outdoor

Ok, I'm not a great cook, or even a good one I guess. I want to start cooking and eating healthy. I hear a lot about brown rice, but I'm not sure what to do with it. Any recipe ideas?

fatbob

brown rice is horrible!
i've never found a way of cooking it so that it doesn't taste like soap...
i reckon that using non-bleached white rice is just as good for you!

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maleficent

Brown rice has a different texture and taste than regular rice does. While white rice is a good base for most anything with a sauce will absorb the flavor of the sauce, brown rice has a nutty taste with a chewier texture.

Brown Rice Pilaf
2 cups brown rice (brown jasmine rice is great)
5 cups chicken broth (approx, depending on weather and such, you might use less)
3 leaves fresh sage, finely chopped
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
2 tbs olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 shallot, chopped
3 stalks celery, chopped
5 mushrooms, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
Put brown rice and about 4 cups broth in a pot and bring to a boil, then reduce to low heat, cover, and cook for 50 minutes or until done.
Pour the olive oil into a sauté pan.
When it is hot, add the onion, celery, and mushrooms, and cook for about 5 minutes.
Add the parsley and sage, garlic if using, and a sprinkling of salt and pepper, then continue cooking until vegetables are soft.
Mix rice and vegetable mixture, add a bit more vegetable broth if it is too dry, reheat if necessary, and serve.

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superiorrain

If you can cook normal rice then you can cook brown rice, but make sure you add about 1/3 more water than usual, my experiance tells me that brown rice absorbs more water.

Whatever you have been doing with white rice will translate easily to the brown stuff.

Meat, onions, some veg. tinned tomatos, herbs and spices mix it all up and you're good to go.

At least thats the way i cook, whatever i have bash it all in and hope for the best, usually works out right in the end.

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pinkie

Brown rice is delicious. You eat it in the place of white rice. So, mainly with stir-fry, or anything that calls for regular rice. It takes a bit longer to cook so read the directions on the package!

outdoor

Thanks for all the help so far...I appreaciate it. Next question...does using brown "Minute" rice have the same nutritional qualities as if I get the stuff and cook it for a long time? Does that make sense? Or, what I'm saying is, I'm lazy, can I get away with minute rice or do I need to plan my meals like an hour before i eat?

maleficent

Minute white rice I think is just flavorless and not worth the effort, I can't imagine that minute brown rice would be any better.

If you have a microwave, cooking rice in that way is relatively quick (takes about 20 minutes) and cleanup is a breeze...

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outdoor

Yeah I was afraid of that. As I learn more about eating healthy, I realize that it just takes some time and some effort. If it were easy everyone would do it I guess. Thanks for the help maleficent

absorbentishe

In a hurry, I make brown minute rice, and it's okay. I prefer to the real rice though. I mix a lot, 3/4 brown to 1/4 white, and make my dishes that way.

pinkie

Eating healthy is lots of effort, but the benefits are well worth it.

Charlatan

I am all about the brown rice. It has flavour.

I am also all about the brown bread. Can't eat white bread anymore. It tastes like styrofoam only less tasty.

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mrsandman

I love brown rice! I feel it is far better for you than white rice, plus, it is not refined.

What I do is buy a bag of rice, usually 2 lbs, and cook it all up at once. It ends up to be appx. 18 cups. I use chicken broth instead of water and even add some chicken boullion (powdered) to enhance the flavor of the rice.

I then get out some zip freezer/microwave bags. I fill each bag with whatever portion I feel like...usually 4 cups, then fill the freezer bag up. (Big spoon.) I then flatten the bag out to maybe 3/4 of an inch and then freeze them. (Let them cool first & be sure to leave the bag unzipped a little as you squeeze the air out) I usually end up with 4-5 flat bags stacked in the reezer.It takes up very little room, flattened.

Simply take one out, microwave one side on high for appx. 4 mins then flip and microwave other side for appx 3 mins. (Dont forget to zip it open a little to allow steam to escape...Done. Add to recipe.

Takes a bit of time initially, but ends up saving lots of time over several meals.

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outdoor

mrsandman- brilliant! Unfortunatly I have very limited freezer space, but I can still cook a little ahead of time. Do I have to add some water or anything when I put it in the microwave, or does the bag keep things moist enough? Thanks for the new idea. Oh, and I'll try the chicken broth!

mrsandman

outdoor-add water? Nope...just micro as stated above...and the chicken broth w/ added chicken boullion, does make a flavorful difference.

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jorgelito

I always make a lot and use it over the course of say, 3-7 days. There are many uses you can get out of rice. Making it ahead of time is a time saver (I'm lazy too).

I sometimes make half-white-half-brown rice. Since I use a rice cooker/steamer, it's all a snap. I can even make it the night before, or turn it on before I leave for school (not the best idea though).

Every now and then, I toss a few cloves of garlic in the steamer. The result, "fragrant rice" mmmmmmm....and the garlic is soft and spreadable.

I like to make a jambalaya with the brown rice. It seems to work well.

Keep in mind, brown rice is supposed to be a little "al dente" so don't let that discourage you.

Get a rice cooker/steamer. It really is worth it and it works for brown rice just fine (those Asians are on to something LOL!).

kutulu

My rule of thumb is that if it comes in a box and takes 1/10th the time to cook it then it's not nearly as healthy as the real thing. Most boxed things have way too much sodium. Of course, I don't want you to think I never use boxed things. Boxed risotto kicks ass.