Tricks, Tips and a Recipe
Brown rice vs. white rice
By: Leanne Ely
Happy Tuesday, Y’all!
Welcome to Tricks, Tips and a Recipe, our regular Tuesday installment where you’ll learn a tip or a trick and you’ll get a great recipe to try it out with. Doesn’t get much better than that, now does it?
Don’t forget tomorrow is the radio show, Saving Dinner with the Dinner Diva! The show is on every Wednesday at noon EST and is almost always LIVE. Bookmark this page and show up tomorrow–www.blogtalkradio.com/flylady and remember you can call in LIVE with your questions–about food, cooking, nutrition, anything you can think of! If you can’t listen live, you can always listen to the archives and now you can even send in your questions and listen to Leanne answer them on a future show! Just email Dear Leanne at Saving Dinner dot com.
Today’s focus is on BROWN RICE: 
A lot of people have a hard time transitioning from white rice to brown rice. Perhaps today’s TTR will help! Brown rice is milled once to remove the hard outer husk, packaged and sold—rich in B vitamins, fiber, manganese and iron. White rice continues that milling and polishing process until nothing is left but the starch. 67% of vitamin B3, 90% of vitamin B6, 80% of B1, 50% of phosphorus and manganese, 60% iron and all the fiber and essential fatty acids are destroyed to turn brown rice into white rice.
And THEN, once the rice is completely ruined and not good for anything, it needs “enriching”. Our friends at the FDA require food manufacturers to “enrich” white rice with some of the B vitamins and iron that removed from being overprocessed. Interesting huh? Does that mean because it’s enriched with synthetic vitamins that now it’s okay to eat? You already know the answer to that—you really don’t want me on my produce box ranting about “enriching”! LOL
Here’s today’s TRICK:
Remember, rice (and when I say rice, I’m only referring to brown rice) is a raw food that requires washing before using. Rinse in a mesh colander under cool water several times to get it clean.
Here’s a TIP:
Cooking rice is easy. Just remember, in a pot add 1 part rice to 2 parts water, broth or combination of the two. Let your pot come to a boil, turn it down to low a simmer, cover and let it cook for 45 minutes or until the liquid is fully absorbed.
And your RECIPE (from Menu-Mailer):
Mexican Skillet Rice
Serves 6
1 pound extra lean ground beef
1 medium onion – chopped
1 1/2 tablespoons chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 cups cooked brown rice
1 16-ounce can pinto beans — drained
2 4-ounce cans diced green chilies
1 medium fresh tomato — seeded and chopped (optional)
Fresh chopped cilantro — for garnish
Cook meat in large skillet over medium-high heat until brown, stirring to crumble; drain and blot with paper towels well to absorb grease.
Return meat to skillet. Add onion, chili powder, garlic, cumin and salt; cook until onion is soft but not brown. Stir in rice, beans and chilies; thoroughly heat. Top with tomato; garnish with cilantro. Serve immediately.
Per Serving: 347 Calories; 14g Fat; 17g Protein; 40g Carbohydrate; 6g Dietary Fiber; 41mg Cholesterol; 549mg Sodium. Exchanges: 2 Grain(Starch); 1 1/2 Lean Meat; 1 Vegetable; 1 1/2 Fat.
SERVING SUGGESTION: Serve with steamed broccoli and a salad.
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