Perfect Brown Rice

I always keep brown rice grains in the pantry and frozen, ready-to-eat brown rice in the freezer. Cooked rice makes for a healthy, hearty base to create grain bowls, grain salads, or even breakfast cereal or rice pudding in very little time.

Brown rice is more nutritious than white rice; it hasn’t been stripped of the bran and germ that cover the rice grains, so it’s high in fiber and other essential nutrients including manganese, phosphorus, selenium, thiamin, niacin and vitamin B6.

The trick to making brown rice is to cook it in a shallow skillet with a lid (not a deep saucepan, which is what I'd always done until I learned otherwise). Using a ratio is 1 cup rice to 2 cups water, you will end up with light, not mushy brown rice. It will keep in the refrigerator for up to 4 days and in the freezer for up to 6 months.

What you need:

• 1 cup brown rice (preferably long-grain)

• 2 cups water

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

What to do:

Rinse the rice in a strainer and dump it into a skillet that has a lid. Add the water and salt and bring the water to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 25 to 30 minutes, until the water has evaporated. Turn off the heat and let the rice rest, covered, for 10 minutes. Fluff with a fork and serve. Store the leftovers in a sealable container, refrigerated, for up to 4 days or in the freezer for up to 6 months.