ORGANIC BROWN RICE

Always soak your brown rice the night before with a small piece of kombu seaweed.

Why eat brown rice instead of white?

Well for starters, brown rice has 3 ½ grams of fiber while white rice has less than one! Brown rice also contains nutrients like magnesium, manganese and zinc. White rice has reduced levels of these nutrients, but is often fortified with iron and some B vitamins.  Bringing B’s into our bodies’ aids our nervous system and can help relieve mental depression; filling our plates with food in its natural state is a sure way to regain our healthy selves! I love brown rice and now that I’ve gotten hooked on the full flavor plain old white rice tastes void of substance.  I make brown rice at least once a week. I always make enough of it to last a few days and use it to thicken sauces. This staple makes mealtime cake- I always have a strong base to build with!

POT-BOILED BROWN RICE

Whatcha’ Need:

1 cup brown rice (short or
long grain or brown basmati)

2 cups boiling water

1 pinch of sea salt

For larger batches, use less water: 3 cups rice with 5 ½ cups water

Wash the rice by swirling it in a bowl of cool water. Drain in a large, fine-mesh strainer. Pat with a paper towel to remove excess water. Then place the rice in a pot with a snug-fitting lid. Add water & salt, and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer – without stirring or lifting the lid – for 50-60 minutes. Relax… dinner is cooking itself.

PRESSURE-COOKED BROWN RICE

Whatcha’ Need:

2 cups short grain brown
rice

3 – 3 ½ cups water

1/8 tsp sea salt

Wash the rice and drain in a strainer (as in recipe above). Place in pressure cooker with water and salt, and start on  medium-low heat for 20 minutes. Then, turn the heat up to high briefly until pressure valve jiggles. Put a flame spreader under the pot to keep from burning rice on the bottom. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 40 minutes (1 hour total).

RICE-COOKER BROWN RICE

Whatcha’ Need:

Pour oil in cooker

1 cup brown rice (short or long grain or brown basmati)

2 cups boiling water

1 pinch of sea salt- last 10 minutes of cooking

This rice cooker has saved my life! When I don’t have enough time to stand over the stove, I sho’ do love this little machine.  When making brown rice, be sure to add enough water. If you didn’t and the rice isn’t soft enough, just add  more water and re – run the cycle.  I also add sesame or olive oil and a pinch of salt before starting the rice  cooker.  Since brown rice requires the most water, place a kitchen towel on top of the lid when making a full pot, so that the steam doesn’t spray everywhere.

*If you are in the midst of digestive distress be sure to cook your rice to almost porridge – the softer it  is, the easier it is to digest.  The first 3 months of my digestive distress, I ate my almost all of my grains this  way.

Check it out, Quinoa and Mee on Fox Mornings!!

Whatcha’ Need:

1 cup of quinoa

2.5 cups of water

1/4 of a chopped onion

2 cloves of garlic chopped

1 tsp. of olive oil

pinch of salt

a small piece of Kombu seaweed – it expands.

*If you don’t have a rice maker use a regular dutch oven or small soup pot.

A third of the world has been living on millet for 2500 years! When I first introduced it to my family, my husband said, “We can’t eat that- it’s for cows!” He couldn’t be more wrong. Millet is full of mightiness. It is alkalizing: it balances overly acidic situations.  Millet also sweetens the breath ‘cause it retards bacterial growth in the mouth, helps prevent miscarriages, and is an anti-fungal agent (it is said to be one of the best grains for those suffering from Candida albicans overgrowth).  If you’ve got the “pooh’s”, vomiting, indigestion or diabetes, eat it!  If you are pregnant and suffering morning sickness – make a soup with it or prepare the millet creamy/ porridge style.

Whatcha’ Need:

1 c. organic millet

¼ chopped organic yellow onion

1 tsp. chopped organic garlic

1 tsp. organic olive oil

4 – 6 inches of Kombu

A pinch of rocking Sea Salt (from Natural Imports)

Preparation:

1. Soak your millet in a glass bowl over night with the kombu in it.
2. In the morning, remove kombu, strain millet and rinse.
3. Heat your olive oil in the skillet, then add chopped onions and garlic, cook the onions until they are clear, then add your strained millet. I also chop up the kombu and add it in too!
4. Totally toast this millet, covering it with the flavors in the skillet. Once it seems toasty, I add 3 cups of water. I bring it to a boil, I lower the heat after it boils for a few minutes and then toss in my pinch of salt, cover and let simmer on low for 35 minutes (just like rice).