Rice: The Nearly Perfect Food

Like all seed foods, rice contains high levels of protease inhibitors (that help prevent or retard the growth of tumors), while rice bran lowers the risk of bowel cancer. Indeed, populations that eat the most rice consistently show the lowest rates of colon, breast, and prostate cancer.

Choose the right rice. Long grain white is fluffier. Short grain white and brown types are chewier and stickier. Pass up instant rice, which are deficient in fiber, protein, vitamins, and minerals.

A bowlful of hot, fluffy rice is a delicious substitute for potatoes or other vegetables. Although butter alone is a popular seasoning, you can vary the flavor of rice by adding seasonings such as cumin, cinnamon, curry powder, parsley, onion, saffron, green pepper, and chives. Another easy way to flavor rice is to cook the rice in liquids such as chicken broth or tomato juice rather than in water.

Rice has many places in the menu other than as a side dish. For a flavorful first course try a soup containing rice. Rice also has a place in the salad course. It is delicious in vegetable, gelatin and meat salads.

Rice is even used in desserts. Custardy rice pudding is probably the most popular dessert made with rice, but rice is also used in various other pudding and in fruit dessert recipes.Mounded and fluffy, each grain whole, separate and tender-that’s how rice should and could be if you prepare it properly. Resist the extra stir or just one peek; and when stirring or fluffing, always use a fork to avoid crushing the grains. Avoid overcooking; it produces a mush. Don’t buy just one kind of rice-enjoy them all!

Rice Tips

1. Use a heavy pot with a tight fitting lid and stir to assure it’s done top to bottom.
2. Cooked rice keeps up to a week refrigerated and reheats in minutes in a microwave. For a perfect potful every time? Buy a rice cooker.
3. Second best method for the time pressed: A crock pot or pressure cooker. Try woodsy flavored wild rice in soups, stuffings, salads, or dried fruits.
4. Leftover rice? Sprout it, don’t steam it. Sprouting increases water soluble vitamin B complex and fat soluble vitamin E.
5. For a tastier, more nutritious popcorn alternative, put whole brown rice through your steam popper .
6. Stickier short grain rice is better in casseroles or as a sweet side dish such as rice pudding.