Cajun Cooking: Dirty Rice
Posted by Denise Hall on Fit Fare.
One of my Cajun grandmother’s standard Sunday dinner items was a dish called dirty rice. And hers was the best. The main ingredients in the dish are usually white rice and chicken liver or giblets. The meat gives the dish a dark color. The version of dirty rice I like to make for my family substitutes a small portion of lean ground beef for the high cholesterol organ meat. I also like to use brown rice instead of regular white rice to boost the fiber content of the dish. The remaining ingredients are all the vegetables and spices. The end result is a dish my grandmother would be proud to serve at Sunday dinner.
Dirty Rice
makes 8 servings
1/2 lb lean ground beef
Salt to taste
Red pepper to taste (1/4 tsp for a mild-medium hot dish)
1 tsp olive oil
1/2 c onion, chopped
1/2 c green bell pepper, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 c parsley, chopped
2-1/2 c beef broth (I use Better than Bouillon soup base)
1-1/2 c instant brown rice (I use Uncle Ben’s)
Season beef with salt and pepper. Cook beef, onion and pepper in olive oil until meat is browned and vegetables are tender. Stir in garlic, parsley, and rice. Add broth and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes or until water is absorbed.
