Cilantro lime rice - a Tasty Thursday post

Rice. Fluffy, green-speckled, hint-of-lime rice.

Ahhh.

Rice by itself is one of the great joys in a carb-overloaded world, IMO. Call it a canvas, with whatever flavors you choose acting as the paints.

My family doesn't often eat out, or that's the story we tell ourselves. We do, however, love to visit our sailboat, which lies almost directly to the east of us after a close to three hour drive along a numbing stretch of highway. Halfway between here and there, a convenient spot for food and leg stretching and bathroom stop, lies a certain fast-foodISH place that will remain unnamed.

Calypso, our reward for that long drive.

Those who love overstuffed burritos and guacamole will likely know the joint of which I speak, since there are franchises all over the place.

This rice was inspired by said stopping spot. Really, though, you can take the principles and apply them to whatever flavor you like. 1) Add seasoning to the water. A bay leaf, lime, soy sauce, orange juice, stock . . . 2) Cook the rice. 3) Dump it into a bowl, add more of the flavor (maybe), and stir in some chopped brightness of color (which may well add flavor too).

Cilantro-lime rice (serves 4+. Double it for leftovers. Rice freezes beautifully!)

(Per cup of raw rice)
2 cups water
1 bay leaf (use 1 bay leaf no matter how much rice)
1/4 tsp salt
1 lime
1 small handful cilantro

1. bring water to a boil with bay leaf and the juice of 1/4 lime (1/2 if you're doing 2 cups of rice!)

2. Stir in rice with salt, cover and turn burner to a low simmer. Set a timer for 20 minutes.

3. Chop cilantro and juice the rest of the lime.

4. When timer is done, stir in cilantro and lime juice and serve. (It looks prettier in a bowl, but that part is up to you.)

5. YUM!