Cooking & Conversation: Herbed Brown Rice

September is National Rice Month

(Who knew?)
In honor of the occasion, try this rice and use it with chicken, then make gumbo
to turn one dinner into a totally different meal the next night.

My husband and I visited Silver Dollar City in September when we were
in Branson, Missouri, celebrating our 1st Anniversary.
We were guests of our sister-in-law, Marilyn.

My husband signed us up for a cooking class
demonstration since we both love to cook
and learn tips on cooking traditional Midwest foods.

It was an opportunity to see first-hand some of the recipes
that are in one of the nation's premier lifestyle magazines, Midwest Living.

We attended The MIDWEST LIVING Culinary & Craft School located at
Silver Dollar City.
It was quite an adventure! Follow along as I share what I learned from the cooking experience with Midwest Living's class.
Herbed Rice.

Midwest Living Culinary & Craft School

This class is a 60 minute presentation on seasonal recipes, tips and cooking secrets from the magazine's best recipes. This class was all about turning the leftovers from one dinner into a totally different meal the next night. They had prepared before the class a Roast Chicken recipe. The first part of the class was a demonstration of making a perfect Herbed Rice dish. I am going to share that recipe first, then follow up with a delicious Chicken Gumbo. If you are a busy cook, you will want to make these dishes for a two-for-one cooking experience.

Our class.

The beautiful Midwest Living kitchen.

Herbed Brown rice

2 tablespoons butter
2 cups uncooked regular brown rice
2- 14.5 oz. cans reduced sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup water
1-1/2 teaspoons dried Italian seasoning, crushed
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Delicious Herbed Brown Rice.

Know Your Varieties of Rice

Arborio

This really absorbs flavors and becomes creamy when cooked. Use in risotto.

Basmati

Dry and fluffy, it's suited to Indian dishes as well as pilafs and casseroles.

Basmati in Sanskrit means the "Fragrant One." It is named after the tropical Basmati blossom of Southeast Asia. This type of rice has been grown in the Himalayan foothills of Northern India and Pakistan for thousands of years. For countless generations, farmers in the region nurtured the fragrant seeds, and developed an aging process which decreases the moisture content and helps to improve the grain's rich nutty flavor. Cooked grains of Basmati rice are characteristically free-flowing, rather than sticky, and can b e uniquely identified by their fragrance. It pairs beautifully with grilled salmon, curries and other Asian dishes. ( taken from back of rice package pictured from World Market store)

Brown Rice

This is chewy with a nutty flavor and high in fiber. Great in stir-fry or in pudding.

Jasmine

Fragrant and long-grain, it lends an exotic flavor to stir-fries and pilafs.

Jasmine rice, sometimes known as "Thai fragrant rice," is a long-grain variety of rice grown primarily in Thailand. Jasmine rice has a wonderful fragrant aroma and a delicious chewy texture which are very pleasing to the palate. It is typically served with curries, stews, or Asian dishes such as vegetable stir-fry, beef with broccoli, or lemon chicken. (taken from the back of rice package pictured from World Market store)

Long-grain White Rice

Cooks up light and fluffy. Use in casseroles, paella, or pudding.

Gather ingredients.

In large saucepan add 2 tbsp. butter and melt over medium heat.
An important element for good rice is a heavy-based pot to prevent scorching on the bottom.

Measure 2 cups uncooked regular brown rice.
(Or the rice of your choice, read cooking times on package if you use another variety of rice)

Wash rice in bowl of clean water.

This removes any excess husks and takes away excess starches.
Depending on where the rice is milled, it may have talc used in the processing.
Cover the rice with water, and use one hand to churn the rice throughout the water.
The water will become off-white and cloudy. Pour the water out. Repeat 2-3 times.

Add drained rice to melted butter in saucepan.

Stir while cooking for 3 minutes.
This coats the rice grains and adds additional flavor.

Add 1-1/2 teaspoons dried Italian seasoning.

Add 1/2 teaspoon salt.

Add 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper.

Carefully stir in chicken broth.
When researching on line, the consensus to good rice is figuring out the correct amount of liquid.
(from finecooking.com)

Add 1/2 cup water, or you may use chicken broth again, if you prefer.
Brown rice requires more water than some other varieties.

Bring mixture to a boil, then reduce heat.

Simmer, covered, for 45 minutes or until rice is tender and liquid is absorbed.
(Brown rice takes longer to cook than some other varieties.)
The secret to perfect rice is a tight fitting lid that keeps the steam in.
Lifting the lid will disturb the cooking process.

Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.
Here is a tip for the perfect rice from finecooking.com, don't skip the resting step at the end.
As the rice sits off the heat, the moisture in the rice redistributes itself in the pot, so
the bottom rice is as fluffy as the top.