Rice Pilaf

Heat the olive oil and butter in a wide, heavy pan over medium-high heat — a Dutch oven works well here. Add the onions and salt, and cook, stirring regularly until the onions are deeply caramelized and jammy, 12-15 minutes or so. Remove about 1/3 of the onions, and reserve to use as a topping for later.

While the onions are cooking, combine the rice and quinoa (if using) in a strainer and rinse under cold running water until the water runs clear. Shake off additional water and set aside.

Add half of the pistachios, the lemon zest, dates, chickpeas, and cinnamon to the onions and stir well. Cook for a minute or so. Add the rice mixture, stir, cook for another minute before adding the water. Bring everything just to a boil, reduce the heat to a gentle simmer, cover and cook for 18 minutes or so, until the water has been absorbed. Turn off heat and wait another ten minutes.

In the meantime, chop the basil leaves. When the pilaf has finished cooking, uncover, fluff with a large fork and add most of the basil along with a big squeeze of the citrus juice. Taste and adjust with more salt if needed.

Serve generously topped with pistachios, the reserved onions and basil, along with any other toppings you like. A bit of lightly salted yogurt is considered a must around here.