Peas and Rice

It's amazing what I find every time I start digging in the freezer in the garage. Like a surprise visit to a new grocery store. This time it was a beautiful bag of peas from last summer. There is something about peas and rice that just make me happy. I used country ham in mine, and if you do please watch the amount of salt you add.

Peas and Rice
serves 6
print recipe

2 tablespoons chopped onion
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 garlic clove, minced
1 cup uncooked rice
2 cups good chicken stock
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1/2 cup cooked ham, diced
1 cup cooked peas
1/2 cup roasted red peppers, diced

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a medium sized, ovenproof saucepan saute the onion the the olive oil and butter over medium heat until light in color. Add the garlic and saute' 1 t0 2 minutes. Stir in the rice and saute until the rice is light brown in color (3 to 4 minutes).

Stir in the chicken stock, season with salt and pepper, and slowly bring to a boil. Let it boil for 2 minutes, then cover and bake in the oven until most of the remaining liquid has almost all been absorbed (5 to 10 minutes). Remove from the oven and stir in the ham, peas, and roasted red peppers; re-cover, return to the oven, and cook until the last 3 ingredients are heated through (3 to 5 minutes). Serve immediately.