Rice is a fundamental food in many countries. In Puerto Rico, a typical dish is rice with beans. My grandmother ALWAYS cooks rice with beans and although it is not quiet a complete nutrition dish, it is a resolve when one arrives home hungry!
There are a lot of myths regarding rice…
…that it is not healthy
…that it will make you gain weight
…. that it is high in carbohydrates
The truth is that ANY food in excess will make you gain weight. Second, yes, rice is high in carbohydrates but it will depend on a person’s nutrition necessities. You can also soak the rice in water the night before cooking it and it will loose some starch.
But, what about the brown rice? It has the same amount of carbohydrates per serving (2/3 cups cooked) but it is LESS processed so it is nearer it’s natural state. The trick on cooking brown rice is the AMOUNT of water you used to cooked it. You have to double the ratio of water. For example, 2 cups of brown rice with 4 cups of water. Then, the cooking time and procedure is the same as the white rice. So now that I gave you some tips about the brown rice, go ahead and make this BLAST of lunch at home.
The brown rice has a very soft and loose texture. I added garlic powder, sea salt and oregano. This dish also has a side of chickpeas cooked at your preference. I also made some boiled and sauteed plantains with onions. Finally, I served a side of lettuce and baby tomatoes.
Ingredients:
yield: 8 servings
For the rice:
2 cups brown rice
4 cups water
sea salt to taste
1/2tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp oregano
For the plantains:
2 plantains
half of an onion chopped
a pinch of cilantro
a drizzle of organic coconut oil
For the chickpeas:
a can of chickpeas
a pinch of cilantro
Additional:
Lettuce
Baby tomatoes
Procedure:
For the rice:
1- In a big pot, add the rice with the water and spices and stir.
2- Let cook on medium heat.
3- Check every 20 mins to see if it is completely cooked.
4- Once done, turn off the heat.
For the Chickpeas:
1- Cook the chickpeas in a pot until tender and turn off the heat.
For the plantains:
1- Cut the plantains in thin slices.
2- In a pot with boiling water, add the plantains and cook until tender.
3- Once done, turn off the stove top and turn on a a stove top with a pan.
4- Add a drizzle of organic coconut oil and add the onions. Cook for 5 minutes
5- Now, add the plantains and cook until golden.
6- Once done, turn off the heat.
Assembly:
1- Serve 2-3 cups of cooked brown rice to the serving dish.
2- Add a side of 1/2 cup chickpeas
3- Add the desire amount of sauteed plantains with onions.
4- Finally add the lettuce and baby tomatoes.
Icadelicias 