Saffron Yellow Rice

Another tasty recipe to add to the mix. We have always loved yellow rice (with chicken for those family members who eat meat). For the longest time I just picked up one of those packets of yellow rice mix from the store (okay, really two packets because my family loved it so much), added shredded chicken to half of it, and POW, dinner was served. Well, not exactly. Some liked to add salsa to the top (me included) and there were always green beans on the side.

In my attempts to healthify my family, I have been reading any and all nutrition labels. You'd never guess what I found in my innocent looking yellow rice mix. None other than MSG! That's right. That pesky little preservative was hiding out in my rice mix, just waiting to cause a migraine or CVS episode. I have since banned said rice mix and we have gone without for several months.

Jolie is a really big fan of yellow rice and asked about having it again several weeks ago, which prompted my search for a healthy alternative. I knew that the rice mix had saffron in it, so I started there. I spent a whopping $8.50 on saffron at the commissary and started looking up recipes. I looked through quite a few, hoping for a vegetarian version that I could add chicken to for my omnivores. I finally settled on a variation of the Arroz con Pollo recipe on the McCormick website. I figured they sold me the saffron, maybe they had a recipe to go with it.

Below is my altered version, lovingly called "Saffron Yellow Rice." I doubled the recipe for my hungry brood. I wish I had a photo to share, but it went so fast, that there just wasn't time.

Enjoy!

Saffron Yellow Rice

1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon Paprika
1/4 teaspoon Black Pepper, Ground
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 onion, coarsely chopped
1 cup long grain rice
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 can (14 1/2 ounces) vegetable (or chicken) broth
1/4 teaspoon Spanish Saffron, crushed
1/4 cup sliced green olives

Heat oil in large skillet on medium heat. Add rice and garlic; cook and stir about 1 minute. Stir in broth, salt, paprika, pepper, and saffron. Bring to boil. Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer 20 minutes or until chicken rice is tender. Remove from heat. Let stand 5 minutes before serving. Garnish with olives, if desired.