Make your own Long Grain Wild Rice Mix for a wonderful side dish in minutes. If you can't find Spike seasoning, which is made of dozens of dried vegetables and herbs, use my recipe for homemade Herb Mix.

This amount will make one dish dish that serves 1 cup to 4 people, or 1/2 cup to 8 people, depending on people's appetites and tastes. You can easily triple or quadruple this recipe to save time. Then, when you want a side dish for roast chicken, meatloaf, or grilled steak or pork, just combine the mix with water and simmer on the stovetop. In about 50 minutes, you'll have a perfectly seasoned side dish.

Brown rice will work better than white rice in this recipe just because it has about the same cooking time as wild rice. If you use white rice, it may become too soft or mushy during cooking. Other types of rice would work well too, as long as they cook in about 45-50 minutes. Red rice or black rice would be a good addition to this recipe.

You can season this recipe any way you'd like. Add different herbs or spices, add some dehydrated vegetables such as dried onion or garlic too. Basil, oregano, dill, or Italian seasoning would add a nice flavor to the recipe. I like to stir about a tablespoon of butter and 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese into the rice when it's finished cooking. Let the rice stand, covered, off the heat for five minutes, then fluff with a fork and serve.

See Also

Start With Rice

Risotto

Start With Wild Rice

Ingredients

• 1 cup long grain brown rice
• 1/2 cup wild rice
• 1 tablespoon dried parsley flakes
• 2 teaspoons Spike seasoning or Herb Mix
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
• 1/2 teaspoon tarragon leaves
• 1/8 teaspoon white pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 50 minutes

• Total Time: 65 minutes
• Yield: 2 cups

Preparation

Mix brown rice, wild rice, dried parsley flakes, Spike seasoning or Herb Mix, dried thyme, tarragon, white pepper, and salt until combined.  

Store the mix in an air-tight container in a cool, dry place. This makes one side dish. You can multiply ingredients to make more mixes. Just make sure to store it in an airtight container. Use within three months.

Long Grain Wild Rice Side Dish

3-1/4 cups water
Long Grain Wild Rice Mix (about 2 cups)
1 tablespoon butter

Bring water to boil in a medium saucepan. Add Rice Mix, cover pan, reduce heat, and simmer for 50 minutes.

Remove pan from heat, add butter, cover, and let sit for 5 minutes before fluffing with a fork. 8 1/2-cup servings