how to make brown rice more appealing?

[Anonymous]

hello!

i am transitioning the family from white to brown rice and, so far, it isn't going very well. any ideas as to how to prepare it so as to make it more appealing to my little ones? i have a rice cooker.

thanks!

[Anonymous]

I make brown rice in my pressure cooker. Not only does it make delicious rice, it cuts down on cooking time. (I don't have a rice cooker so not sure how it compares.) i don't even have to soak it first.

I put a lot of butter and some salt in with the rice, and use slightly less water than 1:2. My kids love it -- that is to say, they eat it w/o complaint (they are picky).

[Anonymous]

What kind of brown rice are you using? At first my DC wasn't big on regular short grain brown rice but did enjoy brown jasmine and brown basmati types. Maybe start there if your little ones regularly eat white jasmine and basmati varieties. You probably know this, but I've found it's important not to overcook or it can get mealy or over-sticky, depending on the variety and some kids may be turned off by those textures.

Not a rice, but we like to use Whole Wheat Israeli Cous Cous (the pre-toasted kind) sometimes. It's like a heartier round orzo. It's an easy way to incorporate a side of whole grains (mixes well with torn baby spinach, shaved parm, lemon zest, salt, pepper, and olive oil) and also is great starter for cold pasta salads.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What kind of brown rice are you using? At first my DC wasn't big on regular short grain brown rice but did enjoy brown jasmine and brown basmati types. Maybe start there if your little ones regularly eat white jasmine and basmati varieties. You probably know this, but I've found it's important not to overcook or it can get mealy or over-sticky, depending on the variety and some kids may be turned off by those textures.

Not a rice, but we like to use Whole Wheat Israeli Cous Cous (the pre-toasted kind) sometimes. It's like a heartier round orzo. It's an easy way to incorporate a side of whole grains (mixes well with torn baby spinach, shaved parm, lemon zest, salt, pepper, and olive oil) and also is great starter for cold pasta salads.

I am not trying to nitpick here, and as a general rule I am not super-picky about food. But I wanted to point something out because it was a mistake I used to make a great deal. Just because something is made with whole wheat does not make it a whole grain. It is still processed and loses some of the nutrients. Whole grains are just that: rice, quinoa, bulgur, wheatberries etc. Whole wheat products are better than white carbs, but not as good as whole grains.

[Anonymous]

Try using a rice cooker--1/2 and 1/2 white and brown.

[Anonymous]

I use brown rice whenever the main dish has a sauce with it, but I still use white if the rice flavor has to stand on its own. Rather than butter, I cook it in chicken or beef broth.

[Anonymous]

I brown it before cooking in some olive oil. Then I cook it with chicken broth. I serve it with salty cheese on top. YUMMY

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Try using a rice cooker--1/2 and 1/2 white and brown.

i agree with this suggestion. it works very well.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What kind of brown rice are you using? At first my DC wasn't big on regular short grain brown rice but did enjoy brown jasmine and brown basmati types. Maybe start there if your little ones regularly eat white jasmine and basmati varieties. You probably know this, but I've found it's important not to overcook or it can get mealy or over-sticky, depending on the variety and some kids may be turned off by those textures.

Not a rice, but we like to use Whole Wheat Israeli Cous Cous (the pre-toasted kind) sometimes. It's like a heartier round orzo. It's an easy way to incorporate a side of whole grains (mixes well with torn baby spinach, shaved parm, lemon zest, salt, pepper, and olive oil) and also is great starter for cold pasta salads.

I am not trying to nitpick here, and as a general rule I am not super-picky about food. But I wanted to point something out because it was a mistake I used to make a great deal. Just because something is made with whole wheat does not make it a whole grain. It is still processed and loses some of the nutrients. Whole grains are just that: rice, quinoa, bulgur, wheatberries etc. Whole wheat products are better than white carbs, but not as good as whole grains.

Thanks for correcting me. Not that my post shows it, but I do know the difference -- just had whole grains on the brain from the all brown rice talk. The Israeli cous cous is just made from whole wheat flours, hopefully 100% if one can find it.

[Anonymous]

I add butter and salt to the rice cooker. I like my rice softer and stickier, so I make sure to have enough water. My rice cooker has a delay timer, so the rice is usually soaking for quite a few hours before it starts cooking.

If you aren't serving with a sauce, would your kids find cheese on or in the rice appealing? I happen to like parmesan, but any shredded cheese could work.

I also found the short grain brown rice from Whole Foods--I don't recall the exact varietal--to be much better than the generic long grain brown rice from Safeway.

[Anonymous]

I don't have a rice cooker but I recently discovered cooking brown rice this way and it has made all the difference:

http://www.saveur.com/article/Recipes/Perfect-Brown-Rice

Now, my brown rice is fluffy like white rice and not sticky. From there, I think you can treat it just like white rice - butter, salt, whatever.

[Anonymous]

The frozen brown rice from Trader Joe's in the microwave bags is delicious. It's almost like sticky rice - very different from the other kinds I've had.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The frozen brown rice from Trader Joe's in the microwave bags is delicious. It's almost like sticky rice - very different from the other kinds I've had.

I'll second this - although it is ridiculously expensive. You could also try making stir fry rice with brown rice - total yum. Add scallions, egg, ginger, peas, and a little soy sauce...delish!

[Anonymous]

I actually like short grain brown rice so much more than the other varieties, especially with something like red beans or curries. It has a better chew to it.

[Anonymous]

While it's not very appealing to me, my son LOVES brown rice topped with butter and Parmesan cheese. Leave it on top, mix it in, it doesn't matter. He loves it that way.