brown rice

Pepper Steak Salad with Caper Salad Dressing

June 30, 2011

This recipe for steak salad makes good use of beef and rice cooked earlier in the week. Mung bean sprouts and capers add flavor and texture without extra fat. Mung beans sprouts are commonly used in Asian cooking, and have a crisp, clean taste as well as being high in Vitamins A, B, C, and E, and a good source of iron, calcium, magnesium, and potassium. Capers are the pickled bud of the caper bush, and are most often used in Italian (particularly Sicilian) recipes for a flavor burst and as a garnish. These tiny buds are about the size of a green pea, and after being pickled in vinegar and/or oil for a few months they begin to exude a sharp mustard-like taste, an excellent option for beef. This recipe makes four servings. Add frozen yogurt and fresh berries for a well-rounded family meal that includes all the food groups.

Salad Ingredients:

1 cup cooked brown rice

2 cups cooked lean beef

3 cups torn mixed salad greens

3 medium tomatoes cut into wedges

1 green pepper, cut into strips

1/2 cup mung bean sprouts

1 15 ounce can of pineapple chunks

For Caper Dressing:

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/4 cup capers, drained

1/4 cup tarragon vinegar

1 tbsp dry white wine

1 tsp sugar

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp dry mustard

freshly ground black pepper

Method:

Use a glass jar with an airtight lid to combine all the ingredients for the Caper Dressing. Place the lid on tightly, shake for thirty seconds. Slice the cooked beef as thinly as possible and place it in a large glass bowl. Pour the caper dressing over the beef, cover and chill in the fridge for at least three hours. Place cooked brown rice in a small mixing bowl and set aside. Just prior to serving, place the mixed salad greens in a large salad bowl. drain the marinade from the beef into the small bowl containing the rice. Mix the rice and marinade together well. Spoon the rice onto the centre of the salad greens. Top with the beef strips, drained pineapple chunks, tomato wedges, green pepper strips and bean sprouts.

Brown Rice Salad

June 19, 2011

Brown rice is an unusual addition to a salad, but it works surprisingly well. The nutty flavor and chewy texture complement the tropical fruits in this recipe, and adding colorful fruits make this a pretty cold dish to serve at a summer buffet. This combination of brown rice, fruits and lettuce provides an excellent source of vitamin C, B vitamins, and fiber from the brown rice to aid in digestion and keep your stomach feeling full. Gradually introduce brown rice into your regular meals instead of refined white rice. The refining process strips white rice of the many nutrients and minerals found in brown rice, which is a very good source of soluble fiber to help keep cholesterol levels low.

Ingredients:

3/4 cup brown rice

2 cups boiling water

3/4 cup sliced celery

1 can (10 ounces) mandarin oranges, drained

1/2 cup pineapple chunks

12 black olives, pitted and sliced

2 tablespoons pumpkin seeds

romaine lettuce leaves, whole strawberries, sunflower seeds

Ingredients for Dressing:

1/4 cup low-fat mayonnaise

3 tbsp orange juice concentrate

3 tbsp vegetable oil

1 tbsp lemon juice

1 tbsp liquid honey

1/4 tsp dry mustard

1/8 teaspoon Tabasco sauce

Method:

Place two cups of water in a large saucepan and bring to boil. Add the rice, reduce the heat to medium and cover. Cook rice for about 45 minutes or until cooked through and there is no more water remaining. Cool.

In a medium bowl, add the cooled cooked brown rice to the chopped celery, mandarin oranges, pineapple, black olives and pumpkin seeds. Set aside.

To prepare the dressing, combine mayonnaise, orange juice, oil, lemon juice, honey and seasonings. Pour over the salad and stir gently to mix the dressing in. Cover and chill in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour.

Use romaine lettuce leaves to line 6 plates. Portion the rice salad equally amongst the plates and garnish with strawberries and sunflower seeds.

This recipe makes 6 servings of 289 calories each. There are 2 grams of dietary fiber, 10 grams of fat, 42 grams of carbs and 4 grams of protein in each serving.

Chicken With Yogurt Marinade

June 10, 2011

Similar to the Chicken Tandoori Recipe in an earlier post, this creamy chicken recipe serves 8 with just 3 grams of fat per serving. Served with Lemon Rice Pilaf (made with brown rice and included below) and a mixed green salad it makes a well-balanced meal.

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cups low-fat organic or homemade yogurt

3 cloves of garlic, minced, or 3 teaspoons of diced garlic in oil

1 tbsp minced ginger root or 2 tsp ground ginger

1 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

2 tsp paprika

1 tsp chili powder

1 tsp crumbled dried rosemary

1 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1/2 tsp turmeric

8 boneless skinless organic chicken breasts

Method:

Use a large glass pyrex dish to prepare the marinade. Combine yogurt, garlic, ginger root, lemon juice, olive oil, paprika, chili powder, rosemary, pepper and turmeric and mix well until it is smooth. Lay the chicken pieces in marinade in a single layer, turning so each piece is completely coated. Cover with saran wrap and chill in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours.

Prior to serving, preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Place the chicken in a layer on a greased baking sheet, reserving the marinade. Bake in the preheated oven for 25 minutes or until it is no longer pink inside, spooning marinade over the chicken after about 12 minutes. Serve with Rice Pilaf – recipe found below!

Lemon Rice Pilaf Recipe

Ingredients:

1/2 cup raisins

1/4 cup slivered almonds

2 tbsp butter or margarine, divided

1 cup brown rice

1 small onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced, or 2 tsps of garlic in oil

2 1/2 cups low sodium chicken broth

1 bay leaf

2 tbsp lemon juice

11 tsp grated lemon zest

a pinch of freshly ground black pepper

1 cup fresh sliced mushroom

Method:

Set a saucepan over medium heat. Cook the raisins and almonds in 1 tbsp of the butter until the almonds are golden, remove to a plate. Use the same saucepan and increase heat to medium-high. Cook rice, onion and garlic in remaining butter for about 5 minutes or until a light golden brown color. Add chicken broth, bay leaf, lemon juice, lemon zest and pepper. Cover and cook over low heat for 40 minutes. Add the mushrooms and cook for five more minutes. remove bay leaf. Sprinkle raisins and almonds over the dish.

Yogurt and Brown Rice Casserole

May 14, 2011

This recipe is one of my favorites. Not only do I get to use up my leftover chicken and raw vegetables from meals I made earlier in the week, I can also sneak in yogurt and brown rice, two super healthy foods that I want to encourage the kids to eat. This creamy casserole recipe is frugal, it is good for you and just plain yummy. Use whatever leftover vegetables you have on hand, red or yellow peppers, mushrooms, broccoli or cherry tomatoes are just as delicious as the green pepper I usually use. If you are vegetarian, use black or red kidney beans instead of the chicken. If you have leftover ham, by all means, throw it in! Happy cooking.

Ingredients:

2 cups low fat plain yogurt

1/2 cup chopped green pepper

1/4 cup chopped cooking onion

1 heaping teaspoon chopped garlic in oil

1 cup of cooked shredded or cubed chicken, ham, or beans

3 tbsp ketchup

1/2 tsp crushed dried oregano or 1 tbsp fresh finely chopped oregano

1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1 cup low fat ricotta cheese

1 cup bread crumbs (I use the stale slices of bread if there are any left from my homemade whole wheat bread)

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1 tbsp butter, melted

Method:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Use a large bowl and combine yogurt, green pepper or other vegetable, chicken, ketchup, oregano and pepper, then carefully stir in brown rice. Use a large spoon to put half this mixture in the bottom of a 6 cup (1.5L) greased casserole. Cover with ricotta cheese. Spoon the remaining rice/meat mixture over the top. In a small bowl, mix together the bread crumbs, parmesan cheese and butter, and sprinkle over the casserole. Shake dried parsley or snips of fresh parsley over the top. Bake in the oven for about 30 minutes or until it is bubbling and the top is golden brown.

Serve this with a dark green leafy salad and fresh fruit for dessert for a well-rounded family meal.

This recipe makes four generous servings. Each serving has 430 calories, 4 grams of dietary fiber, 44 grams of carbs, 15 grams of fat, and 31 grams of protein when made with green pepper and chicken.