Brown Rice Pilaf

Brown Rice Pilaf

Ingredients:

• 1/2 celery rib, chopped
• 1 medium carrot, chopped
• 1/4 medium onion, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon butter (or olive oil)
• 1 cup orzo
• 1 cup brown rice
• 3 1/2 cups chicken broth
• 1 1/2 teaspoons dried parsley flakes
• salt and pepper, to taste

Preparation:

Lightly spray a pan with non-stick spray and pre-heat over medium heat. Add the celery, onion, carrot, and garlic. Saute until onion and celery are translucent. Transfer veggies to a pot.

Melt the butter (or oil) in the pan. Add the orzo and stir constantly until the butter is absorbed and orzo starts to turn a light brown. (Do not burn the orzo! Stirring constantly will help make sure it does not burn and does not stick to the bottom of the pan.)

Add the orzo to the pot with the sauteed veggies. Add the remainder of the ingredients to the pot. Stir well. Cover and bring contents of the pot to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer until rice is cooked until desired consistency (approximately 30-40 minutes). 

Crockpot Congee (a.k.a. Chinese Oatmeal)

Congee is not a dish many people are familiar with. It is a (rice-based) porridge that has its origins all throughout Asia. There are no real "rules and regulations" for what you put in your congee. Various countries base their ingredients on what meal they traditionally eat their congee (meats and veggies for supper, various grains and fruits for breakfasts, beans, plain, etc.).

This variation is a delicious and hearty breakfast easily prepared in the crockpot ... which makes it a perfect breakfast for those cold mornings! Why waste money on a fast food breakfast when you can prepare a healthy dish faster than you can get through a drive through window!

Crockpot Congee (Chinese Oatmeal)

Ingredients

• 1 or 2 pears and/or apples, unpeeled
• 2/3 cups oat groats
• 2/3 cup brown rice
• 3/4 cup dried fruit (raisins, cranberries, prunes, etc)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/8 teaspoon sea salt
• 4 cups water

Preparation:

Wash and dice the apples (or pears). Place all ingredients into a 6 cup (1.5 quart) crock-pot. Stir and cook on low for 8 hours or overnight. 

Makes 6 cups of cereal.

Be sure to use a smaller (preferably 1.5 or 2 quart) crockpot so your congee does not dry out while cooking!

Try experimenting with the different dried fruits and spices (pumpkin pie spice, nutmeg, cloves, cinnamon, ginger, etc.).

Savory Seconds: Chicken Rice & Spinach Casserole

Chicken Rice Spinach Casserole

What I started with: I had some leftover brown rice, one chicken breast, 5 green onions, and some spinach.

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups cooked brown rice
• 1 cooked chicken breast (roughly 8 ounces), diced
• 5 green onions
• 3 cloves of garlic
• 4 cups fresh spinach
• 1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded

Preparation:

Slice the green onions. Mix about half of the green portions into the rice. Put the rice and onion mixture into a small casserole dish. Add a dollop of coconut oil to a pre-heated skillet on the stovetop. Sautee the spinach, garlic, and white part of the onions. Layer the spinach mixture on top of the rice mixture in the casserole dish. Layer the diced chicken breast on top of the spinach mixture. Top with cheese.

Bake for 20 minutes at 350 degrees OR if you are in a hurry, microwave until the cheese melts and casserole is heated through.

The finished dish is very tasty!