Rice Is Oh So Nice

Rice is a wonderful all-around, versatile food and gloriously gluten-free. Delicious when served plain, as a pilaf, in stuffings, one-dish meals, stir-fried or even for dessert. Types of rice vary almost as much as do the recipes. White, brown, black, red, long-grain, medium and short-grain. Long-grain is three to five times longer than it is wide and cooked, it is fluffy and separates easily. Medium-grain is more of an oval shape and cooked, the rice will be thicker and stick together more. Short-grain is sometimes called glutinous, although it does not contain gluten, or sticky rice. There are many varieties of rice from around the world, Basmati (long-grain, white or brown, fluffy and aromatic); Jasmine (long-grain, tender with a subtle aroma), Texmati (a form a basmati from Texas); Arborio (medium-grain with a soft cooked texture); Thai black rice (turns purple and sitcky when cooked), to name a few.

This month we’d like to share a few rice recipes we’re sure you’ll enjoy. Our Parmesan Basil Rice Pilaf has just the right amount of parmesan cheese to give this dish a delightful texture and taste; Fried Rice with Asparagus is the perfect accompaniment to spicy or flavorful meat dishes, (we served ours with Apple Pork Kebabs), plain white rice is perfect served in a bowl with our 30 minute meal; Beef Bowl, and last but certainly not least, our Rice Pudding, a lovely dessert that will be enjoyed by your whole family.

Our favorite long-grain white rice recipe:

Place 1 cup of rice, (1 cup will make 3-4 small servings) in a medium size, heavy saucepan. Rinse 2-3 times with water, if using Jasmine, do not rinse. Add enough water to pan so that the water will reach the first knuckle of your forefinger when your finger just touches the top of the rice. (No kidding, this works every time). Add a few sprinkles of salt and bring to a boil. Boil until all water has evaporated and the surface of the rice is almost dry. Place lid on pan and immediately turn heat to lowest setting. Cook for 30 minutes

– Glutenfreeda