Food Focus: Brown Rice

Brown rice contains the highest amount of B vitamins out of all grains. Additionally, it contains iron, vitamin E, amino acids, and linoleic acid. Brown rice is high in fiber, extremely low in sodium and is composed of 80% complex carbohydrates. Because brown rice is a whole food, it takes longer to digest than white rice, providing the body with sustained energy throughout the day.

Brown rice is known to generates energy, promote good digestion, quenches thirst, alleviate diarrhea caused by spleen-pancreas deficiency, and relieve mental depression.

When you cook enough brown rice to last you for several days you can add it to different meals: Add it to stews, cream it in a soup, layer it in a casserole, stir-fry it, roll it up in a tortilla, mix it in a loaf, toss it in a salad, make a morning porridge (adding raisins cinnamon, nuts, etc’), press it down in a pie plate as a crust for a pie (such as steamed mashed yams), blend it with miso and turn it into a gravy for vegetables, blend it into your morning smoothie, or blend it adding into a dip (adding tahini or a nut butter for richness, perhaps seasonings such as garlic, parsley, or dill).

Basic Brown Rice
Yields 3 cups
1 cup brown rice
2 cups of water or broth
seasonings to taste

1. Rinse rice in a bowl of cool water and strain.
2. Place all ingredients in a pot with a tight fitting lid.
3. Bring to a boil, reduce heat.
4. Cover and let simmer for 50 minutes. If this is your first experiment with rice you’ll, want to check the rice 10 minutes before the anticipated finish time so you don’t burn the rice (If you do burn it, it is okay, just try it again!)
5. Remove from heat and let stand 10 minutes
6. Fluff with fork and serve
(May also be prepared in a rice cooker with the same ratio of ingredients.)

Seasonal stir fry with garlic sauce
Serves four
1 onion, cut into thick crescents
2-3 carrots, cut on thin diagonals
8 oz. shrimp (or diced chicken, beef, tofu, tempeh)
2 stalks broccoli, florets plus stems cut in thin diagonals
2 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
3 Tbs. tamari/ soy sauce
1/2 -1/3 cup water
1 Tbs. maple syrup
2 Tbs. toasted sesame oil
1-2 scallions, minced

Add a small amount of water to a frying pan and water sauté onion for 2 minutes. Add carrots and cook for 1-2 minutes. Add shrimp and broccoli cook for 2-3 minutes. Combine garlic, tamari, water, maple syrup and toasted sesame oil. Pour over stir-fry, cover and cook for 2-3 more minutes. Lay stir-fry on top of cooked brown rice and garnish with scallions.

Brown Rice Pudding
Serves four
2 cups leftover brown rice
1 cup milk (rice milk, almond milk, or organic dairy milk)
1/2 cup raisins
2 Tbs. maple syrup/ other natural sweetener
1 tsp. vanilla essence
2 Tbs. dried shredded coconut (optional)
1 Tbs. tahini

Combine all ingredients and heat on stovetop for 5-7 minutes or bake in the oven at 350° for 20 minutes or until most of the liquid is absorbed.

Variation: no tahini, add cinnamon.