Brown Rice Recipes and Information

When rice is first harvested, each grain is surrounded by a tough outer hull. Brown rice is rice that has had the outer hull removed, but still has the bran coating on the kernel. The bran coating, rich in vitamins and minerals, is what makes brown rice so nutritious and healthy.

1/2 cup of cooked whole grain brown rice (nothing else added) contains 108 calories, 1 gram of fat, 5 mg of sodium, 22 grams of carbohydrates, 2 grams of fiber, 2.5 grams of protein, 0.41 grams of iron, 0.094 grams of thiamin, 1.40 mg of niacin, and 4 mcg of folate. Brown rice is gluten-free and contains the vitamins mentioned here as well as other B-vitamins and zinc.

Brown rice is very easy to cook. One cup of dried rice will make about 2 cups of cooked rice.

1.To prepare two cups of cooked brown rice, measure one cup of dried brown rice.
2. If the package says so, rinse the brown rice in cold water to remove any hull pieces that weren't removed in processing. Then add two cups of water to your pot with the rinsed rice in it, put a lid on the pot, and put it on the stove.(I prefer a stainless steel pot with lid).
3. Bring the rice/water combo to a boil.
4. After it boils, turn the eye of the stove down to low so that the rice can simmer.
5. When all of the water has been absorbed, and the rice has plumped up and is soft, your rice is done.

To add excitement to this very simply recipe, you can add a sprinkle of dried garlic and salt, add finely chopped vegetables to the water, or use chicken, beef, or vegetable broth (see links below for some of my favorites).

If you need larger portions just follow the same ratio (ex. to make four cups of cooked rice, use 2 cups of dried rice and 4 cups of liquid and follow the steps above).

*(I usually do this by putting my dried rice into my cooking pot, running cold water over it, swishing it around, and then pouring the cold water off. You can pour the cold water off using a sieve, or just by using your hands to catch the rice kernels.)

If you want to get the nutritional benefits of brown rice, without always just cooking rice, there are other ways to do it. Brown rice is available in flour form for gluten-free baking, as chips, as cakes, as a syrup (an alternative sweetner).