Monday, October 28, 2013

Baked Rice

 
Why do I bake my rice? Well, simply, because it is easier that way. I prepare food for 5 hungry people. We eat a lot of food that is made from basic ingredients and whole foods. That is great for health and can be nice on a budget, but it takes time to prepare such meals. So, I find easy ways to make lots of food.

I buy multiple different kinds of rice. Since we are gluten free, rice is a staple item in our menu. But the same kind of rice each time gets very old and common tasting. So we buy a different kinds of rice which gives us variety, while we are still eating a filling and yummy rice. It also gives us different nutrient values based on what kind of rice we choose. We have red rice, wild rice, brown rice, and occasionally white rice.

I bake rice in bulk. My family can eat about 6 cups of rice per meal. So I make somewhere between 10-12 cups each time I make rice. That allows us to eat one pan for dinner and still have leftovers to quickly reheat or add to other recipes easily.

So, you may wonder, how do you bake rice? Many people have been taught how to boil rice on the stove top. But it is true, you can bake rice. It is so easy and delicious, too.

Start by preheating your oven at 350 degrees. Also, lightly grease your baking dish. I use olive oil or safflower oil. Now measure out your rice and water. The ratio is still the same, 2 cups of water for every cup of dry rice. So when I make 12 cups of rice, I prepare 2 - 9x13 glass baking pans, putting 3 cups of rice and 6 cups of water in each. I put it in the oven and let it bake for about an hour. The rice is done when the water is absorbed.

I make my rice plain. I prefer to make the rice bland so that I can easily use the leftovers for other recipes. Plain rice can be added to soups, stews, salads, taco filling, stir fry, and eaten plain. We add all kinds of toppings to plain rice allowing each person to have it their own favorite way. Some of the toppings
we use include: gluten free soy sauce, nutritional yeast, salt and pepper, teriyaki sauce, curry, etc. It is extremely versatile, easy to make and very healthy!

What do you enjoying eating with your rice?

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