What is Whole Grain Rice?

After rice is harvested, its inedible hull must be removed, resulting in a whole grain (often brown) rice kernel, ready to cook. If the rice is milled further, the bran and germ are removed, white rice is the result, with lower levels of nutrients.

Rice is often classified by size and texture. There’s long, medium and short-grain rice, with the former quite elongated and the latter nearly round. Some short-grain rices are known as “sticky” rice because of the extra amylopectin (a kind of starch) that they contain; this stickiness makes them easier to manipulate with chopsticks and perfect for sushi. Aromatic rices have a special fragrance and taste, such as Basmati, Jasmine, Texmati and Ambemohar rice.

Rice is one of the most easily digested grains – one reason rice cereal is often recommended as a baby’s first solid. This makes rice ideal for those on a restricted diet or who are gluten-intolerant.

Brown rice has much higher levels of many vitamins and minerals than white rice.

Wild rice is not technically rice at all, but the seed of an aquatic grass originally grown by Native American tribes around the Great Lakes. Today some commercial cultivation takes place in California and the Midwest, but much of the crop is still harvested by Native Americans, largely in Minnesota.

The strong flavor and high price of wild rice means that it is most often consumed in a blend with other rices or other grains. Wild rice has twice the protein and fiber of brown rice, but less iron and calcium.

Cooking common varieties of brown rice is simple.

In general, combine 1 cup uncooked brown rice with two cups liquid (such as water or broth) in a 2-3 quart saucepan with a tight-fitting lid. Heat to boiling, then reduce heat, cover and simmer for 40-45 minutes. Check to see if most of the water has been absorbed. If rice is not quite tender or liquid is not absorbed, replace lid and cook 2 to 4 minutes longer. Remove from the heat and let stand ten minutes. Fluff with a fork and serve. Yields 3-4 cups.

Tips for perfect rice:

• Keep lid on the pot during cooking
• Don’t stir – unless you like sticky rice. Stirring releases extra starch. (That’s the reason for all that stirring when making risotto.)
• If rice (or any other grain) is sticking to the pot, add a little water, turn off the heat, and let it steam for a few extra minutes. Usually the rice will release from the pot.

Whole grain rice comes in many quick-cooking forms these days, too. These brown rice options are partially (or completely) pre-cooked, so all you have to do is warm them up for ten minutes – or even as little as 90 seconds in the microwave. So brown rice can have a place on your table even when you’re in a hurry.

Store uncooked brown rice at room temperature for up to six months, or in your refrigerator or freezer for longer periods. Cooked rice can be stored in the refrigerator for 3-5 days, or in the freezer for several months. It’s easy to cook a big batch of brown rice, freeze it in batches sized for your household and simply warm it up at mealtime.

My favorite rice company, Lundberg.

Make a big batch of Brown Rice Stuffing and use it in any number of recipes or serve some alongside roasted chicken or pork. You can also just cook the 2 cups of rice in the stock and use the leftovers for casseroles and soup.

Makes 8 cups

Ingredients

• 1 cup chopped nuts (pecans, walnuts, pignoli, etc.)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 ½ cups chopped onion
• 1 cup chopped celery
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 2 teaspoons dried sage
• 2 cups uncooked brown rice or whole grain rice mix (unseasoned)
• 3 ⅓ cups chicken or vegetable stock
• 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Directions

Toast the nuts by heating them over medium-high heat in a heavy, dry skillet or baking them in a toaster oven until golden brown. Do not allow them to burn. Remove from the pan and set aside.

Heat the oil in a heavy saucepan. Add the onion and celery and saute over low heat until soft and just beginning to brown. Stir in the thyme, sage and rice. Add the toasted nuts. Add the stock, bring to a boil and boil for two minutes.

Lower heat, cover and cook until the liquid is absorbed, about 20 minutes. The rice will still be a little firm, but it will continue to cook in the recipes below. Season the mixture with parsley, lemon juice and salt and pepper. Set aside or refrigerate until ready to use.

Use to stuff vegetables, such as peppers, tomatoes, onions or cabbage.

Italian Sausage Stuffed Peppers

Ingredients

• 4-6 (depending on size) large peppers (green, red, yellow or orange), tops cut off and cleaned out
• 1 lb hot Italian pork or turkey sausage, casing removed
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning, recipe above
• 1 cup prepared brown rice stuffing
• Salt & fresh ground pepper (to taste)
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1 1/2 cups marinara sauce, optional
• Fresh basil, for garnish

Directions

Saute sausage until browned. Add garlic and Italian seasoning. Saute for 2 minutes.

Pour into a mixing bowl and stir in rice stuffing.

Stuff  mixture into the hollowed out peppers.  Place in a baking dish and top the peppers with mozzarella cheese. Pour marinara sauce around the peppers, if desired. You can also heat the sauce separately and pour it over the baked peppers.

Bake at 350 degrees F. for 25-30 minutes or until the peppers are tender. Garnish with fresh basil, if desired.

Stuffed Acorn Squash

2 servings

Ingredients

• 1 acorn squash
• 2 tablespoons extra‐virgin olive oil
• 1 clove organic garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup diced Portobello mushrooms
• 1/2 cup cooked brown rice stuffing
• 1 tablespoon butter
• Kosher salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Cut acorn squash in half; remove seeds and place cut sides down on a greased baking pan.

Roast for 35 minutes. Cool and remove flesh the from squash halves; cube the squash flesh.

Add oil to a sauté pan over medium‐high heat. Add the cubed squash, garlic and mushrooms. Sauté for 4 to 5 minutes.

Add cooked brown rice stuffing, butter and salt and pepper, if needed.

Mix well and stuff into empty squash halves. Reheat in the oven for a few minutes.

Brown Rice Fritters

Ingredients

• 2 cups cooked (leftover, plain) brown rice
• 1/2 cup grated parmigiano-reggiano
• 1/2 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 beaten egg
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1/4 cup olive oil, divided
• 3 tablespoons butter, divided
• Finely chopped flat-leaf parsley leaves

Directions

Combine rice, parmigiano-reggiano, oregano, salt, pepper and egg.

Form rice mixture into eight 2″ round cakes. Transfer cakes to a baking sheet covered with parchment paper and refrigerate for 30 minutes to allow them to firm up.

Put flour on a plate; dredge cakes in flour.

Heat 2 tablespoons oil and 1 tablespoon of the butter in a 10″ skillet over medium-high heat. Working in 2 batches, fry cakes, turning once carefully so they do not break apart, until golden brown, about 4 minutes per side.

Add remaining 2 tablespoons oil to the pan for the second batch, if needed, and cook the second batch.

Garnish each cake with a thin slice of softened butter and sprinkle with finely chopped flat-leaf parsley leaves.

Chicken Rice Soup

8 servings

Ingredients

• 10 cups chicken broth
• 1 large onion chopped
• 1 cup sliced celery
• 1 cup sliced carrots
• 1/4 cup snipped parsley
• 1/2 teaspoon cracked black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 1/2 cups chicken cubed (3/4 lb.)
• 4 cups (6 oz) baby spinach
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 2 cups cooked brown rice

Directions

Combine broth, onion, celery, carrots, parsley, pepper, thyme and bay leaf in a Dutch oven or very large soup pot.

Bring to a boil; stir once or twice. Reduce heat; simmer uncovered 10 to 15 minutes. Add chicken and spinach; simmer uncovered 5 to 10 minutes or until chicken is cooked.

Remove and discard bay leaf. Stir in rice and lemon juice and heat just before serving.

Related articles

• Do Rice Cookers Work On Brown Rice? (aroundthe-world.info)
• Why you should be eating more whole grains (being808.com)

Posted by Jovina Coughlin in celery, Chicken, Healthy Italian Cooking, Nuts, onion, Rice, Sausage, Soup, spinach, Stuffing/Dressing, Vegetarian Tags: Basmati, Brown, Jasmine, wild rice