BROWN RICE HELP

jaw783
jaw783 Posts: 40 Member
Hello MFP,
I'm trying to utlize brown rice more but the only way I seem to be able to make it edible is by adding chicken broth. How do you cook your brown rice?? Do you have any good recipes??
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Replies

  • goredguar
    goredguar Posts: 63 Member
    I sometimes cook onion, garlic, courgette and tinned chopped tomatoes (plus any other veg like mushrooms) and chicken in a pan, add a fair amount of herbs, pepper and chilli, then stir it through the rice.
    I think the spicyness offsets the flavour of the brown rice a bit?

    Make sure you are cooking the rice for long enough - brown rice takes far longer than white.
  • MVY_
    MVY_ Posts: 253 Member
    fried rice! :)
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    What's not edible about it? I prepare it the same as I would white rice, though it requires slightly more liquid.
  • kosmosEP
    kosmosEP Posts: 73 Member
    I'm just curious to if I can just cook brown rice in my rice cooker like white rice. My rice cooker does not have instructions (thrift store shopper here) I've never tried brown rice in it, but I'd think it would work right? I would imagine I just need to add more water.
  • KrazyAsianNic
    KrazyAsianNic Posts: 1,227 Member
    I normally cook it in a pot on the stove. 1 cup of brown rice to 1 1/4 cup water. Sometimes I replace some or all the water with chicken broth. put on stove to simmer, turn down heat and cover for 45 minutes. Stir and enjoy.

    Sometimes I like to spice it up by sautéing onions and garlic before adding the rice and water/broth.
  • Marcolter
    Marcolter Posts: 103 Member
    I make my brown rice as a base starch for my own stir fried fried rice with lots of veggies and add one egg or eggbeaters. It is my quick health meal, no meat.
  • KrazyAsianNic
    KrazyAsianNic Posts: 1,227 Member
    I'm just curious to if I can just cook brown rice in my rice cooker like white rice. My rice cooker does not have instructions (thrift store shopper here) I've never tried brown rice in it, but I'd think it would work right? I would imagine I just need to add more water.

    This does work, just be sure to have enough water to cook it. IDK how the rice cooker knows, but it'll know when it's done.
  • xscat
    xscat Posts: 80 Member
    Jambalaya!

    I'd replace "real" sausage with chicken sausage (cajun flavor preferred), white rice with brown and add more pepper (and thus yields more water) I wish I had photos from last time I made it... It was delicious :)
  • I have only ever used brown rice (other than Red Camargue which is awesome) for years. Sometimes I make a hot breakfast using brown rice. Cook as normal in my rice cooker - then I add a couple of tablespoons of Elmlea single light (low fat diet cream alternative), granulated sweetener, and either raisins or chopped dates. Kind of a brown rice pudding - its delicious and nice and warm for a winter breakfast.
  • HappyStack
    HappyStack Posts: 802 Member
    What's wrong with cooking it with chicken broth?

    I use brown rice (wild rice, red rice, etc.) the exact same way I'd use white rice.

    This is by far and away the best method I'd ever used, it comes out absolutely perfect, and frying in butter or oil first is a necessity for me: http://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-cook-brown-rice-113856
  • Yes it is basically the same, except you add an extra cup of water. In the rice cooker when you add three cups of rice you fill the water up the "3" line but when it is brown rice you fill it up to the "4".
  • Gemzzz12
    Gemzzz12 Posts: 42 Member
    Something even healthier than brown rice is cauliflower rice! It's amazing and really healthy. All you do is grate a cauliflower then you can cook it how you want such as steaming it. I use it as a substitute in egg fried rice and it tastes great.
  • deedee2ks
    deedee2ks Posts: 4 Member
    I have found that the best tasting brown rice on the market is the parboiled from Wal-Mart's brand. The consistency and flavour is good. It's better than any out there.
  • Nikiki
    Nikiki Posts: 993
    pineapple rice! in the pot you're going to cook it in saute garlic & onion in a little olive oil, grapeseed or coconut oil, dump in your water, rice, a little soy sauce, diced pineapple (if you're using canned dump it in juice & all but cut out 1/2 a cup of your cooking water), ginger and lemon or lime juice. bring to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer and let it cook covered until most of the liquid gets absorbed, about 45 minutes for regular brown rice.
  • keepongoingnmw
    keepongoingnmw Posts: 371 Member
    I just put hot sauce on it:)
  • Cook two cups of brown rice then add 2 tsp of toasted sesame oil and a little bit of tamari or soy sauce to taste (start with 2 tsp). Stir in really well. If I am in the mood sometimes I slice three green onions and chop a half bunch of cilantro and add that too.
  • jaw783
    jaw783 Posts: 40 Member
    Thanks for all the suggestions!
  • marian4marian
    marian4marian Posts: 94 Member
    hi jaw783! i've been cooking brown rice for decades. i use 2 cups of water and 1 cup rinsed brown rice. bring to a boil then turn down to low for one hour, stirring a few times. makes about 3-4 cups of cooked rice. you can double the recipe but any more than that and it does not cook so well. cooked rice can sit in the fridge for at least 5 days and stays nice and fresh for quick meals.
  • Elsie_Brownraisin
    Elsie_Brownraisin Posts: 786 Member
    It makes for better egg fried rice than white in my opinion and goes crispier - make sure it's day old or really cold though before cooking.
  • Hearts_2015
    Hearts_2015 Posts: 12,031 Member
    bumpin for new ideas
  • Sunbrooke
    Sunbrooke Posts: 632 Member
    I'm just curious to if I can just cook brown rice in my rice cooker like white rice. My rice cooker does not have instructions (thrift store shopper here) I've never tried brown rice in it, but I'd think it would work right? I would imagine I just need to add more water.

    You can find almost any manual on the Internet. I used to buy stuff at garage sales then is come home and download the manual. I learned to use my first espresso machine this way :).

    For brown rice, use it to make rice and beans, jambalaya, served with chili or curry, or stuffing ( try cooked rice, a grated green apple, ground turkey, sage, maple syrup. Cover and bake till done.) . Brown rice holds up better than white rice in these kinds of dishes. You will eventually get used to it though.
  • sarahenagy
    sarahenagy Posts: 65 Member
    http://weelicious.com/2010/04/19/tex-mex-rice-cakes/

    I LOVE these. Eat them at least once a week, even crave them. I cut the corn to half a cup and add half a cup of black beans. They are a little labor intensive, but I usually make 5X the recipe and freeze them, then they are super quick to defrost and grill up. I serve them with a little salsa for dipping and a southwestern salad.
  • mollywhippet
    mollywhippet Posts: 1,890 Member
    Ok, I am incredibly lazy. I buy ready to cook/pre cooked brown rice at Walmart. It comes in a blue package and it's about $1.25. You just tear open a corner of the package and microwave it for 60 seconds. I like it because it's very low sodium.

    Then I sautee boneless skinless chicken breast chunks using a little olive oil and mrs dash lemon flavored seasoning. I make a sauce out of orange juice, powdered ginger and a little cornstarch to thicken it, then finish cooking the chicken in the sauce. Spooned over the brown rice, sometimes adding unsalted cashews, it is very yummy. It is a simplified version of a recipe on the American Heart Association web site called Baked Sweet and Sour Chicken. I don't have time to bake so I do it on top of the stove.
  • ElvenToad
    ElvenToad Posts: 644 Member
    Every week I make a huge pot of rice with chicken and veggies. It lasts a super long time and when lunch or dinner rolls around I just grab a few scoops and heat it up in the microwave. Here is my recipe

    10 cups of cooked brown rice. I use a rice cooker, that makes it much easier!
    10-12 ounces of chicken.
    1.5 bags of frozen veggies. I love the stir fry ones!
    6 large eggs, scrambled
    4 tbsp of teriyaki sauce
    .5 cup of chopped onions

    I just cook the eggs first and set them aside then combine everything in a big skillet and then add the cooked rice and the egg last. Each bowl is like 250 calories, and its yummy. I use teriyaki sauce instead of soy sauce because it has a fraction of the sodium and I think it tastes better. I usually put a little extra on after I heat some up. Haven't gotten tired of it at all.
  • tammyb1995
    tammyb1995 Posts: 69 Member
    I saute a small chicken breast in 2 tsbs. of olive oil, when they are about done I add mushroom, onion and squash...continue to saute until chicken is done and onions are caramelized...add 2 tabs. of fat free cream of mushroom and 3/4 cups of water stir until blended well..simmer approx. 5-7 min...pour over brown rice...
  • I make my brown rice as a one pot meal, I always use chicken broth to start, I cook chicken breast then stirfry vegis of choice in olive oil ( small amount) then season with garlic powder sea salt and pepper . if you use onion and celery with other vegis you need little other seasoning. Also you can omit salt and use Tony Chachere's creole or Cajun seasoning this totally takes the thought process out of supper; I also use venison and ground turkey. This gives you everything meat, vegis, and rice totally breaks the meat and potato routine. I also cook my brown rice ahead of time for a few days worth. Hope this helps as an option.
  • seltzermint555
    seltzermint555 Posts: 10,740 Member
    We buy cheap generic brown rice (Best Choice) and just cook it in water. It's good, IMO. If you're really used to white rice it might be kind of a bummer at first but honestly I don't even notice anymore.

    In fact, I just finished a bowl of leftover shrimp fried rice made with the brown rice (tiny bit of olive oil & low-sodium veg. soy sauce, egg, carrot, peas, onion & shrimp) and it was delicious!!

    Another favorite recipe came from Pinterest - Cuban black beans with coconut rice (made with the brown rice). SO good!
  • this sounds really delicious...I'll give it a go! forgot to quote - I mean the brown rice pudding hot for breakfast!!
  • joan23_us
    joan23_us Posts: 263 Member
    I'm just curious to if I can just cook brown rice in my rice cooker like white rice. My rice cooker does not have instructions (thrift store shopper here) I've never tried brown rice in it, but I'd think it would work right? I would imagine I just need to add more water.

    your rice cooker will cook brown rice as any other rice, follow packaging instructions. as to the OP try eating it with marinated meat/poultry or fish, rice is rice its a blank canvass, what you eat with it changes the whole experience. curry maybe... ;P