This recipe is a bit of a work in progress. The amounts of some of the ingredients will be tweaked as I get more experience with it. I've modified it with suggestions from Chris Hansen who forwarded me his recipe. One of his suggestions that seems to make a positive difference is replacing the one quart sauce pan with a covered 12 inch sauté pan.
Ingredients:
1 cup long grain white rice
3-4 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp butter
1 clove garlic
1/2 onion, small dice
4 tsbp bell pepper, small dice
2 tbsp carrot, small dice
1/2 tsp cumin
6 tbsp or 3 oz tomato paste
2 cups water or chicken broth
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground pepper
Add the olive oil to a 12 inch sauté pan and lightly brown or toast the rice. Remove the rice, add the butter and sauté the vegetables until soft, adding the cumin, salt and pepper during the last 30 seconds or so. Return the rice to the pan, carefully add the water or broth. Stir and bring to a boil, cover and simmer for 20 minutes or until the liquid is absorbed. (Simmering for 15 minutes, turning off the heat and letting it coast for another 5 or 10 seems to work just as well without the chance of burning the bottom layer of rice).
Chris's recipe also calls for adding a chicken bouillon cube or preferably a teaspoon of "Better Than Bouillon" to the water or broth. I suspect that starting with chicken stock would work the same. His other addition (although optional) is 5-6 chopped cilantro leaves.