Rice Pilaf

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1/2 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
• 1/4 cup chopped celery or green pepper
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon margarine or butter
• 3/4 cup long grain rice
• 1 1/2 teaspoons instant chicken or beef bouillon granules
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 2 slices bacon, crisp-cooked, drained, and crumbled

Instructions

1. Add a nutty flavor to the rice by browning it lightly in a tablespoon of margarine or butter before beginning the recipe.
2. In a saucepan cook onion, mushrooms, celery or green pepper, and garlic in margarine or butter until tender but not brown. Stir in rice, bouillon granules, pepper, and 1 1/2 cups water. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and simmer about 15 minutes or till rice is tender and liquid is absorbed. Stir in crumbled bacon.
3. Curried Rice Pilaf: Prepare as above, except omit mushrooms and add 1/2 to 1 teaspoon curry powder with onion. Stir in 1/2 cup raisins with rice.
4. Brown and Wild Rice Pilaf: Prepare as above, except, instead of cooking the celery or green pepper with the mushrooms, add with the water. Substitute 1/2 cup brown rice and 1/4 cup wild rice for the long grain rice. If desired, add 2 tablespoons dry sherry to the uncooked rice mixture. Cook rice mixture about 40 minutes.
5. Bulgur Pilaf: Prepare as above, except substitute bulgur for the long grain rice.