Okay, so we all know that brown rice is the healthy version of the this versatile grain but who has time to cook it. Most of us budget half an hour or less for dinner preparation but the cooking times alone for brown rice are about 45 minutes.
My solution is to prepare the largest amount I can in my pressure cooker which only takes 25 minutes to cook brown rice. There is an array of smaller size cookers available; I got my Swiss made Duromatic by Kuhn-Rikon at Sur la Table, but I imagine there are similar ones available where you shop, and online. Of course I use it for other great vegan cuisine like beans, a staple protein provider is only one example. (See upcoming posts)
When the rice is finished cooking and still warm, I like to add some coconut oil (actually a solid) to keep the grains separate and whole. It makes for a wonderful restaurant quality dish to serve and an excellent quality oil will enhance the flavor as well.
Next, I freeze the extra rice in convenient portions in plastic bags. I lay the bags flat and squeeze out all the air before zipping them closed. Then I leave them on the counter till cooled. Later, placing first in the fridge to drop the temperature even further, I finally freeze and store the flat bags on the shelf of my freezer.
My sister, Lisa, explains that the quicker items freeze the smaller the food-deystroying ice crystals will be and the better your food texture will be when you thaw it. Lisa is way more organized than I ever hope to be and has a freezer in her garage full of all the casseroles, cookies, etc. that she makes in duplicate and triplicate. She's always ready for friends and family to drop in and we are oh so happy to oblige her and enjoy her awesome meals.
So now you don't need to compromise your health or quality time at home cooking rice. You can cook it up in less than half an hour and have some on hand in freezer when even that is not fast enough. Enjoy!
My solution is to prepare the largest amount I can in my pressure cooker which only takes 25 minutes to cook brown rice. There is an array of smaller size cookers available; I got my Swiss made Duromatic by Kuhn-Rikon at Sur la Table, but I imagine there are similar ones available where you shop, and online. Of course I use it for other great vegan cuisine like beans, a staple protein provider is only one example. (See upcoming posts)
When the rice is finished cooking and still warm, I like to add some coconut oil (actually a solid) to keep the grains separate and whole. It makes for a wonderful restaurant quality dish to serve and an excellent quality oil will enhance the flavor as well.
Next, I freeze the extra rice in convenient portions in plastic bags. I lay the bags flat and squeeze out all the air before zipping them closed. Then I leave them on the counter till cooled. Later, placing first in the fridge to drop the temperature even further, I finally freeze and store the flat bags on the shelf of my freezer.
My sister, Lisa, explains that the quicker items freeze the smaller the food-deystroying ice crystals will be and the better your food texture will be when you thaw it. Lisa is way more organized than I ever hope to be and has a freezer in her garage full of all the casseroles, cookies, etc. that she makes in duplicate and triplicate. She's always ready for friends and family to drop in and we are oh so happy to oblige her and enjoy her awesome meals.
So now you don't need to compromise your health or quality time at home cooking rice. You can cook it up in less than half an hour and have some on hand in freezer when even that is not fast enough. Enjoy!
