First start by rinsing the rice in a bowl. Rinse it well. I like to massage the rice a couple of minutes in the water to remove the starches. The water should not be cloudy when you are done rinsing and straining. Soak the rinsed rice in a bowl of water for about 15 minutes.

During this time heat get all of your ingredients together.

Head a medium sized pot on medium heat. Add in the oil and let it come to temperature for a minute or more. Sautee the onions and garlic, stirring them fora few minutes. Once the onions begin to soften, add the orzo and lightly toast. This should only take a couple of minutes. Just be sure you stir the mixture frequently before adding in the remaining rice. Add the rice, the juice of one lemon, salt, one the stock.

Bring the mixture to a boil, then cover, reduce the heat to low, and cook for about 18-20 minutes. Take a peak around that time, but no sooner, and the liquid should be fully absorbed. Your rice should be fluffy, not sticky. If it’s sticky, well it’s probably done. Something probably went wrong. Don’t get discouraged. It’s rice and trust me rice can be tricky.

The question you may have is should I just use my rice cooker? To be honest, I’m sure it would work fine. I’ve never used it for this particular recipe, but the rice cooker does wonders. If you have one and feel more comfortable, go for it and report back to me.

Once the rice if fluffy, remove it from the heat, keep it covered, and let is rest for about 10 minutes.

After 10 minutes, remove the lid, add in the juice of the second lemon, and the zest if you are using it.

Toss in the dill weed, parsley, and give this a good stir. Give this a taste and season with additional salt if necessary.