Showing posts with label rice. Show all posts
Showing posts with label rice. Show all posts
Friday, March 13, 2015
Slow Cooker Spicy Brown Rice and Black Bean Cheesy Bowl Vegetarian Gluten Free
Use the CrockPot to cook this Spicy Brown Rice and Black Bean Cheesy Bowl and keep the kitchen cool.
When you live where it's hot in the summer, using the slow cooker to cook amazing food without heating up the house is one of the best tricks I know. In fact, on my slow cooker site I feature Slow Cooker Summer Dinners each year, and this Slow Cooker Spicy Brown Rice and Black Bean Bowl would make a perfect summer dinner cooked in the CrockPot. It took me a couple of tries to get this recipe just right, and for the final version I had the wild idea of cutting up some cubes of string cheese and stirring them into the rice and beans mixture for the last 30 minutes of cooking time, so this is a spicy brown rice and black bean cheesy bowl. Everyone likes cheesy don't they? I tested several versions of this out on my niece Kara and her family, and they gave the thumbs up to the version with cheese, but it's definitely optional if you prefer it without the cheese.
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Wednesday, March 11, 2015
Autumn Harvest Soup with Butternut Squash Kale and Farro or Brown Rice
This delicious Autumn Harvest Soup with butternut squash and kale has some of my favorite fall and winter ingredients.
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(Autumn Harvest Soup was updated with better photos in November 2014.)
Sometimes recipes that just come together out of whatever's on hand turn out to be some of my favorites, and this Autumn Harvest Soup with Butternut Squash, Kale, and Farro (or Brown Rice) is one I came up with when I had butternut squash and kale and I'd been craving Farro, an ingredient I've loved ever since I tried it in Farro with Mushrooms. The butternut, kale, and farro combination here turned out to be wonderful, but if you wanted a gluten-free version you could make this with brown rice, which would also be very tasty.
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Friday, March 6, 2015
Saffron Rice With Hemp Seeds Sesame Seeds And Slivered Almonds
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| Seeds and nuts boost saffron rices flavor and nutrition. Check out my ebook, Health Begins in the Kitchen. |
Saffron Rice
My grandson loves saffron rice. Recently, during his visit, he suggested our entire dinner be a huge platter of saffron rice and nothing else! Well it wasnt the entire meal, but I did make it for him a few times. I found that I too love rice that has been infused with this lovely and rare spice. And rice is the perfect grain for those who are searching for gluten-free foods.
Making it a Healthier Dish
OK, I admit it. I prefer the dish with white, jasmine or basmati rice. Its lighter and fluffier. But it has more fiber and nutrients when made with whole grain, brown rice. It also has a nice, chewy texture.
And there are a few other things you can do to step up the health benefits of this classic dish.
* Add some turmeric (a spice with amazing anti-inflammatory properties).
* Add lots of onions ( I use a whole cup in this recipe). A member of the Allium family, they are packed with health-promoting sulfur-containing compounds.
* Avoid butter when sautéing the onions. Earth balance is a good substitute for butter but extra virgin olive oil is an even better selection.
* For additional vitamins, minerals, and essential fatty acids, stir in some hemp seeds, sesame seeds, and slivered almonds.
Easy Broth with Lots of Flavor
I couldnt live without Rapunzel Vegetable Bouillon with Sea Salt and Herbs. Whenever I need a flavorful broth, I pop one of these in some water. One large cube (2 servings) contains 2,020 mg of sodium so if you use this, there is generally no need to add additional salt as it contains the equivalent of 7/8 of a teaspoon of salt. Use only half of a cube if you are restricting your intake of sodium.
One of the ingredients is yeast extract so I did a bit of research on whether or not they were gluten free. According to the moderator of celiac.com, yeast and yeast extract are gluten free. The manufacturer, according to veganessentials.com, states, "There is no added gluten to our Bouillons however they are processed on the same lines and in the same facility as products containing gluten. We are unable to guarantee that this product is gluten free."
So if you have celiac, you are better off using a "certified gluten-free bouillon or broth".
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| Rapunzel Vegetable Bouillon |
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Saffron Rice
Vegan, Gluten Free
[makes 4 servings]
2 cups water*
1 Rapunzel vegetable bouillon cube*
1/4 teaspoon saffron threads
1/4 teaspoon turmeric
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil or Earth Balance
1 cup finely chopped onions
1 cup white Jasmine or brown rice
1 tablespoon raw hemp seeds
1 tablespoon sesame seeds
1 tablespoon slivered almonds
* Water and bouillon can be replaced with 2 cups vegetable broth and salt to taste.
Place the water in a small pot and bring to a boil. Turn off the heat and mix in the bouillon cube to make broth. Set aside.
Crush the saffron threads and add to the hot broth along with the turmeric.
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| Add crushed saffron and turmeric to hot broth. |
Heat the oil or Earth Balance in a large Dutch oven or pot with a tight fitting lid. Add the onions and cook on medium low heat until the onions soften, about 5 minutes.
Stir in the rice and saffron-infused broth and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce the heat, and cook until all the liquids have been absorbed (15 to 20 minutes for white rice and 45 to 50 minutes for brown rice). Do not open the lid during the cooking process until it is time to check for doneness.
(If you have a rice cooker, you can just place cooked onions, rice, and saffron-infused broth into your rice cooker and prepare according to manufacturers directions.)
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| Add rice and saffron-infused broth to pot, cover and cook. |
Stir hemp seeds, sesame seeds, and almonds into the rice and serve. For plain saffron rice, these may be omitted.
Per serving (using white rice and olive oil): 263 calories, 8 g total fat, 2 g saturated fat, 299 mg omega-3 and 1,794 mg omega-6 fatty acids, 0 mg cholesterol, 5 g protein, 42 g carbohydrates, 2 g dietary fiber and 510 mg sodium.
Per serving (using brown rice and olive oil): 265 calories, 9 g total fat, 2 g saturated fat, 305 mg omega-3 and 2,189 mg omega-6 fatty acids, 0 mg cholesterol, 6 g protein, 40 g carbohydrates, 3 g dietary fiber and 511 mg sodium.
Thursday, March 5, 2015
Millet Brown Rice And Quinoa Excellent Gluten Free Alternatives To Wheat But How Do They Compare Nutritionally
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| Millet, rice and quinoa are wonderful alternatives for those avoiding wheat. Which one is best? Follow Foods For Long Life on Facebook and Pinterest. Check out my eBook, Health Begins in the Kitchen. |
Gluten Free Eating
Many people today avoid wheat and other grains that contain gluten. About 1% of Americans have celiac disease and many more suffer from non-celiac gluten sensitivity. For these people, eating even the slightest amount of gluten can have severe consequences. Others may give up gluten temporarily during a cleanse or food-elimation diet just to see if they feel better. Luckily, there are other wonderful grains (and seeds) available to choose from, making gluten-free eating easier than its ever been. Here are three easy-to-find alternatives and how they stack up nutritionally.
MILLET
Millet is a grass seed, grown mostly in Asia and Africa. Although it is a staple in these countries and has been grown for 10,000 years in East Asia, it has not been a significant crop in the U.S. In fact, the type of millet grown in the U.S. is sold mostly as bird seed. But lately, millet has been popping up on more and more menus as well as food blogs, perhaps driven by the demand for gluten-free cuisine. I must admit, I had never cooked with it before last week so I was excited to try it.
The first way I prepared it was as a whole-grain side dish. It has a delicious, nutty flavor.
To prepare, mix one cup of dry millet with 2 1/2 cups of water or broth in a 2-quart saucepan with a pinch of salt and a teaspoon of Earth Balance buttery spread. Many of the recipes Ive seen use only 2 cups of water but I found that to be too dry.
Bring to a boil on high heat. Reduce the heat and cook, covered, at a low simmer until all liquid has been absorbed, about 15 to 20 minutes.
Remove from the heat and let rest, covered, for another 10 minutes. Fluff up with a fork and its ready to serve.
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| Millet |
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| Fluff up the cooked millet with a fork and serve. |
One cup of dry millet yields about 3 1/2 cups of cooked millet.
I used some of the cooked millet in a delicious kale bowl that I will blog later this week. But I had a bunch left over. So the next morning, I put the leftover millet in a small saucepan with almond milk, cinnamon, raisins, vanilla, and some sweetener and cooked it until it turned into a wonderful porridge. With these seasonings, it had the taste and texture of rice pudding and made a delicious breakfast.
If you want to make this from scratch, and not from leftovers, try this:
If you want to make this from scratch, and not from leftovers, try this:
Creamy Millet
[makes 2 servings]
1/2 cup millet
1 1/2 cups water
1 cup almond milk plus some for topping
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
2 tablespoons raisins
1/2 teaspoon Earth Balance buttery spread
Sweetener to taste (optional)
2 teaspoons cold pressed flax oil
Combine millet, water, 1 cup of almond milk, vanilla, salt, cinnamon, raisins, and Earth Balance in a 2-quart saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer undisturbed for 20 minutes. After that, start stirring occasionally and cook, covered, until it reaches the desired porridge-like consistency, another 10 minutes. Add additional milk if it gets too dry or cook uncovered if it is too wet.
Stir in some sweetener to taste (a packet of stevia or xylitol) if desired.
Divide into two bowls. Top each bowl with a touch of almond milk and a teaspoon of flax oil and serve.
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| Creamy millet breakfast porridge |
Nutrition in Millet
1 cup of cooked millet has 207 calories
Fats
1.7 g total fat
0.3 g saturated, 0.3 monosaturated, and 0.9 polyunsaturated
48.7 mg omega-3 fatty acids, 835 mg omega-6 fatty acids
0 mg cholesterol
Carbohydrates
41.2 g total carbs
2.3 g dietary fiber
0.2 g sugar
Protein
6.1 g protein
Not a complete protein - low in lysine
Vitamins/Minerals
Source of B vitamins - thiamin and niacin
Source of manganese, magnesium, phosphorus, and copper
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RICE
Rice is the go-to grain for most people on a gluten-free diet. Its cheap, easy to find, and most of us have eaten it all of our lives. I love the nutty flavor of brown rice and feel much better about eating the more wholesome version of this grain. I must confess, however, I have a weakness for white jasmine or basmati when Im in a hurry or Im craving a lighter and creamier texture.
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| Brown rice |
Nutrition in Brown Rice
1 cup of cooked, long grain brown rice has 216 calories
Fats
1.8 g total fat
0.4 g saturated, 0.6 g monosaturated, and 0.6 g polyunsaturated
27.3 mg omega-3 and 603 mg omega-6 fatty acids
0 mg cholesterol
Carbohydrates
44.8 g total carbs
3.5 g dietary fiber
0.7 g sugar
Protein
5 g protein
Not a complete protein - low in lysine but not as low as millet
Vitamins/Minerals
Source of B vitamins - niacin, B6, and thiamin
Source of manganese, selenium, magnesium, and phosphorus
Nutrition in White Rice
1 cup of long grain, enriched, white rice has 205 calories
Fats
0.4 g total fat
0.1 g saturated fat, 0.1 monosaturated fat, and 0.1 g polyunsaturated fat
20.5 mg omega-3 and 98 mg omega-6 fatty acids
0 mg cholesterol
Carbohydrates
44.5 g total carbs
0.6 g dietary fiber (compared to 3.5 g in brown rice)
0.1 g sugar
Protein
4.2 g protein (compared to 5 g in brown rice)
Not a complete protein - low in lysine but not as low as millet
Try my recipe for Brown Rice Sushi with Roasted Eggplant, Peppers, and Shiitake Mushrooms.
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| Brown rice sushi |
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QUINOA (Pronounced, "keen-wah")
Quinoa is a cereal grain (its actually a seed) native to South American, that has become extremely popular in U.S. cuisine. It is pretty easy to find and prepare. It comes in white, black, red, or a combination rainbow.
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| Quinoa |
If you buy "pre-rinsed" quinoa, you can skip the rinsing step. But if you dont, its important to place the quinoa in a small mesh strainer and rinse under cold water for a few minutes to remove the soapy tasting saponins on the outer coating.
Stir a cup of rinsed quinoa into 2 cups of salted, boiling water or broth. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer until all the water is absorbed, about 18 to 20 minutes. Remove from the heat and let rest, covered, for 10 minutes and serve.
1 cup of dry quinoa yields about 3 cups cooked quinoa.
Quinoa - A Nutritional Superstar
Quinoa has some advantages over rice and millet. It contains more protein and the protein is "complete protein" with the proper balance of all essential amino acids. It also contains the most dietary fiber.
Nutrition in Quinoa
1 cup of cooked quinoa has 222 calories.
Fats
3.6 g total fat
0.4 g saturated fat, 0.9 g monosaturated fat, and 2 g polyunsaturated fat
183 mg omega-3 and 1771 mg omega-6 fatty acids
0 mg cholesterol
Carbohydrates
39.4 g total carbs
5.2 g dietary fiber
0 g sugar
Protein
8.1 g protein complete protein
Vitamins/Minerals
Source of B vitamins - folate, thiamin, riboflavin, and B6
Source of manganese, magnesium, phosphorus, copper, iron, and zinc
Try my recipe for Garden Tomatoes Stuffed with Quinoa and Sweet Corn.
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| Quinoa makes a great stuffing |
Although quinoa comes out ahead in certain categories, its always good to mix it up and eat different grains to get the maximum nutritional benefits.
For more recipes and nutritional information, download my eBook, Health Begins in the Kitchen, available on Amazon and iTunes.
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