It seems that today people are looking for recipes that are easy to create but that are healthy and nutritious for the family. Rice recipes are often a great solution. Rice is one of the earliest foods known to civilized man and is used in a wide variety of cuisines. It has the advantage of being easy to cook, delicious and good for you, especially if one of the many unbleached varieties is used. Rice forms the basis of many dishes in many countries,and for many cultures rice is a valuable part of the daily diet.
There are many rice recipes available in cookbooks and on the internet, ranging from elegant pilafs to everyday dishes that the family will enjoy. A great idea for using up assortments of vegetables and other leftovers is to create a stir-fry. Start by boiling some plain rice according to the directions. Prepare ingredients such as scallions, tomatoes, mushrooms and any other vegetables that you have into slices or dice. If you have cooked meats in the refrigerator, such as leftovers from a roast chicken, cut these into bite-sized pieces too. When the rice is just a few minutes away from being ready to serve, heat some oil in a large skillet or wok and fry the vegetables and meat quickly over a medium heat. Add a little soy sauce or a dash of sherry, heat through quickly and serve with the rice.
Chinese, Mexican and Indian dishes feature rice a great deal. If you’re intending to add more rice dishes to your diet look for rice recipes from these countries. Paella is a Spanish favorite and combines chicken, seafood and vegetables in a luxury rice dish flavored with aromatic saffron. As most cultures feature rice in many of their dishes, by adding more rice into your diet you can experience the cuisines of the world. One of the reasons that rice is so widely used is that it is a very inexpensive food so by serving rice dishes at home, you’ll be helping the household budget by spending less money on ingredients.
There isn’t any need for special kitchen equipment or utensils, although there are many rice-cookers available. But these aren’t necessary – you can cook perfect rice every time simply by following the directions on the packet. If you buy rice without directions, then the golden rule is ‘when cooking rice, water twice’ meaning that you need, for instance, one cup of raw rice and two cups of water. Most rice uses these proportions. It’s usually advised to bring the rice to a boil, and then add a lid to the pan and let the rice simmer. This usually takes about fifteen minutes for white rice and double that amount of time for brown varieties. If in doubt, buy rice with instructions on the packet. Most rice recipes suggest that you add a few small pieces of butter to the cooked rice and fluff it with a fork prior to serving.
Rice is an idea accompaniment to many dishes and can also be almost a meal in itself with the addition of just a few simple ingredients. Take a look at the rice recipes that are available and choose from world cuisines that will please your family and dinner party guests.
