# I want to switch to brown rice but I'm timid



## SizzlininIN (Jan 7, 2008)

I'm eating healthy now and want to switch my white rice to brown rice but I have to admit I'm a bit timid. Several of my friends have told me they are not fond of the brown rice and since I don't know what to do with it that makes me leary so I've been avoiding rice all together.

Does anyone have any healthy ways to prepare brown rice? 

Thanks


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## jennyema (Jan 7, 2008)

Try some using low sodium chicken broth instead of water. Add in some veggies. Brown rice tastes different than white but IMO is quite tasty.

Many Chinese restaurants have now jumped on the heath bandwagon and offer brown rice as an alternative to white.  Maybe trying it that way would be an idea....


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## kitchenelf (Jan 7, 2008)

Like Jenny says - it is different but it's still quite good.  The broth will help give it a nice flavor too.  Caramelize some onions and peppers and toss those with the rice (or any vegetable you like for that matter).  I have roasted some red peppers and pureed them, thinned them out with a bit of broth, and tossed that with the rice.  It turned out quite tasty.

You can also buy a combination container of wild rice and brown rice.  That might be another option and since wild rice is actually a grass it is quite healthy.


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## YT2095 (Jan 7, 2008)

I use Both here and wild rice (but that isn`t really rice, it`s a grass seed) brown takes a little longer to cook has a very nice texture and a slight nutty flavor, it Does lend itself very nicely to being cooked in chicken stock as suggested.

it doesn`t stir-fry very well, but makes up for in other ways 

get yourself a small bag 100g or so and try it


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## sage™ (Jan 7, 2008)

I like brown rice. It just kinda has a nutty flavor to it I think.


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## jpmcgrew (Jan 7, 2008)

Dont be timid I love brown rice much more flavor in fact Im not fond of white rice .Cook it with some chicken broth,a little bit of ground cumin and some garlic powder.After its cooked let cool and add some sauteed vegetables and meat if you want I like to add a can of drained rinsed red beans.Top with a little soy sauce when you eat it.Very tasty.


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## Walt Bulander (Jan 7, 2008)

Try it, you'll like it.

It needs extra cooking time and a bit more stock/water, say 1/3 more.


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## auntdot (Jan 7, 2008)

To me brown rice is OK, but have never been a rice lover. It is OK, and sometimes a dish cannot be made without it, but it is just to me so-so.

But try it. You will never know if you like it or not if you do not give the stuff a shot.

OK, if you don't cook the first batch the way you want it, heck, it is just rice.

The only way to learn is to not be afraid to fail. We all do. And most of us regularly.

But that is how we learn; once we are able to accept our inevitable failures, we try things. And grow.

Just my take on things. Try the rice.


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## babetoo (Jan 7, 2008)

sage™ said:


> I like brown rice. It just kinda has a nutty flavor to it I think.


 
i prefer brown rice over white. nice flavor and it is chewy. do make with chicken stock. 

babe


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## Dutchess (Jan 7, 2008)

You might try brown basmati rice. I actually like it better than regular brown rice.


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## Aera (Jan 7, 2008)

First, I think it's great that you are trying to eat healthy. I felt the same way about the rice until I tried it, now I can't eat the white anymore! I just made some long grain brown rice for dinner and it was delicious. I cooked it on the stovetop. Its about double the cooking time of white rice. You can have it anyway you would use the white rice. It's "toothy" and I like it. I had 3/4 cups cooked brown rice, 4.5oz of baked pollack filet, with 5oz of steamed brocolli. I seasoned the fish with some lemon juice, and dill and 8 grams of Smart balance light butter spread with flax oil.


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## ErikC (Jan 7, 2008)

I'll throw my 2 cents worth in too, and say that I enjoy brown rice at least as much as white, especially it is by itself and not cooked in somthing like soup or a stuffing. It has more flavor, but it is slower to absorb other flavors.


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## jpmcgrew (Jan 7, 2008)

SizzlininIN said:


> I'm eating healthy now and want to switch my white rice to brown rice but I have to admit I'm a bit timid. Several of my friends have told me they are not fond of the brown rice and since I don't know what to do with it that makes me leary so I've been avoiding rice all together.
> 
> Does anyone have any healthy ways to prepare brown rice?
> 
> Thanks


So bottom line quit your crying and make some like we said you will either like it or not.I think you will like it. Dont listen to your friends. Any time someone tells me they dont like this or that I say well maybe you never tasted this or that cooked right. And lo and behold they love it from sweet potatoes to french onion soup.


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## Robo410 (Jan 7, 2008)

Also a fan of brown rice.  It takes twice as long to cook.  A rice cooker is nice for brown rice for that reason.  THe basmati brown rice is also quite good, and it all mixes well with real wild rice.

Gravy goes on it just fine as do sauces from home or Chinese take out!  

Try some.


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## Andy M. (Jan 7, 2008)

I made some brown reice tonight using beef broth to go along with a pork tenderloin.

IMO, brown rice has a much more interesting taste than plain white rice.


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## redkitty (Jan 8, 2008)

Cook it in stock, that gives it way more flavor.  I also add chopped flat leaf parsley to mine.  I also cook more with quinoa than rice, maybe give that a try too.


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## TanyaK (Jan 8, 2008)

I love brown rice - hardly ever eat white rice anymore. And I find it to be more filling so you eat less of it.


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## SizzlininIN (Jan 8, 2008)

Thanks everyone for your advice....I did go ahead and pick some up while I was at the store yesterday cause I knew I could count on you guys to give me two cents. I'm going to give it a try tonight.

Thanks again everyone ((((HUGS))))


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## Caine (Jan 8, 2008)

Buy a bag of brown rice, and start by mixing some in with your white rice when you cook it, 1/4 brown to 3/4 white, then 1/2 and 1/2, then 3/4 brown to 1/4 white, until you get used to eating rice that actually tastes like something. Just be sure to add extra liquid. Brown rice usually takes 1-1/2 times as much liquid as white rice, so adjust accordingly.


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## VeraBlue (Jan 8, 2008)

You can do everything to brown rice that you do the white...it just takes a bit longer to cook because the hull (the really healthful part) is still attached.  

Keep in mind that the hull can spoil faster, too.  Brown rice won't keep as long as white rice.


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## simpleisgood (Jan 9, 2008)

Hey Sizzlin, 

Hope your maiden voyage with brown rice went well.  I am somewhat of a brown rice fanatic.  I have probably cooked close to 7-8 thousand pots of rice in my life. While some people may achieve good results using a rice cooker I have found that the heat is set too high, which makes you have to add way more water than I like.

For many years I would never measure. Just put rice in pot, add water, pinch of salt, and cook.  I would wait until the aroma from the pot was just right and voila, perfect rice.  This method takes a lot of practice and you must watch the pot very closely.

Now I like to just set and forget until done, so I now use the following formula:

1 volume (whatever you cook) of brown rice
1.5X the volume of rice - water (I know 2/1 is more common)
pinch of salt.

Bring to full boil, then turn to low simmer for 50 minutes.  Done, perfect.
It is easy, especially if you have a preset simmer setting on your stove.  You may have to adjust the time to fit your stove.

Best wishes for the New Year!


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## Barbara L (Jan 9, 2008)

I love brown rice, but not in many of the things I use white rice for.  I don't think of it so much as a substitute for white rice, but rather as something related but different.  Kind of like comparing mashed potatoes and french fries.  I love them both but wouldn't care to have ketchup on my mashed potatoes or gravy on my french fries.  

Barbara


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## Caine (Jan 9, 2008)

Barbara L said:


> I love them both but wouldn't care to have ketchup on my mashed potatoes or gravy on my french fries.
> 
> Barbara


Stay out of Canada!


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## Barbara L (Jan 9, 2008)

Caine said:


> Stay out of Canada!


LOL  Okay, okay, I think I could try gravy on my fries, but I draw the line on ketchup on mashed potatoes!

Barbara


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## PytnPlace (Jan 9, 2008)

I don't go crazy over rice although I do like it.  It's just not something I crave.  I do like the nuttier flavor of brown, and especially like it in a mix of different grains.  There are a just a couple things that I really prefer white rice with . . . gumbo, fried rice and jambalaya.  Other then that it's brown.


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