Confetti Rice — The Welcome-Home Sunday

Mid-June. Twenty-six weeks pregnant. Cody came home Sunday afternoon from the Memphis wood-fired-oven stage. Mama hosted a small welcome-home dinner Sunday evening at the rental house — just Mama, Cody, Aunt Linda, Roy Calloway. Dustin and I were not there; the factory had me on the Saturday-Sunday closing shift this week and I could not make the drive. Mama promised to send pictures.

Cody walked Mama’s family through everything he had learned at the wood-fired-oven station: the dough fermentation timing across forty-eight hours, the sixty-second high-heat bake at eight hundred and fifty degrees, the burn-pattern reading on the bottom of the crust through the long-handled peel. Aunt Linda fell asleep in her chair around the second cup of coffee. Mama sent me a photo at nine-thirty PM of Aunt Linda asleep in the recliner with Roy reading a newspaper next to her.

Sunday I made confetti rice at the apartment because Dustin and I were having our own quieter Sunday dinner since the family-of-three Sapulpa welcome was happening without me. Confetti rice is a colorful one-pan rice dish — long-grain rice with diced bell peppers, peas, corn, carrots, and turmeric for the golden color. Mama remembers Carol making it for company. The dish is the kind of bright vegetable-forward Sunday side that scales for two people without effort.

Confetti Rice

Prep Time: 10 min | Cook Time: 20 min | Total Time: 30 min | Servings: 6

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil or vegetable oil
• 1/2 medium onion, diced
• 1/2 green bell pepper, diced
• 1/2 red bell pepper, diced (or one 4 oz jar of pimentos, drained)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced (or 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder)
• 1 1/2 cups long-grain white rice
• 3 cups low-sodium chicken broth or water
• 1 cup frozen corn kernels (or canned, drained)
• 1 cup frozen peas
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• Salt and black pepper to taste
• 2 tablespoons fresh parsley or cilantro, chopped (optional)

Instructions

1. Sauté the aromatics. Heat the oil in a large skillet or saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and bell peppers and cook for 3–4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened. Add the garlic and cook another 30 seconds until fragrant.
2. Toast the rice. Add the dry rice to the pan and stir to coat with the oil and vegetables. Toast for 1–2 minutes, stirring frequently, until the rice smells slightly nutty. This step builds flavor and helps the grains stay separate.
3. Add liquid and seasonings. Pour in the broth (or water), then stir in the cumin, paprika, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
4. Simmer covered. Once boiling, reduce heat to low, cover tightly, and cook for 15 minutes. Do not lift the lid during this time.
5. Add the vegetables. Remove the lid and scatter the frozen corn and peas over the top. Replace the lid and cook for an additional 3–5 minutes, until the vegetables are warmed through and the liquid is fully absorbed.
6. Fluff and finish. Remove from heat. Fluff the rice with a fork, folding the vegetables throughout. Taste and adjust salt and pepper. Top with fresh parsley or cilantro if using. Serve hot straight from the pan.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 265 | Protein: 7g | Fat: 4g | Carbs: 50g | Fiber: 3g | Sodium: 310mg