Summer Bites: Brown Rice & Vegetable Medley
Summer Bites: Brown Rice & Vegetable Medley
Happy August, everyone! This simple yet delightful Brown Rice & Vegetable Medley is easy to prepare and a great way to change up your Summer menu! Admittedly, I am not a huge fan of brown rice. It can be chewy, difficult to cook, and does not quite pack a punch in the flavor department. However, I do like to try out new recipes using this hardy whole grain from time to time as a way to infuse some much-needed variety in my home menu. While brown rice also has the outer hull removed, what distinguishes it from its more popular counterpart is that the brown version still has the fibrous bran layer as well as the cereal germ intact. As a result, brown rice takes much longer to cook, but one major advantage in using brown rice over white rice is that you only need a small amount and it will leave you feeling fuller for much longer as it takes more time to digest. And to top it all off, since the bran and germ are the most nutritious part of the grain, brown rice confers more nutritional benefits compared to white rice.
For this recipe, I decided to find a way to pack as much flavor as I could into the dish since brown rice tends to taste bland. And what better way to bring flavor to the dish than to introduce a whole vegetable party! First, dice up 1/2 red (purple 😉) onion and 3 small tomatoes. Measure 2 cups of brown basmati rice then rinse thoroughly several times to remove excess starch. In a medium-sized cooking pot, heat up 3 tablespoons of olive oil under medium heat for about 2 minutes before pouring in the diced onions and tomatoes. Season this base mixture with 1 teaspoon each of smoked paprika, ground black pepper, and a dash of cumin then sauté for about 3 minutes until well blended together. Pour in 1 cup of frozen peas & carrots to the base and mix to blend well. Season lightly with some salt and let this cook down for another 3 minutes.
Thereafter, pour in the washed brown basmati rice and mix thoroughly to blend well with all the base ingredients. Since brown rice takes much longer to cook, I added an extra cup of water than I usually do for regular rice - pour in 5 cups of water into the rice and vegetable medley, season generously with salt, and then let this come to a boil under medium-high heat for about 5 - 7 minutes. Once the water starts to boil, cover the pot and let this continue to simmer for another 20 - 25 minutes until all the water has been absorbed and the rice is fully cooked. I usually lower the heat to medium-low once most of the water has begun to evaporate. One great thing about brown rice is that you rarely have to worry about it sticking to the bottom of your pot as it takes quite a long time before all the liquid is fully absorbed. For some extra aromatic flavor, sprinkle some dry or fresh herbs like parsley or cilantro about 2 minutes before turning off the heat. Serve either hot or at room temperature with a soup, stew, or as a side salad and be sure to savor every bite. Enjoy! 😋💖
