Savory Summer Side Dishes: Part 1

Sausage and Tomato Brown Rice

In Savannah, Paula Deen made it clearly known that side dishes can often be the most challenging creation in delivering the perfect meal.  It can either make or break a dish.  It can steal the show or shut it down.  So, over the next four days I'll be sharing some of my easiest, tastiest and most successful side dishes. 
First up is my Sausage and Tomato Brown Rice.  I've started using mostly brown rice over white rice as a side dish, due to the incredible increased nutritional value of brown rice.  For more details go to:  http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=128.  But, if it's not seasoned right, it reminds me a little of cooked dirt!  I've found that chicken broth is a must when cooking brown rice and when I added this tomato basil soup (also a little boring on its own), the dish went over the top!

Sausage and Tomato Brown Rice

Prep Time: 10 minutes / Cook Time: 40 minutes / Servings:8

Ingredients:

• 2 cups long grain brown rice
• 2 Sweet Italian Chicken Sausage Links, chopped
• 1 cup Trader Joe's Organic Tomato Basil Soup
• 3 cups Low-Sodium Chicken Broth
• 2 tsp. garlic powder
• 2 tsp. salt
• 2 tsp. pepper
• 2 tbsp. olive oil

Steps:

1. In a large saucepan, combine rice and olive oil.  Cook on high heat for 2-3 minutes, stirring constantly, until rice is lightly toasted.  Add soup, chicken broth, garlic powder, salt and pepper and stir until all ingredients are combined.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat to simmer, cover and cook until liquid is absorbed and rice is soft, about 30-35 minutes.
2. In a separate skillet, cook the chopped sausage on medium heat for 7-10 minutes, until browned and cooked through.  Stir sausage into rice.
3. To Serve: Pack the rice into 1/2 cup measuring cups.  Turn the cups upside down on the serving dish and lightly tap on the cup to release the rice onto the plate.  Serve immediately.