Make It Once, Eat It All Week Brown Rice

If you think that brown rice is boring, do I have some recipes for you.

Sure, cooking up a pot of brown rice made with water can be a tad bland, but add a little of this and a dash of that to a cooked pot of rice and bingo you’ve got Nirvana in a bowl.

Here is a basic recipe for cooked brown rice that can either be eaten as is or used in the recipes below.

2 cups (500 mL) long, medium, or short grain brown rice

4 cups (1L) water or lower sodium chicken or vegetable stock

In a medium heavy bottomed pot with a tight fitting lid add rice and water or stock. Bring to the boil, cover, reduce heat to simmer and cook for 45-50 minutes, no peaking. When done remove from the heat, fluff with a rice paddle or a fork, cover and let sit for 10 minutes. Or better yet buy a rice cooker.  Makes – 7-8 cups

Awesome Lentil and Rice Salad (all seasonal)

(from Ultimate foods for Ultimate Health and don’t forget the chocolate!)

Okay, there are a lot of ingredients in this salad, but it’s not as scary as it looks. I’ve made the method a one bowler, throw all ingredients into one bowl and toss. Easy, squeasy and the best part it’s a total meal in one bowl.

1 Tbsp. (15 mL) lemon zest

¼ cup (50 mL) lemon juice

2 Tbsp. (30 mL) extra virgin olive oil

1 tsp. (5 mL) Dijon mustard

¼ tsp. (1 mL) cinnamon

Pinch of cayenne

1 – 19 fl oz. /540 mL can lentils, drained and rinsed

2 cups (500 mL) cooked long or short grain brown rice

1 cup (250 mL) coarsely chopped fresh parsley, loosely packed

¾ cup (175 mL) diced red onion

½ cup (125 mL) currants

½ cup (125 mL) dried cranberries

1 Tbsp. (15 mL) finely chopped fresh mint

1.      In a large bowl whisk together lemon zest, juice, olive oil, Dijon, cinnamon and cayenne. Add drained and rinsed lentils. Toss.

2.      Toss in brown rice till just combined.

3.      Add parsley, red onion, currants, dried cranberries and mint. Toss till just combined. Serve. Store any leftovers covered in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Makes – 5 cups (1.25 L)

Serves – 4 – 1 ¼ cup (310 mL) servings

Each 1 ¼ cup (310 mL) serving contains

400 Calories, 8 g total Fat, 1 g Sat Fat, 0 g Trans Fat, 200 mg Sodium, 65 g Carbs, 14 g Fibre, 12 g Protein

Japanese Brown Rice Salad (spring and summer)

(from Ultimate foods for Ultimate Health and don’t forget the chocolate!)

This recipe is like having maki sushi, as a salad.

2 cups (500 mL) cooked long, medium, short grain brown rice

½ English cucumber, diced, leave peel on

2 carrots, diced

2 stalks celery, diced

1 red pepper, diced

4 green onion, finely chopped

½ avocado, diced

Dressing

1 tbsp. + 1 tsp. (20 mL) rice vinegar

1 Tbsp. (15 mL) water

2 tsp. (10 mL) light soy sauce

1 tsp. (5 mL) canola oil

1 tsp. (5 mL) Wasabi paste

1.      Toss together the rice, cucumber, carrots, celery, red pepper and green onion in a large bowl.

2.      In a small bowl whisk together the rice vinegar, water, soy sauce, oil and Wasabi paste.

3.      Pour into salad and toss till well coated. Store in fridge till serving time. Toss in avocado and serve.

Makes – 5 cups (1.25 L)

Serves – 4 – 1 ¼ cup (310 mL) servings

Each 1 ¼ cup (310 mL) serving contains:

200 Calories, 6 g Total Fat, 1 g Sat Fat, 0 g Trans Fat, 160 mg Sodium, 34 g Carbs, 4 g Fibre, 4 g Protein.

Big Cooking Tip

Want a bigger Wasabi hit? Add an extra 1 tsp. (5 mL) Wasabi paste to the dressing and be prepared to have your sinuses cleared.

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