Sugar Snap Peas and Rice

Here's something you can throw together in a jiffy if you have a little leftover rice and don't know what to do with it. If you have sugar snap peas it is a major plus, as they are delicious and only in season for a short time, but the good news is that you can make this with any vegetables you have around - peas, zucchini, broccoli, mushrooms - the possibilities are endless.  And if you had nothing but onions lying around, why then that would work just as well.

This fits quite well into my "What's in Your Pantry?" project.  I needed something fast and I had very little in the house so I had to go with what was available.  The only thing I used that I don't usually have on hand were the peas and the leftover rice.  And when I started thinking about what I could do with them, this came to my mind.  I had about a cup of leftover rice, so it made for two generous side servings.

Here's how I did it:

Heat 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil over medium-high heat in a medium size skillet.  Add 1/4 of a medium onion, sliced, and season with the salt and freshly ground black pepper.  Cook, stirring frequently, until the onions are just translucent but still firm.  Add the sugar snap peas (or other vegetables) and cook for another two minutes, just long enough for them to soften the tiniest bit.  Add about1/4 cup of white wine (or broth, or water) and cook for another two minutes, stirring often.  Add the leftover cooked rice and cook for another three to five minutes, until the rice is heated through.  Remove from the heat and serve immediately.

This came together so quickly and was so delicious that between it and vegetable fried rice I do believe I will have to start keeping some cooked rice on hand just for these two purposes alone.