I made this rice dish the other evening to go with fried cod. It was the perfect accompaniment to the fish. And it was easy to prepare and really, really tasty. Along with steamed broccoli, we dined royally at Chez Carr. So give it a try. You’ll be hooked too.

Now I don’t know about you, but having now been grounded for a month, and having been the sole person in charge of all things kitchen (except for washing the dishes which Mr. C. gladly handles), I’m getting a bit tired of cooking. Oh not so much the actual preparation aspect, I can handle that. I’m talking about the menu planning part. And my greatest passion is trying new recipes and passing them on to you! So if I’m getting tired, imagine what others are experiencing.

Actually I was contemplating what it must be like to not particularly enjoy cooking in the first place. But really having no other choice but to continue cooking or face family members not really sympathetic to enforced weight loss! Yikes. Could get ugly real fast.

With that concern in mind, I want to offer the following suggestion to all cooks who are struggling with the “what in the heck should I fix for dinner tonight” dilemma? Use the KISS principal. KISS – Keep It Selfish Sister/Sir. Prepare your favorite dishes. If you are preparing and eating what you like best, then it’s reasonable to assume that the dish is probably pretty darn delicious! And it is always easier to cook something that you yourself are hungry for. And – well here goes the really tricky part – you are the one who is doing yeoman’s duty, so don’t give in to pressure from your family. Sure they are stressed too. And of course their well-being is of concern. But it’s like with face masks in an airplane when the pressure drops, we are always reminded to put our own mask on first so that we are able to help those around us. First and foremost you need to take care of yourself. And if that means that you bake oatmeal cookies rather than chocolate chip cookies, so be it. Believe me, if you are doing well, your family will be close behind.

So dear readers, keep cooking. Keep smiling too. If nothing else, your smile will be infectious. I mean really. Who can stay grumpy when there’s a happy cook in the kitchen? No one, that’s who!  

½ c. water

1 c. chicken broth

pinch kosher salt

freshly ground black pepper

1/8 tsp. lemon zest

2 T. freshly squeezed lemon juice   

1 T. unsalted butter

1 c. medium grain rice, uncooked (I use Sunluck Niko Niko Calrose white rice grown in California)

Place everything in your rice cooker and place on “GO”. If you don’t have a rice cooker, bring water, broth, salt, pepper, lemon zest, lemon juice, and butter to a boil in a medium sized covered sauce pan. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand about 10 minutes. Fluff with a fork just before serving.