Brown Rice with Mushrooms and Celery

Once in awhile I like to jazz up my usuals.  Today I thought of adding mushrooms, celery and kale to brown rice.  The addition of vegetables gave this normall brown rice an extra kick.  I cooked the rice with chicken broth.

Ingredients


3 tbsp olive oil
1/2 cup onion, chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp thyme, either dry or fresh
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
3/4 cup brown rice
2 cups chicken broth
10 oz. cremini mushrooms, sliced
3 oz. shiitake mushrooms, sliced
2 cups fresh spinach or kale leaves

Optional : If you are short of time, you can definitely use instant brown rice, cook the onions, garlic, celery and then add the brown rice.  Follow the rest of the instructions as per on the packet.


Method

• Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat.  Add onion, celery, garlic, and thyme. Season with 1/2 salt and 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper.  Cook until the vegetables are soft and the onion is just starting to brown, 7 to 8 minutes.
• Add brown rice. Toast the rice for about 1 minute, stirring constantly.  Add in 2 cups of chicken broth. Stir and bring the mixture to a boil. Cover and reduce the heat to low. Cook for 60-70 minutes, or until all of the liquid is absorbed. Typically, brown rice takes about 45 minutes to cook. However, with the added vegetables, it will take a little longer in this recipe.
• Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms are cooked and slightly browned. Season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper. Avoid seasoning the mushrooms with salt earlier in the cooking process, or else the mushrooms will release their liquid.  Stir spinach / kale leaves and the mushroom mixture into the cooked rice.  Serve.