Magnificent Spiced Rice and some chicken

If you live anywhere near Phoenix and you've never been to Haji-Baba then you should go. Not as in you should make a special trip or anything but you know, when you're in the area. If you order the schwarma (highly recommended) you might be tempted to pick up one of the little bags of schwarma spice mix they stock in the market half of Haji-Baba. Don't. It won't be as good. You will be disappointed. Unfortunately I didn't have the luxury of my own warning and I bought some. I've used it twice and there's enough left to do it again. Hopefully I can overcome my distaste for wasting perfectly good yet ultimately insignificant pantry items and just throw it out. Or maybe not. Anyway - leftovers for lunch!

1. magnificent spiced rice
2. chicken tender
3. donut peach

Of course this really wasn't about the chicken. It's the rice, rice baby. Oh yeah. I went there. Yes. This rice is at least as, if not more, magnificent than Vanilla Ice. And his hair. For realz ya'll.

Magnificent Spiced Rice

1 cup basmati rice
2 tablespoons of butter
pinch of saffron
pinch of salt
handful of slice almonds
handful of raisins
3 whole green cardamom pods
2 2/3 cups of hot water

Melt the butter in a pan (a deep heavy bottomed pan that has a good fitting lid) with the rice and the almonds over medium high heat until the almonds get toasted. You pretty much need to be stirring constantly during this part. Crank up the heat to high and dump in everything else. Give it a stir or two until it begins to boil, then give it one final stir and slap on the lid. Immediately turn the heat down as low as you can get it and set your timer for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes take off the lid and pick out the cardamom pods. If you're lucky they'll be right on top. Then all you need to do is "fluff" and enjoy!