I am still on my quest to stop buying pre-packaged meals and side dishes. I really do hate all of the artificial additives that these boxed dishes have. I haven't made a packaged meal in years, but I have yet to be free from boxed rice and other sides. My main vice in this area is Uncle Ben's Wild Rice mix. It's a family favorite but I think it's too salty so I went on a search for a homemade version and I think I found it. There is a website called www.chickensintheroad.com where she broke down the ingredients for both Uncle Ben's and Rice a Roni wild rice mixes. I like this idea a lot since I get to control the amount of seasonings and exclude the yucky preservatives that are in all of the pre-packaged stuff.
I think it came out pretty good except that next time I make it I will reduce the water to just 2 C. I think the rice came out kind of mushy. When I make the boxed rice I have to reduce the water too. The only reason I didn't here is that the wild rice I bought had more kinds of grains in it than the Uncle Ben's version.
My husband liked it but of course it wasn't as salty as he is accustomed to so he rode the fence for a while. That's right Dear, It's better for you!! I'll be making this again for sure. Sorry Uncle Ben!!
With her instructions I made my own wild rice mix using equal amounts of Walmart Brand Parboiled Rice and Lundberg Wild Blend rice.
I also made a basic seasoning mix:
1 C Dried Parsley
1/3 C Garlic Powder
2T Salt
2T Sugar.
1 C Homemade Rice Mix
2 1/4 C Water
1 T Olive Oil
1 Heaping T Seasoning Mix
Add all ingredients to small sauce pan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cover for 25-30 minutes or until all the water is absorbed.
