Here's the one I like from Cook's Illustrated. It's the one I go to whenever I make it. Because the spiciness of jalapeños varies from chile to chile, we try to control the heat by removing the ribs and seeds (the source of most of the heat) from those chiles that are cooked in the rice. Use an ovensafe pot about 12 inches in diameter so that the rice cooks evenly and in the time indicated. The pot's depth is less important than its diameter; we've successfully used both a straight-sided sauté pan and a Dutch oven. Whichever type of pot you use, it should have a tight-fitting, ovensafe lid. Vegetable broth can be substituted for chicken broth. 2 ripe tomatoes (about 12 ounces), cored and quartered 1 medium onion , preferably white, peeled, trimmed of root end,and quartered 3 medium jalapeño chiles 2 cups long grain white rice 1/3 cup canola oil 4 cloves garlic , minced or pressed through a garlic press (about 4 teaspoons) 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth (or vegetable broth) 1 tablespoon tomato paste 1 1/2 teaspoons table salt 1/2 cup minced fresh cilantro leaves 1 lime, cut into wedges for serving Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Process tomatoes and onion in food processor until smooth and thoroughly pureed, about 15 seconds, scraping down bowl if necessary. Transfer mixture to liquid measuring cup; you should have 2 cups (if necessary, spoon off excess so that volume equals 2 cups). Remove ribs and seeds from 2 jalapeños and discard; mince flesh and set aside. Mince remaining jalapeño, including ribs and seeds; set aside. Place rice in large fine-mesh strainer and rinse under cold running water until water runs clear, about 1 1/2 minutes. Shake rice vigorously in strainer to remove all excess water. Heat oil in heavy-bottomed ovensafe 12-inch straight-sided sauté pan or Dutch oven with tight-fitting lid over medium-high heat, 1 to 2 minutes. Drop 3 or 4 grains rice in oil; if grains sizzle, oil is ready. Add rice and fry, stirring frequently, until rice is light golden and translucent, 6 to 8 minutes. Reduce heat to medium, add garlic and seeded minced jalapeños; cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 1 1/2 minutes. Stir in pureed tomatoes and onions, chicken broth, tomato paste, and salt; increase heat to medium-high and bring to boil. Cover pan and transfer to oven; bake until liquid is absorbed and rice is tender, 30 to 35 minutes, stirring well after 15 minutes. Stir in cilantro and reserved minced jalapeño with seeds to taste. Serve immediately, passing lime wedges separately.

"Actually...the only difference between brown and white rice is that brown has more fiber." Which makes it a healthier choice. Hubby and I have eliminated alot of the "white" stuff (or at least greatly cut back) from our diet and it makes a huge difference in how we feel. Energy wise too! (See below - we are neither one diabetic but don't want to be. We somewhat watch our carbs.) "Brown rice, compared with white rice, is a healthier diet choice for diabetics. Brown rice is a whole-grain and fiber-rich source, whereas white rice is a refined carbohydrate. When you eat white rice, your body quickly converts it to glucose, causing your blood sugar to skyrocket. Brown rice, on the other hand, takes longer to break down into glucose and makes your blood sugar more controllable." (from the web - didn't get the url) Sue - I've just been turned on to quinona. It has a higher fiber count also - right?

Rice pilaf comes in MANY forms. Most do NOT contain saffron, including authentic pilau and not all need to be finished in the oven as some people state. Nor does the addition of broken vermicelli make an authentic rice pilaf. My simple recipe goes like this: In a large saute pan (one that has a tight-fitting lid), I heat up a teeny bit of butter and/or oil and saute a mire poix of finely diced carrots, onions and celery over medium-high heat. Maybe 3 tablespoons of each. When the veggies are softened, I put in a cup of long-grain rice (my favorite brand is Mahatma) and toss it to coat completely. Then I cook it quickly until almost all the grains are opaquely white, maybe even leaning toward being toasted. At that point, I put in a cup of chicken stock and a cup of hot water. I've found that if I use all chicken stock, the pilaf comes out a bit strong (since the stock reduces and concentrates). You can use fish stock, beef stock or vegetable stock. Or even all water. When I do want a bit of color in my pilaf, I'll use just a tiny pinch of saffron (an amount that would cost out at about 0.000001 cents) or a bit of tumeric or just a tiny squeeze of double-concentrated tomato paste. Even a bit of chopped fresh tomato colors things up. When I've added the stock, I'll bring the pan to a boil and then turn it down to the lowest simmer, cover it and cook for 30 minutes. I'll fluff it up before serving. This dish is so versatile. You can add all manner of veggies or meat. I regularly throw in some frozen peas along with the stock. A Middle Eastern or Indian pilau will call for nuts and raisins at the fluffing stage. I like it with basil and toasted pine nuts. Joe

This is a really delicious, healthy, simple dish I especially love in the summer. Many cultures have a yogurt/cucumber dish, but I like the fresh herbal notes in this one. Tasty alone, with plain rice, or with toasted bread... Persian Yogurt-Cucumber Dish, AKA "Masto-Khiar" 2 lb tub of PLAIN, unsweetened, unflavored yogurt 2-3 small Persian cucumbers or 1 med. Japanese "hothouse" cucumber or reg. cucumber 1 1/2 tbl dried, crushed mint (or more to taste) 2 tsp dried, crushed dill 1/2 tsp salt or to taste dash of pepper to taste 1 tsp honey optional: 3 tbl lebni or kefir if available to give added creaminess Directions: Dice cucumbers into small pieces, about 1/4" square. If using regular cucumbers, seed them and salt them a little to draw out a little water, then rub salt off and pat dry. You may want to peel the skin off if it is bitter. Persian cucumbers are really tastiest... (it's a beit alpha cucumber type--- might be sold under different names, but it is small has smooth skin and no seeds) Gently squeeze excess water from cucumber and mix into yogurt. Add herbs, seasonings, honey and mix well. Serve garnished with a fresh mint sprig and rose petals or other edible flowers for a beautiful dip. :) Hope you enjoy!!! A Note on Yogurt: If your yogurt has a watery consistency or has water pooled on top, you can "drain" the water in a special yogurt strainer or put it all in a large bowl then place several paper towels on top of it with the edges outside of the bowl. Place bowl on large plate to catch liquid drips from the corners of the paper towel that are hanging out of the bowl's edge. Leave in the fridge like this for a day or overnight (make sure the plate will catch all drips and hold liquid w/o overflowing) and you'll have nicely thickened yogurt. Persian brands like Abali, Sadaf, or Karoun are excellent, if you have a middle eastern grocer around. Trader Joe's also has a good plain yogurt, and also a mediterranean yogurt that is nice and thick.