Easy Rice Ragout

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            FOOD FUNNY
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This one from Anna Welander would be funnier if it didn't have a
certain ring of truth:

After waiting more than an hour and a half for her date, the young
lady decided she had been stood up. She changed from her dinner
dress into pajamas and slippers, fixed some popcorn and resigned
herself to an evening of TV. No sooner had she flopped down in
front of the TV than her doorbell rang. There stood her date. He
took one look at her and gasped, "I'm two hours late, and you're
still not ready?"

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            TODAY'S RECIPE
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Here's a quick and easy one-dish meal that just begs to be
customized. Consider adding just about any fresh, frozen, or
canned vegetable or beans you have on hand, use ground pork
veal, turkey, or bulk sausage instead of the beef, or eliminate
the meat entirely.

Easy Rice Ragout

1 Tbs (15 ml) olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper (capsicum), cored, seeded, and chopped
1 lb (450 g) ground beef
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1 1/2 cups (375 ml) long-grain rice
2 cans (15 oz, 425 g each) chopped tomatoes with their liquid
1/2 cup (125 ml) dry red or white wine or water
2 Tbs (30 ml) catsup
1 Tbs (15 ml) prepared mustard
1 Tbs (15 ml) Worcestershire sauce

Heat the oil in a large skillet over moderate heat and saute the
onion and green pepper until tender but not brown, about 5
minutes. Add the beef, salt, and pepper and saute until there
is no trace of pink in the meat. Add the remaining ingredients
and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat and simmer covered,
stirring occasionally, until the rice is tender, about 20 minutes.
Serves 4 to 6.
Received on Thu Jan 4 12:00:00 2007