Tips to add nutritional value to white rice

Being of the whole grains are better grains persuasion, I don’t often use white rice. But this evening, I was doing a simple stir fry of bay scallops with onion, red bell pepper and baby spinach leaves with some bottled sauce, and the white rice just sounded better- and would cook faster than brown. 

  

Here’s what I do: I add some other whole grains to the mix. Since I use one of the ‘Fuzzy Logic’ Rice Cookers, it’s all pretty automatic, but works simillarly enough to my old rice cooker for this purpose. You add X cups rice and/or other grains and then water or broth to the corresponding mark. Close lid. Push a button and wait for the dingaling. I keep the ratio to about 4 parts white rice to 1 part other grains.

I keep Quinoa and Amaranth on hand all the time. I add these to the white rice and don’t notice any discernible difference in looks, but a nicer, but subtle nutty flavor. These grains are often available in specialty markets or the natural foods aisle. They are also available in bulk bins more often these days.

One of the great things, doing it this way, is that even fussy kids aren’t going to notice the difference. Ah … Moms’. We’re a sneaky bunch.

Shown above: Red Quinoa. Also comes in different colors.

Shown below: Amaranth 

Another grain I’ll sometimes add is quick cooking barley, or barley flakes ( which I’ve blogged about on here before). All of these grains add protein, fiber and micronutrients that bring a wealth of nutrition. You’ll not be sacrficing anything for the look and texture of white rice.

I also commonly add low sodium chicken or vegetable broth for extra flavor.

Rice is so wonderfully flexible that it will adapt to almost anything, and sometimes white rice is the best choice even when you’re trying to go whole grain. It’s nice to know how to amp it up.

maven

Healthy one-pot meal: barley and chicken

I love barley - and like the lady says in the video, it has way more fiber and protein than brown rice. I also hear that it’s kinder from the glycemic index standpoint - in other words, it has real staying power to control your appetite. Barley is perfect for one pot meals just like this - healthy, filling, delicious and thrifty.

Bob’s Red Mill is a good brand of barley to buy, but there are a lot of brands out there. You should also know that the old European word for the toasted barley is Kasha - a staple of many Eastern European and Kosher dishes. So if you fancy a brand that is Kasha, go for it.

To keep this even healthier, remember to use a low sodium chicken broth. I always keep some cartons of chicken and vegetable broth in the pantry. You can also use the refrigerated “Better Than Broth” in jars, which is a bit saltier, so beware.

One of the great things about these type dishes is that you can ‘clean out’ the vegetable drawer, or use up meat from the freezer. Don’t be shy about substituting hamburger, chili meat, ground turkey, turkey tenders, pork ( cut up like for stew ), lamb or beef ( again, in a small stew chunk). Using up items you may already have makes this a really thrifty meal that can be scaled up or down. Leftovers can be combined with more broth, and enjoyed as a soup.

Browning the meat is important. Color is flavor, so take the time to really brown that meat nicely. The vegetables should only be cooked to the al dente stage. And talking about al dente, you can actually make your own version of Rice A Roni, by adding some broken up whole wheat spaghetti.

You should also remember that adding a bit of Worcestershire sauce and Kitchen Bouquet will give it some additional color and also that elusive ‘umami’ quality - the fifth flavor sense. This could also be accomplished with a bit of anchovy paste.

Another great addition would be some nice rinsed, canned chickpeas for a more middle eastern flair, combined with about a cup of freshly chopped parsley.

Get creative, and enjoy!

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Barley Butterscotch Cookie recipe

I don’t like butterscotch much. Yes, that’s totally from the fringes of the known universe - being almost as nuts as not liking chocolate. Butterscotch is one of those too sweet things that just don’t make it for me, though. That aside, I’ve got to try this recipe as soon as things settle down around here.

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