Tuesday eats: brown rice
So. Today. I start filming my new TV show. First day. I’ve lost my voice and I’m up to here with snot and flueyness. I’ll post again soon about the new show -it’s all secret squirrels for now (wherever did that phrase come from?!!). For now I can tell you it’s about nutrition…a pet topic of mine. As I’ve mentioned here, I’m studying integrative nutrition at the moment. I graduate as a health coach in October.
Anyway, I was at my mate Rosie’s house for dinner over the weekend, eating brown rice. I hope you won’t mind me saying this, but she reckons the stuff upsets her stomach – gas, runs to the loo, and the like. You too?
OK, here’s the solution plus some tips on how to make cooking with brown rice easier and healthier, bearing in mind the wholegrain version of anything is always 9485749 times more nutritious. The outer brans contain the fatty acids and also ensure slower digestion, providing more sustained energy.
1. always always always soak brown rice
The husk of brown rice is full of phytic acid. It’s a naturally occurring organic acid. But here’s the thing. When it gets into the gut the acid mixes with calcium, magnesium, copper, iron and zinc and prohibits these minerals from being absorbed. Not grand. In fact, I’ve heard stories from doctors saying that people with zinc and calcium deficiencies are often revealed to be massive brown rice nuts.
You don’t have to stop eating the stuff. Just soak it in enough water to cover it, overnight. The same applies to almonds – soaking activates the digestive enzymes, making them easier to digest. I soak them overnight and leave them to dry…or you can buy them as “activated” almonds in health food shops (but pay premium for them doing the soaking for you).
2. Cook the stuff in big batches (cos it takes so bloody long)
I cook a whole packet in a massive pot of water to about 90% done. I strain. Cool. The freeze in batches. It does freeze super well in ziplock bags, in individual portions, because it doesn’t clump so much. But, given plastic ain’t grand for our health, I also freeze in jars.
3. This is how I use it:
* I add to boiling water for 2 minutes when I’m ready to eat
* Or I add to a stirfry, straight from the freezer, to make a fried rice thingo. I love cooking up some pumpkin in coconut oil with ginger, turmeric, a bit of chilli, adding rice and frozen peas and some frozen kale (which I’ve also frozen in batches). A squueze of lemon juice at the end.
* I cook up as a porridge with milk, straight from the freezer. Or sometimes coconut milk. And heaps of cinnamon.
* I take a batch to work with a tin of tuna (Greenseas…the best tuna to eat) and some broccoli bits I’ve cut up and some salted capers (instant flavour hit). I whack it in the microwave (I know, not ideal). Instant lunch.
* Or I cook this recipe below from 101 Cookbooks.
Spinach Rice Gratin Recipe
2 1/2 cups leftover/pre-cooked brown rice, room temp
1 1/2 cups cups well finely chopped spinach
4 ounces firm organic tofu, crumbled
10 black olives, chopped
1/2 medium red onion, diced
1/3 cup pine nuts or almonds, toasted
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup shredded Manchego cheese (or Parm, or Gruyere)
3 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon fine grain sea saltPreheat oven to 400F degrees. Rack in the top third. Grease a 10-inch round baking dish (or equivalent) with a bit of olive oil.
In a large bowl combine the rice, spinach, and tofu. Now, reserving a bit of each for garnish, stir in the olives, and red onion, pine nuts and olive oil. Now stir in 1/4 cup of the cheese. In a small bowl whisk together the eggs, and salt. Fold the eggs into the rice mixture, pour into the prepared baking dish, and sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake for 30 minutes or until the casserole is set, and the top toasty and golden. Remove from the oven, and sprinkle with remaining onions, olives, and nuts. Sprinkle with a bit more salt before serving – or taste and get a sense of whether you need any.
Serves 8 – 12.
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by sarah wilson, Jo Scard. Jo Scard said: Why? RT @_sarahwilson_ Tuesday eats: brown rice http://bit.ly/axcdR9 [...]
Oh that;s a good idea about soaking the rice first. In IBS the first Year http://amzn.to/bdnVQ5 it suggests staying away from brown rice – and other whole grains but attributes it more to the breaking down of the fibre. Thoughts?
I find breads that are overly seedy not great – but that works to me lik eating too many nuts a little too much in the way of (yummy yummy) oils and fats to deal with.
Brown rice is ok for me – but if I’m ever plannign ahead for a change I’ll give soaking a go!
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I am SUPER excited about your new show which I know nothing about yet. From one fellow nutrition nut to another – must be exciting!
I am going to try that brown rice 90% cooked freezing thingo. Genius.
x
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So exactly how long should we be soaking brown rice for? Overnight?
Thanks
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Hey Tez, yes, overnight.
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I cook my brown rice in my pressure cooker, it comes out moist and plump and soft, but still a great texture. Takes 15 minutes and no soaking. highly recommend you buy or borrow one to try it out! Much better results even than a rice cooker! Cant wait for your show… Is it going to be on free to air or foxtel?
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Secret Squirrel was an American cartoon that I remember from the late 60′s(?). He was a cute little squirrel who wore a trench coat and was a sleuth/detective good guy.
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Love this post. Love it alot. I will be cooking this.
Soaking rocks. Your onto a winner there.
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Query…is this a gluten free recipe? I know you are pretty much always gluten free but had a feeling there was gluten in brown rice? Am I wrong? I hope so cause this looks delicious!
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I made this for dinner tonight after druelling over the photo of it for days!
Absolutely loved it, it was easy to make, quick, healthy and delicious!
I actually even found the organic tofu in Safeway! But I did use those 90 second packet rices but found an organic one of them in Safeway too! Found the manchego cheese there as well.
It was really really really really delicious! Had two other people eat it who both enjoyed it too.
Highly recommend!
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All rice, even glutinous rice, Is gluten free.
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Love the post. I have IBS/Leaky Gut and don’t tend to eat brown rice. I normally eat basmati but since having some awful stomach cramps for a couple of weeks I switched to just plain white. I found it very easy on the digestive system. I’ve recently seen an article that indicates maybe white rice isn’t such a bad thing.
http://drbenkim.com/articles-rice.html
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I’m making this gratin dish tonight – my goodness the photo looks so yummy. I’m going to try it with a bit of crumbled goats cheese and fetta instead of tofu, I can’t wait.
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[...] because eating meat reduces the mineral-blocking effects of these phytates.I’ve mentioned phytic acid before, in regards to brown rice. Soaking brown rice (and beans) gets rid of the phytic [...]
[...] ALWAYS soak brown rice before cooking. Here’s why. Other grains can be soaked, too, to assist [...]
[...] and I now find myself eating it almost daily. And loving it. Sarah Wilson has written a great post on brown rice – she inspired me to cook mine in big batches and then freeze it. [...]