One of the most common, abundant, and affordable types of food to prepare on any given day is RICE. Even though it is considered part of a main dish, you can make rice YOUR main dish as the primary food ingredient for your one pot meal. That’s right, if you have children at home or it’s just you and your other half, why not make something that is filling, feeds small to large crowds easily and doesn’t take long to
cook.
Rice is a staple food served all over the world and can be cooked in so many ways. DO rinse your rice grains a few times before cooking. It’s very versatile where you can add vegetables, meat, and seafood to make a nice one pot meal and most of all, you don’t have to slave over the stovetop or kitchen sink. Now I have got your attention, less cooking and cleaning, everyone wants that luxury especially after a busy day with children AND work.
So, what is the best rice to purchase. It depends on what you are making. There are three main types of grains used in making different varieties of rice. There are short, medium, and long grain rice. Short grain rice contains the most starch, which makes your rice sticky. Medium grain rice is in between short and long grain as it pulls some characteristics from each. Long grain rice is firm and does not leave your rice sticky, making long grain my “go-to” for most of my rice food dishes. Some rice dishes work best using short grain (Arborio) especially when making dishes like Paella. The popular Spanish seafood dish that Americans have come to love!
There are some folks out there that might not want those added carbs and fat that come from our rice grains, but you can use a vegetable like cauliflower or even zucchini as great substitutes for your rice and get creative by spicing up the flavor with broths, lemon/lime zest or juice, cilantro, parsley leaves, etc. You can always replace white rice with brown rice for those who are more health conscious. Brown rice is very good if made with the correct ratio of grains to water, broth, and herbs, but storage time is not as long as white rice. Some of my popular rice dishes are Caribbean Rice and Peas, Coconut Rice, Paella, Rice Pilaf, Risotto, Arroz con Pollo, Jambalaya, Fried Rice, and plain white rice. Check out my Instagram video on making a super quick, shrimp fried rice so you can kick your feet up and relax for the rest of the day.
Bye now,
Aunt Carmen
