Brown rice
Source of Recipe
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Recipe Introduction
Have you heard? Carbs are back in vogue. Well, maybe not nationwide,
but at
least one
diet gaining popularity these days emphasizes the importance of healthy
complex
carbohydrates such as brown rice, which should probably be a part of
any
healthful diet.
Not only is brown rice a healthy choice, it's an economical one, too.
But
brown rice is not
easy to prepare. Even following the instructions on the bag may not
produce a
tasty result.
Turn up the heat too high and you have a burnt pot and crunchy kernels.
Add
too much
water and the rice will swell into a gelatinous mass. Fail to start
cooking
the rice early and
it won't be done in time. But brown rice doesn't have to be difficult.
In
fact it can be as
foolproof as preparing white rice, as long as you understand how to
cook it.
The secret for preparing perfect brown rice, according to the folks at
Cook's
Illustrated
(www.cooksillustrated.com), who do an amazing job of testing and
developing
foolproof
methods for the kitchen, is to bake it in the oven. Making certain your
proportions and
measurements are exact is mandatory. Don't guess. Measure. Here are
recipes
from
Cook's Illustrated for baked brown rice and a rice salad.
List of Ingredients
FOOLPROOF OVEN-BAKED BROWN RICE
1-1/2 cups long-, medium- or short-grain brown rice
2-1/3 cups water
2 teaspoons butter or vegetable oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
Recipe
Preheat the oven to 375 F and move a rack to the middle position.
Spread the
rice into an
8-inch square, glass baking dish. In a covered saucepan on the stove,
bring
the water and
butter or oil to a boil over high heat. Once it begins to boil, stir in
the
salt and pour over
the rice. Cover the baking dish tightly with a double layer of foil.
Bake for
one hour, until
tender. Remove from the oven and uncover. Fluff the rice with a fork,
cover
with a clean
kitchen towel; let rice stand 5 minutes. Uncover for another 5 minutes,
then
serve
immediately. Serves 4 to 6.
Variations:
SUCCULENT BROWN RICE: You can dress up the brown rice recipe above by
substituting chicken or vegetable broth for the water. Add 1/2 onion,
chopped
and sauteed
in 1 tablespoon oil, at the same time you pour the liquid over the raw
brown
rice. When
you remove the rice from the oven and fluff with a fork, stir in 3/4
cup
frozen peas.
Re-cover and proceed as described above. The peas will heat through
during
the standing
time.
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