Lemony Brown Rice with Zucchini and Carrots

 

Lemony Brown Rice with Zucchini and Carrots

I whipped this up after work one night recently in an effort to put the lingering veggies in our fridge to good use, and to give the chicken that Josh was roasting some company.  It was so delicious that I will surely make it again. I served it with a bit of tahini sauce from Trader Joes, though it's extremely flavorful all on it's own—the sauce mostly adds a bigger hit of garlic. It makes an excellent side dish if you like to have a protein with your dinner (like Josh often does), or a fantastic vegetarian main dish (which is usually how I lean). You could also add a handful of walnuts, cooked white beans, or some feta if you want to up the non-meat protein. This rice dish is a nice reminder that whole grains can be extremely comforting, regardless of the season.

Serves about 4

2 cups brown rice blend (I love this one from Lundberg Jubilee Rice because it's so wonderfully nutty and flavorful though plain brown would be just fine)

3-4 medium carrots, grated

1-2 small squash, grated (I used pattypan since it's what we had, but zucchini or yellow squash would work)

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp butter

salt

pepper

1 lemon, juiced

1. Cook your brown rice according to the package directions.

2. Meanwhile grate your vegetables.

3. Heat the oil over medium heat, add your vegetables, and stir to coat. Stir regularly as the mixture starts to cook, then add your garlic (I like to add it a bit later so that you can taste it more and you don't risk burning it).

4. Once the vegetables are just tender, stir in your rice, the butter, salt, pepper and the lemon juice. Turn off the burner, cover, and let sit for 5 minutes to let the flavors combine.