I just discovered how wonderful short grain brown rice is! I have been *trying* to eat...

M

michael-in-phoenix

Well-known member
...more brown rice, but the long grain stuff just tastes bland to me, and not at all like white rice. I love white rice, but I just can't handle all those bran-less carbs.

There's a restaurant here called Pei-Wei. It is owned by the P.F. Chang's people, and it is a neighborhood-diner style version of P.F. Chang's China Bistro. (Pei-Wei serves the world's BEST kung pao chicken/shrimp, by the way!). You are given a choice of white or brown rice with your meal. If you choose brown rice, you get short grain brown rice. This was my first taste of the stuff, and it is very good.

It tastes nutty, and has a great 'chew' to it. I bought a bag at Whole Foods (I think) and cooked some in my rice cooker. I added a bit more water than I would with white rice and it came out great. Even my kids gobbled it up.

I'm going to try it with chicken broth next.

Michael

http://www.peiwei.com/

 
This is good encouragement. I;ve had the same experiences as yours, until now. I just bought a bag

of basmati that is so far better than any I've ever bought before. Wonderful flavour, but then, same problem. It's still white rice.

I'll be interested to know if you become even more enamoured.

 
Michael, you should try quinoa...it's like the nutty version of couscous. Also,

I've been finishing up rice by putting a cotton towel under the lid and letting it sit off-stove for 15 minutes or so.

Every single grain I tried seems to taste better doing this...extra moisture is absorbed and the product gets drier and fluffier.

 
I cook most of our rice in the rice cooker we've had for decades. It's an old Hitachi 5-cup.

I will try keen-wah on your recommendation. I've had it mixed in whole grain bread and it was not the least bit offensive.

High in protein too, I hear.

Michael

 
Be sure to rinse, rinse, rinse first. It has a bitter coating as a natural defense against being

eaten. But a few moments spent rinsing it first and no problems.

Very nice...I hope you enjoy it.

 
Hi Michael, have you tried the spelt from Trader Joe's? It is a packaged mix, including

a flavor packet much like Rice-A-Roni, only infinitely better tasting and more nutritious.

It's got a nice, nutty flavor and texture. I bought about a dozen boxes of it after trying for the first time, so I haven't checked lately to see if they still carry it. If they do, give it a try. I like cooking it in chicken or veggie broth.

 
When you do get ready to try it, I have had great success with Hodgeson Farm's

Whole Wheat Angel Hair Pasta. Served it to my husband and he never noticed the difference. It is like getting used to brown rice. I always thought I didn't like it, until I started cooking it again. The trick is to not overcook it, which was my tendancy.

 
Tried brown rice pasta this week from TJ's - It's a keeper...

In an effort to incorp more healthy stuff into our family's diet I bought a bag of corkscrew brown rice pasta at TJ's. No discernable flavor to it which is fine w/ the kids. The consistency was a little more spongey but not a problem with us. The kids all asked for seconds.

I sauted some shallot and garlic then added a can of 2% evap. milk and a couple spoonfulls of pesto from Costco and reduced a bit. Added some grated parm. leftover shredded rotisserie chicken and steamed asparagus. Tossed it all together and it was a big hit.

Note: Only used half the bag of pasta and had plenty for our family with a little leftover.

 
For anyone interested, here's a couple of recipes for quinoa that I printed two weeks ago

I bought a bag and have yet to try quinoa but here's the recipes:

QUINOA WITH BUTTERNUT SQUASH & RED BELL PEPPER

Recipe By : Cooking Light, 9/02
Serving Size : 4

1 Tbsp olive oil
1 c butternut squash -- coarsely chopped & peeled
2/3 c red bell pepper -- chopped
1/3 c finely chopped onions
1 1/2 tsps jalapeño pepper -- finely chopped, seeded
1 clove garlic -- minced
1 1/3 c chicken broth -- fat-free/less-sodium
1 c quinoa -- uncooked
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 1/2 tbsps green onions -- thinly sliced

Heat oil in a large saucepan over med-hi heat.
Add squash & next 4 ingred. (squash thru garlic), sauté 4 min.

Stir in broth, quinoa, & salt; bring to a boil.
Cover, reduce heat, & simmer 20 min. or till the liquid is absorbed.

Sprinkle the quinoa mixture w/thinly sliced green onions.

Serving Ideas : Great served w/grilled chicken or pork.
Serving size: 1 cup

NOTES : Delicate quinoa picks up sweetness from the squash & red bell pepper, & a little heat from the jalapeño.


QUINOA WITH ARTICHOKES & KALAMATAS

2 cups quinoa
4 cups water -- plus 4 1/2 cups water
1 teaspoon sea salt
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup sliced marinated artichoke hearts ~
1/4 cup sliced and pitted Kalamata olives
1/2 bunch fresh spinach -- cleaned and cut into chiffonade
1 cup cherry tomatoes -- halved
2 tablespoons flat-leaf parsley -- finely chopped
1/2 cup Greek dressing -- recipe follows
1 Handful toasted pine nuts
1/2 cup crumbled goat feta

Cover the quinoa with four cups of water and rub the grains between the palms of your hands. Drain the repeat the process one more time.

Bring 4 1/2 cups of water to a boil, add the quinoa, sea salt, and olive oil. Cover, lower the heat, and simmer for 15 or 20 minutes or until the water is absorbed. Permit it to cool, then fluff with a fork. Add the artichoke hearts, the olives, spinach, tomatoes, parsley, and Greek dressing. Toss to mix well. Sprinkle with pine nuts and the goat feta.

Greek Dressing:
1 T. lemon zest
1/2 cup Balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup orange juice
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tsp. each: dried oregano, dried mint
1 tsp. fresh basil, minced
Salt & freshly ground black pepper

Combine the dressing ingredients; taste for good flavors and mix with quinoa mixture.

 
For anyone interested, here's a couple of quinoa recipes I printed two weeks ago

I have yet to try quinoa but am interested in making the first recipe:


QUINOA WITH BUTTERNUT SQUASH & RED BELL PEPPER

Recipe By : Cooking Light, 9/02
Serving Size : 4

1 Tbsp olive oil
1 c butternut squash -- coarsely chopped & peeled
2/3 c red bell pepper -- chopped
1/3 c finely chopped onions
1 1/2 tsps jalapeño pepper -- finely chopped, seeded
1 clove garlic -- minced
1 1/3 c chicken broth -- fat-free/less-sodium
1 c quinoa -- uncooked
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 1/2 tbsps green onions -- thinly sliced

Heat oil in a large saucepan over med-hi heat.
Add squash & next 4 ingred. (squash thru garlic), sauté 4 min.

Stir in broth, quinoa, & salt; bring to a boil.
Cover, reduce heat, & simmer 20 min. or till the liquid is absorbed.

Sprinkle the quinoa mixture w/thinly sliced green onions.

Serving Ideas : Great served w/grilled chicken or pork.
Serving size: 1 cup

NOTES : Delicate quinoa picks up sweetness from the squash & red bell pepper, & a little heat from the jalapeño.


QUINOA WITH ARTICHOKES & KALAMATAS

2 cups quinoa
4 cups water -- plus 4 1/2 cups water
1 teaspoon sea salt
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup sliced marinated artichoke hearts ~
1/4 cup sliced and pitted Kalamata olives
1/2 bunch fresh spinach -- cleaned and cut into chiffonade
1 cup cherry tomatoes -- halved
2 tablespoons flat-leaf parsley -- finely chopped
1/2 cup Greek dressing -- recipe follows
1 Handful toasted pine nuts
1/2 cup crumbled goat feta

Cover the quinoa with four cups of water and rub the grains between the palms of your hands. Drain the repeat the process one more time.

Bring 4 1/2 cups of water to a boil, add the quinoa, sea salt, and olive oil. Cover, lower the heat, and simmer for 15 or 20 minutes or until the water is absorbed. Permit it to cool, then fluff with a fork. Add the artichoke hearts, the olives, spinach, tomatoes, parsley, and Greek dressing. Toss to mix well. Sprinkle with pine nuts and the goat feta.

Greek Dressing:
1 T. lemon zest
1/2 cup Balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup orange juice
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tsp. each: dried oregano, dried mint
1 tsp. fresh basil, minced
Salt & freshly ground black pepper

Combine the dressing ingredients; taste for good flavors and mix with quinoa mixture.

 
Michael, try browning the brown short rice before cooking it to bring out the nutty flavor

You can either toast it in a dry pan or put a little oil in a pan and brown it that way. Either way, the flavor is better in the end result.

I totally switched from white rice and regular pasta so I get good carbs and I am here to tell you that you CAN get used to it and even may start to prefer brown rice and whole grain pasta after a while.

 
i don't know if you get lundberg products down there - worth trying any of their brown rice if you

can find it.

 
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