Ok! So, I'm not much of a cook. I'm not even really much of a sous-chef. My chopping skills are getting better, but I'll be damned if I can ever dice an onion properly. Those darn layers just split apart no matter how I try.
That being said, I have managed to perfect the art of cooking brown rice. This simple grain, the staple of diets of millions around the world, is easy to cook and imparts a wonderfully nutty flavor. A container of this yummy stuff can sit in your fridge during the work week. Grab a spoonful of it and mix in fresh veggies, grilled chicken, or just a handful of spinach or arugula. It makes the perfect lunch. It is so healthy it's ridiculous and, I'm telling you, it fills you up.
Give yourself about an hour to prepare this. Keep in mind, about ALL of this time is spent away from the stove. Walk away! Do some laundry. Read. Cook the rest of your dinner. I choose not to use a rice cooker for brown rice. For whatever reason, brown rice tastes better when cooked on the stove.
Ingredients:
2 cups of brown rice
4 cups of water or chicken stock, or some combination of both
salt and pepper
1 dish towel
The ratio of water to rice is 2:1. This means, two cups of water to one cup of brown rice. HINT! Use low-sodium chicken stock instead of water. The chicken stock will add some great flavor and some protein.
Pour rice and water/stock into heavy-bottomed pot. Salt and pepper the mixture. Give it ONE stir with a spoon. Cover and heat until boiling. When you notice steam pouring out from the lid, turn down the head to low and just let it sit. Set the timer for exactly 45 minutes. After 45 minutes, open the lid. You should still hear that boiling, bubbling noise. That's good. Turn off the heat (I use a gas stove, so this also means taking the pot off the heat. If you use an electric stove, remove the whole pan from the heat.) Then, grab that dish towel. Drape it over the open pot and put the lid on top. This will soak up extra moisture leaving you with perfectly moist, slightly al dente rice. Just let the towel sit on top of the pot for about 10 minutes, fluff, and eat! Store in a container - it's good for about a week (maybe just a work week).
