Elizabeth Endicott's Armenian Pilaf
The Sandcastle Girls - Recipe #1
The very first Armenian recipe that my husband taught me was this fabulous rice pilaf. It is fairly simple, and pairs well with just about everything I can think of. It is absolutely delicious and addictive as well, so be warned!
In the beginning of The Sandcastle Girls, Miss Elizabeth Endicott and her father arrive in Aleppo, Syria from Boston, to provide assistance to the Armenian refugees arriving from Turkey. Some of the first mentions of food in the book are meager rations of low quality bread and rice given to the starving refugees. The descriptions of these "foods" made me cringe and wish that they had something more nutritious, clean, and filling - like this traditional Armenian rice pilaf.
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons vegan butter (I used Earth Balance)
1/2 cup thin vermicelli (broken into 1/2 inch pieces)
1.5 cups medium grain white rice (rinsed thoroughly and strained)
3 cups water
1 large vegetable bouillon cube (or 2 small)
Instructions:
Melt vegan butter in medium/large pot over medium heat, and tilt pot to coat bottom.
Add vermicelli pieces and use wooden spoon to spread them out to cover the bottom of the pot.
When the vermicelli begins to darken (be careful not to burn!), add rice and water.
Bring to a boil and add veggie bouillon, breaking it up with wooden spoon, and mixing into the rice/vermicelli.
Reduce heat to low, and cover. Simmer for about 20 min until all water is absorbed (cook according to rice package instructions).
Fluff with fork and add salt and pepper to taste, if desired.
Enjoy!
