crisp bacon bits as a garnish for this. This is my adaptation of a recipe that came from the internet several years ago. You can also add chopped, cooked chicken to make this into a main dish.

2 T. butter
1 bunch green onions (you can use regular onions, about 3/4 c.)
1/3 c. chopped red pepper (omit if you don't like)
1 large clove garlic minced (the garlic was shy and wouldn't get in the photo)
1 c. frozen peas and carrots
T. butter
1 c. rice (I use Calrose)
1/2 t. curry powder
1/8 t. ground nutmeg
1/2 t. salt
1/2 c. half-and-half

Slice the green onions including a couple of inches of the green part. In a saucepan, melt the first tablespoon of butter. Add green onions, red pepper, and minced garlic. Saute' until just tender. Remove from saucepan and set aside. In same saucepan, melt the second tablespoon of butter. Add the rice and cook, stirring often, until rice begins to turn golden. Add required amount of water for the rice you use.  Bring to a boil, turn heat very low and cook rice for 20 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand 5 minutes.  Meanwhile, cook peas and carrots in microwave, drain.  Stir together the green onion mixture, rice, peas and carrots, curry powder, nutmeg, and salt. Mix well. Add half-and-half. Return to heat just to heat mixture through. Makes 4-6 servings.

A tip: If your rice is too firm and all the liquid has been absorbed, add about 1/4 c. hot liquid, cover, and cook until liquid is absorbed.  Repeat if necessary.

I am linking to Eat at Home Ingredient Spotlight