17

Rice and Couscous

Pistachio nuts add a wonderful flavor and crunch to already delightful basmati rice.

Serves 6

Calories: 342.09

Fat: 14.31 grams

Saturated Fat: 1.86 grams

Carbohydrates: 46.38grams

Calcium: 64.62 mg

Lactose: 0.0 grams

10 ounces basmati rice

2 bunches green onions

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 cup pistachio nuts, shelled, coarsely chopped

1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

Cook rice in a large, covered pan according to package directions.
Rinse green onions and cut into ½″ diagonal slices.
Heat one tablespoon of the olive oil in a small skillet. Add green onions and sauté over medium heat for a short minute.
Stir in pistachio nuts and cook for another minute, stirring constantly. Set aside.
At serving time, uncover rice and fold in red pepper flakes, green onions, and nuts with a fork. Drizzle remaining oil over rice. Serve immediately.

Basmati Rice Ramblings

Did you know that basmati rice has a delicate reputation? It is known for being the most aromatic, delicate, and delicious member of the rice family! To prepare the rice, rinse it several times in cold water and let it soak for about 30 minutes. This will help give the rice its characteristic fluffiness.

Wild Rice with Cranberries and Toasted Pine Nuts

Talk about tasty! The pine nuts lend a little crunch, and the dried cranberries add just the right touch of sweetness.

Serves 4

Calories: 329.18

Fat: 14.98 grams

Saturated Fat: 2.17 grams

Carbohydrates: 44.35grams

Calcium: 54.22 mg

Lactose: 0.0 grams

2 bunches green onions

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 5-ounce package wild rice

2 ounces dried cranberries

1¾ ounces toasted pine nuts

Remove stems from green onions and rinse. Slice green onions into ¼″ diagonal pieces.
Heat one tablespoon of the olive oil in a small skillet.
Add green onions and sauté over medium high heat for about 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Set skillet aside.
Prepare wild rice according to package instructions.
After rice has cooked, fold in green onions, dried cranberries, toasted pine nuts, and the remaining tablespoon of olive oil. Heat for 1 minute. Serve warm.

Orange Rice

Because of the citrus combo with the long grain rice, this is a perfect complement to chicken and fish.

In a medium saucepan, combine water, orange peel, orange juice, and salt. Bring to a boil.
Stir in rice and raisins. Return to boiling.
Reduce heat and cook, covered, over low heat until rice is tender and liquid is absorbed, about 25 minutes. Serve hot with orange slice garnish, if desired.

Serves 6

Calories: 157.80

Fat: 0.32 grams

Saturated Fat: 0.07 grams

Carbohydrates: 36.31 grams

Calcium: 16.75 mg

Lactose: 0.0 grams

2 cups water

2 tablespoons grated orange peel

½ cup orange juice

½ teaspoon salt

1 cup uncooked, long grain rice

½ cup raisins

Orange slice for garnish (optional)

Baked Wild Rice with Herbs

This fine potpourri of a recipe fills the house with warm, inviting aromas while it's cooking.

Serves 8

Calories: 181.82

Fat: 7.56 grams

Saturated Fat: 1.41 grams

Carbohydrates: 22.35 grams

Calcium: 19.95 mg

Lactose: 0.0 grams

1 cup uncooked wild rice

¼ cup margarine

1 cup chopped celery

1 cup chopped onion

½ cup sliced mushrooms

4½ cups chicken broth

1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

¼ teaspoon thyme

¼ teaspoon dried basil

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon black pepper

Preheat oven to 350°F.
Rinse the wild rice carefully. Let soak according to package directions if called for.
Melt margarine in a large skillet over medium heat. Add celery, onion, and mushrooms, cooking while stirring constantly until vegetables are translucent.
Drain wild rice. Add rice to skillet. Cook, stirring constantly for 2 minutes. Place wild rice mixture in a 2-quart baking dish. Stir in 4 cups of the chicken broth. Add herbs and seasonings and stir to combine.
Cover and bake for 1½ hours. Stir a couple of times during baking. If rice mixture becomes dry, add more broth during the last 20 minutes.

The Caviar of All Grains

Wild rice is referred to as the caviar of all grains. With its nutty textured seed and sweet taste it is definitely the rice of choice for creating very special dishes. It is truly one of the most versatile and flavorful grains.

Curried Rice

Eat curried rice on its own or add a bit of chicken or pork to bolster the flavor.

Serves 2

Calories: 119.40

Fat: 0.40 grams

Saturated Fat: 0.11 grams

Carbohydrates: 25.50 grams

Calcium: 21.74 mg

Lactose: 0.0 grams ⅔ cup water, divided

2 tablespoons chopped green onion

⅓ cup parboiled rice, uncooked

½ teaspoon chicken-flavored bouillon granules

¼ teaspoon curry powder

Dash of pepper Green onion fans (optional)

Combine ⅓ cup water and onion in a 1-quart casserole dish.
Cover and microwave on high for one minute.
Add another ⅓ cup water, rice, bouillon granules, curry powder, and pepper to casserole. Stir well.
Cover and microwave on high until water boils, about 3 minutes. Stir well.
Cover and microwave at 50 percent power until liquid is absorbed, about 10 minutes. Let stand 4 minutes before serving. Garnish with green onion fans if desired.

Spanish Rice with Beef

Skillet meals are becoming more and more popular for good reason. They come together rather quickly, and it's all in one pan!

In a large, heavy skillet, cook ground beef, onion, and green pepper until meat is browned.
Drain in a colander and pat dry with a paper towel. Wipe pan drippings from skillet with a paper towel.
Return meat mixture to skillet.
Stir in tomatoes, water, rice, chili powder, oregano, salt, red pepper, and garlic powder. Bring to a boil.
Reduce heat, cover and simmer until rice is tender, stirring occasionally, about 30 minutes.

Serves 6

Calories: 314.72

Fat: 8.13 grams

Saturated Fat: 3.17 grams

Carbohydrates: 41.00 grams

Calcium: 50.94 mg

Lactose: 0.0 grams

1 pound lean ground beef

1 medium onion, chopped

1 medium-sized green pepper, chopped

2 16-ounce cans stewed tomatoes, undrained

1 cup water

1 cup uncooked rice

1½ teaspoons chili powder

¾ teaspoon dried whole oregano

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon red pepper

⅛ teaspoon garlic powder

Fiesta Rice

Viva la Fiesta!

Serves 4

Calories: 166.91

Fat: 2.42 grams

Saturated Fat: 0.47 grams

Carbohydrates: 29.93 grams

Calcium: 28.60 mg

Lactose: 0.0 grams Nonstick cooking spray

1 teaspoon light olive oil

½ cup chopped sweet red pepper

¼ cup chopped onion

1 clove garlic, minced

1¼ cups chicken broth

½ cup long-grain rice, uncooked

½ cup frozen whole-kernel corn, thawed

½ cup salsa

½ cup drained canned black beans

1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro

¼ teaspoon salt

Orange slices (optional)

Fresh cilantro sprigs (optional)

Coat a large saucepan with cooking spray.
Heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add red pepper, onion, and garlic. Sauté until crisp-tender.
Add broth, rice, corn, and salsa. Bring to a boil.
Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Remove from heat. Let stand until liquid is absorbed, about 5 minutes.
Stir in beans, chopped cilantro, and salt. Garnish with orange slices and cilantro sprigs, if desired.

Seafood Risotto

Risotto is an elegant dish, perfect for entertaining.

Do all your prep work ahead of time and store ingredients in the fridge, and the dish will only take about 30 minutes of cooking time.

In medium saucepan, combine water and broth and heat over low heat. Keep mixture on heat.
In large saucepan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onion and garlic; cook and stir until crisp-tender, about 3 minutes. Add rice; cook and stir for 3 minutes.
Start adding broth mixture, a cup at a time, stirring frequently, adding liquid when previous addition is absorbed. When only 1 cup of broth remains to be added, stir in celery, dill, wine, fish fillets, shrimp, and scallops to rice mixture. Add last cup of broth.
Cook, stirring constantly, for 5–7 minutes or until fish is cooked and rice is tender and creamy. Stir in butter and serve.

Arborio Rice

Arborio rice is a short-grain rice that contains a lot of starch. When cooked in broth and stirred, the rice releases much of that starch, which combines with the liquid to form a creamy sauce. If you can' find true Arborio rice, long-grain or medium-grain rice will work just as well. The risotto just won' be quite as creamy.

Serves 6

Calories: 397.22

Fat: 11.11 grams

Saturated fat: 3.20 grams

Fiber: 2.41 grams

Cholesterol: 94.39 mg

Lactose: 0.0 grams

2 cups water

2½ cups low-sodium chicken broth

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 onion, minced

3 cloves garlic, minced1

½ cups Arborio rice

1 cup chopped celery

1 tablespoon fresh dill weed

¼ cup dry white wine

½ pound sole fillets

¼ pound small raw shrimp

½ pound bay scallops

1 tablespoon butter

Herbed Rice Sauté

A little tip about rosemary: If it's possible to use “fresh” rosemary any time a recipe calls for rosemary, use it!

Serves 6

Calories: 144.20

Fat: 2.30 grams

Saturated Fat: 0.42 grams

Carbohydrates: 27.61 grams

Calcium: 17.70 mg

Lactose: 0.0 grams

Nonstick cooking spray

1 tablespoon margarine

1 cup uncooked rice

1 cup chopped onion

2¼ cups water

1 teaspoon dried whole rosemary

½ teaspoon dried whole marjoram

½ teaspoon dried whole savory

2 chickenflavored bouillon cubes

Coat a large, heavy skillet with cooking spray.
Add margarine and place over medium-high heat until margarine is melted. Add rice and onion, sautéing until rice is lightly browned.
Add water, rosemary, marjoram, whole savory, and bouillon cubes. Stir to dissolve bouillon. Bring to a boil.
Reduce heat and simmer, covered, until water is absorbed and rice is tender, about 25 minutes.

Brown Rice Pilaf

Brown rice is so good for you. In this recipe, brown rice soaks up these added flavors to please your palate.

Preheat oven to 350°F.
Combine broth, brown rice, onion, mushrooms, pepper, and thyme in a 1-quart casserole dish.
Cover and bake rice mixture for 1 hour.
Add celery to rice mixture. Cover again and bake until liquid is absorbed and celery is tender, about 15 minutes.

Serves 4

Calories: 128.05

Fat: 1.67 grams

Saturated Fat: 0.39 grams

Carbohydrates: 23.99 grams

Calcium: 19.36 mg

Lactose: 0.0 grams

1¼ cups chicken broth

½ cup uncooked brown rice

½ cup chopped onion

1 3-ounce jar sliced mushrooms, drained

¼ teaspoon pepper

⅛ teaspoon dried whole thyme

½ cup thinly sliced celery

Italian Rice

Flavor-full and full of flavor! Artichoke hearts take center stage in this very different combination rice recipe. And this dish is full of color too!

Coarsely chop thawed artichoke hearts. Set aside.
Bring 1½ cups water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Stir in long-grain rice. Reduce heat and cover. Simmer rice until all liquid is absorbed and rice is tender, about 20 minutes.
In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add chopped artichoke hearts, red pepper strips, baby peas, green onions, and minced garlic. Sauté until veggies are crisp-tender, about 5 minutes.
Combine rice, sautéed vegetables, Italian dressing, and Italian seasoning.
Toss gently until evenly coated.

Serves 8

Calories: 121.77

Fat: 4.11 grams

Saturated Fat: 0.54 grams

Carbohydrates: 18.81 grams

Calcium: 20.79 mg

Lactose: 0.0 grams

1 9-ounce package frozen artichoke hearts, thawed

1½ cups water

¾ cup long grain rice, uncooked

1 tablespoon olive oil

⅔ cup sweet red pepper strips

½ cup frozen baby peas, thawed

½ cup sliced green onions

1 clove garlic, minced

3 tablespoons bottled Italian dressing

1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning

Mexican Rice

You be the judge of the green chilies; you don' have to use the whole can.

Decide for yourself how much or how little spice you want.

Serves 8

Calories: 114.30

Fat: 0.45 grams

Saturated Fat: 0.10 grams

Carbohydrates: 23.80 grams

Calcium: 26.95 mg

Lactose: 0.0 grams Nonstick cooking spray

1 cup long grain rice, uncooked

¾ cup chopped dry sun-dried tomatoes

½ cup chopped sweet red pepper

¼ cup chopped green onions

1 4½-ounce can chopped green chilies

2 teaspoons cumin seeds

1 clove garlic, minced

2½ cups beef broth

Preheat oven to 350°F.
Coat a 2-quart casserole dish with cooking spray.
Combine long grain rice, sun-dried tomatoes, sweet red pepper, green onions, green chilies, cumin seeds, and garlic in casserole dish.
Bring beef broth to a boil in a medium saucepan. Pour broth over rice mixture.
Cover and bake until liquid is absorbed and rice is tender, about 40 minutes.

Long Grain Rice Fluff

The kernel of long grain rice is long and slender. In fact, it's almost five times longer than its width! Long grain rice is known for its fluffiness when cooked. Basmati rice is one flavorful variety of long grain rice.

Oriental Wild Rice

This is good leftover the next day. Pop it in your lunch for an added treat.

Serves 6

Calories: 156.34

Fat: 4.32 grams

Saturated Fat: 0.62 grams

Carbohydrates: 25.19 grams

Calcium: 35.95 mg

Lactose: 0.0 grams

2½ cups water

1 cup wild rice, uncooked

Nonstick cooking spray

1 tablespoon dark sesame oil

2 cups broccoli flowerets

1 cup fresh bean sprouts

⅔ cup diagonally sliced carrot

1 small sweet red pepper

4 green onions

1 tablespoon sesame seeds

1 teaspoon peeled, minced gingerroot

2 teaspoons soy sauce

Combine water and rice in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer until rice is tender, about 40 minutes. Drain and set aside.
Seed and cut red pepper into 1″ pieces; cut onion into 1″ pieces.
Coat a large skillet or wok with cooking spray. Drizzle sesame oil around top of wok or skillet, coating sides. Heat over medium-high heat.
Add red pepper, onions, broccoli, bean sprouts, carrots, sesame seeds, minced gingerroot, and soy sauce. Stir-fry all together for 3 minutes.
Cover and allow vegetables to steam until crisp-tender, about 6 minutes. Add rice. Stir-fry until mixture is thoroughly heated. Serve immediately.

Minted Couscous

When this couscous hits your mouth you'll probably think that those green peas are delivering that minty flavor. Mint is one of those herbs that can be described as both warm and cool; in this rice dish it's very cool!

Serves 6

Calories: 123.16

Fat: 0.30 grams

Saturated Fat: 0.06 grams

Carbohydrates: 24.85 grams

Calcium: 11.50 mg

Lactose: 0.0 grams

1¾ cups water

2 teaspoons minced fresh mint

1 teaspoon chicken-flavored bouillon granules

⅛ teaspoon salt

1 cup couscous, uncooked

¾ cup frozen peas, thawed

Fresh mint sprigs (optional)

Combine water, fresh mint, bouillon granules, and salt in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil.
Remove from heat. Add couscous and peas.
Cover and let stand until liquid is absorbed and couscous is tender, about 5 minutes.
Fluff couscous with a fork.
Transfer from saucepan to a serving bowl. Garnish with fresh mint springs, if desired.

Harvest Couscous

This dish has all the trappings of a favorite holiday dish.

Combine water, sweet potato, figs, apricots, and pumpkin pie spice in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil.
Reduce heat, cover, and simmer until potato is tender, about 15 minutes.
Remove from heat. Add couscous.
Cover and let stand until liquid is absorbed and couscous is tender, about 5 minutes.
Fluff couscous with a fork. Transfer to a serving bowl.

Serves 6

Calories: 166.10

Fat: 0.34 grams

Saturated Fat: 0.05 grams

Carbohydrates: 38.18 grams

Calcium: 39.90 mg

Lactose: 0.0 grams

2 cups water

¾ cup peeled, diced sweet potato

¼ cup diced dried figs

⅓ cup diced dried apricots

½ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

¾ cup couscous, uncooked