This colorful side dish tastes delicious and is a great accompaniment to meat or chicken. It can even be used as a stuffing for peppers or schnitzel (see below. The honey adds a wonderful flavor.
Sauté the peppers and onion in a little bit of oil until golden brown (about 15 minutes) and set aside. In a small pot, boil the garlic, honey, soy sauce, and salt. In a large bowl, mix the vegetables, sauce, and cooked rice. Serve hot.
NOTE This dish works equally well with brown rice or white rice.
TIP You can cook the rice the conventional way, or you can do it in the oven (and free a much-needed flame on Erev Yom Tov!). Proportions are 1 cup of rice to approximately 2 cups of boiling water. I put the rice in a 9x13-inch pan, and I add the boiling water, salt to taste, and a little oil. I mix it gently together, cover very tightly with foil, and bake in a preheated 350°F (180°C) oven for about 45 minutes. I don’t mix it midway. After it’s removed from the oven, I let it sit until cool and fluff it with a fork. The rice comes out beautiful — and this way, it’s not sticky!
TIP The vegetables can be sautéed in advance and frozen. Before you heat the dish, defrost them and add them to the rice.
SERVING IDEA Place the rice mixture on a raw chicken cutlet and roll it up (secure with a toothpick if necessary). Smear the top with oil and spices, cover, and bake until the chicken is almost ready. Uncover, pour duck sauce generously on top, and bake for another 10 minutes.
