I know what you are thinking…. DELICIOUS+BROWN RICE shouldn’t be in the same sentence.  JA!

It is a fact that every time you read about modifications to make for a healthier and wholesome diet, the words brown rice are always included.  I have vowed many times to switch solely to brown rice, but I admit white rice has been my all time favorite. Nevertheless, I always kept on trying to find a way to include brown rice in my diet and reduce my white rice consumption, which I think, by now, I have accomplished for myself and my family.

Brown rice and white rice have approximately the same amounts of carbs and protein, but vary greatly in nutritional value. Cooking brown rice can be tricky.  For years I was not successful in finding a cooking method or recipe that yielded outstanding results… not ok or average, but really delicious brown rice!  As time goes by, you become more selective about what to eat and I wouldn’t settle for anything other than above average brown rice if I was to include it in my recipe repertoire.  I think this recipe is simple yet full of flavor.  The result is not a fluffy rice, but a “little” sticky without being mushy. Even my husband who vowed never to have brown rice again (he has been my guinea pig throughout the years), likes it. In addition, my kids and their friends love it.  As a matter of fact, my daughter invited a friend from school to play one afternoon and she tried my brown rice served with sauteed chickpeas (I’ll post recipe in the near future) and her mother called me the next day to ask for the recipe because her daughter couldn’t stop talking about how much she liked it.  You can also serve with stir-fried veggies, habichuelas guisadas or with your favorite protein.

Keep in mind that when cooking brown rice you don’t proceed as if you where cooking white rice.  It will take much longer for the grain to be cooked and become tender.

Lili E., this one is for you!

Delicious Brown Rice

Ingredients

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

2 cloves of garlic, minced

1 1/2 cups long grain brown rice

3 1/4 cups of chicken broth

salt to taste (about 1-2 tsp)

Procedure

1.  Rinse brown rice.

2.  Heat extra-virgin olive oil (med) and sauté minced garlic for about 1 minute.

3.  Add chicken broth and salt and bring to a boil.

4.  Add rice. Stir and once liquid starts to boil again cover tightly with a lid.  Bring heat to low and cook for about 45 minutes or until rice is cooked.