Cardamom and Tea

My freezer is almost always stocked with kebabs (right now, I’m big on lula kebabs and seekh kabobs made with chicken). On a busy weeknight, I just slide a few under the broiler, turn some frozen green beans into a five-minute version of loubieh bi zeit, and let a pot of yellow rice bring everything together.

There are endless ways to dress up plain white rice, but yellow rice is what I reach for when I want something easy. No caramelizing onions, no simmering a tomato sauce, no toasting noodles or nuts—just a simple pot of rice with a few extra ingredients thrown in.

But simple doesn’t always mean foolproof. Read on for a few tips and tricks, or jump to the recipe to hit the ground running.

tips for making a perfect pot of yellow rice

1. Simmer covered and rest covered.

This is the number one thing to know when making a pot of any stovetop rice. Simmer it covered (no peeking, but more importantly no stirring!) and let it rest covered too.

During the resting stage, the rice is actually continuing to cook from the residual steam. If you uncover it, you let that steam escape, which means the rice will not cook through adequately.

Earlier in the process, uncovering it too often will let too much steam evaporate, leading to dry, undercooked rice. And stirring it after it’s started to cook will cause your rice to become simultaneously gummy and undercooked at the same time.

2. Be careful with stock concentrates.

I experimented with a lot of stocks and broths while developing this recipe, and I’ve found that stock concentrates (e.g., bouillon cubes, Better than Bouillon) can be a bit tricky. If you’re using one, be sure not to use too much. Using even a bit more than the recommended amount on the container can cause your rice to turn out gummy and undercooked.

3. Salt it later for maximum control.

Different broths have different concentrations of salt, and it can be hard to judge how much additional salt to add in the beginning. Instead, I like to let it cook through with just the broth (and whatever salt it contains), and then adjust the seasoning after it cooks through. That way you’ll be fully in control of the rice’s seasoning. Taste the rice, add a bit of salt, fluff, and taste it again.

4. Have fun with the ingredients (or not!)

You can get a bit more creative with this recipe. Instead of garlic powder, you can crush a fresh clove. You can add a small pinch of saffron. You can sprinkle on some crunchy fried shallots at the end. Skip the parsley or cilantro if you don’t have any on hand. Use vegetable broth to make this vegan, or use chicken broth if you prefer.

Yellow Rice

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Ingredients

1 cup [200g] long grain rice (e.g, basmati)
1 1/2 cups [350g] chicken or vegetable broth*
1 Tbsp [15g] extra virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp [1g] turmeric
1/2 tsp [1g] garlic powder**
A few grinds black pepper
Minced parsley or cilantro (optional)
Salt, to taste

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Instructions

Rinse the rice under water for about 30 seconds.
Place the rinsed rice, broth, olive oil, turmeric, garlic powder, and black pepper in a stockpot. Place over medium-high heat and keep an eye on it so it does not bubble over or boil off.
As soon as it comes to a rapid simmer, cover and reduce heat to low. There should be a wisp of steam sneaking out from under the lid, but it should not be rapidly boiling. Adjust the heat as necessary.
Set a timer for 15 minutes and let it cook covered without peeking or stirring. Once 15 minutes have passed, remove from heat and do not lift the lid. Let it rest off the heat for 15 more minutes, covered.
Once it has rested, add a little parsley/cilantro (if using), fluff with a fork, taste, and fold in more salt as needed.

Notes

* Be careful with bullion cubes and stock concentrates here. In my experience testing this recipe, using too much of them will make your rice undercooked and weirdly gummy. If you do use one of these, be sure to use it somewhat sparingly.

** Alternatively, crush 1 small clove of garlic through a press or finely mince it.

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Before my sister had her second baby last summer, I stocked her freezer with some treats: homemade smoothie packs and ready-to-bake cookie dough. In most freezers, cookie dough is the first thing to vanish, but in this case the smoothie packs flew right off the shelf. And that’s not because I don’t know how to bake (not to brag, but I do make a mean chocolate chip cookie). It’s because this is the best strawberry banana smoothie recipe ever.

How to describe it… It basically tastes like one of those strawberry shortcake popsicle bars, but in smoothie form, and with some optional protein powder if you wanna make it more substantial.

What’s the secret to making a smoothie that has all the nostalgia of an ice cream truck?

strawberry banana smoothies before mixing

strawberry banana smoothies after mixing

Two optional ingredients: 1) vanilla and 2) a graham cracker! I know it sounds silly, but blending in one graham cracker (or animal crackers, or a digestive biscuit) per serving infuses the smoothie with a toasty, baked-good flavor profile, and something magical happens:

They become greater than the sum of their parts, and what could have been a boring smoothie turns into a total treat.

Ingredients + optional substitutions

This strawberry banana smoothie recipe is very adaptable. You can make it vegan or gluten free. You can add vanilla or unflavored protein powder. And while you can leave out the graham cracker, there are lots of potential substitutes too. Here are some ingredient substitution tips:

First, the essentials:

Milk or “milk”: Use whatever milk or milk alternative you prefer. Soy milk and oat milk are two of my favorites here.
A ripe banana: For smoothies, I usually prefer bananas that have just started showing a few brown spots. But any banana somewhere between green and brown should work great, depending on your preference.
Frozen strawberries: Frozen strawberries keep the smoothie’s texture and temperature perfect. Some smoothie recipes call for ice cubes, but that tends to water things down. If you only have fresh strawberries, just make sure all of your main ingredients (milk, banana, strawberries) are completely chilled.

+ the optional add-ons:

Graham crackers: If you don’t have graham crackers, digestive biscuits work great here too. You can also use Teddy Grahams, animal crackers (the unfrosted kind), or even speculoos cookies. If you want to make this gluten free, omit the cookie or use a gluten free version. Gluten free speculoos cookies are pretty easy to find.
Protein powder: Vanilla or unflavored protein powder work best here. If you use vanilla, you don’t have to add additional vanilla extract.
Vanilla: You can use vanilla extract, but if you need your smoothie to be totally alcohol-free, you can always use vanilla powder or opt for a vanilla-flavored protein powder.