Rice is nice! Rice can be part of healthy diet, just remember to keep your portions under wraps (aim for 1 cup cooked or less per serve) and remember to add plenty of vegetables and a lean protein.
Mexican Red Rice Serves 8 as a side dish
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 cup basmati rice
1 tsp ground cumin
½ cup hot chilli sauce
1 tsp smoked paprika
2 cups low salt chicken stock
200g green beans, trimmed and cut into 2cm pieces
400g can corn kernels, drained
1 red capsicum, finely chopped
½ cup finely chopped coriander
Lime wedges to serve
- Heat a saucepan over medium heat and spray with oil. Add onion, rice and cumin. Continue stirring rice mixture for 2-3 mins. Add sauce and paprika, cook for a further minute.
- Add stock and ½ cup water. Bring to the boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer, covered for 15 mins or until rice is tender. Set aside covered for 5 mins. Use a fork to separate grains.
- Meanwhile, cook beans in the microwave in a small amount of water for 2 mins. Drain and refresh under cold water. Drain.
- Add corn, beans, capsicum and coriander to the rice mixture. Stir to combine. Serve with lime wedges.
Almond rice pilaf with grilled lamb Serves 4
1 brown onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
Pinch saffron threads
2.5 cups salt reduced chicken stock
1 cinnamon stick
1 1/3 cups basmati rice
¼ cup flaked almonds
200g mushrooms, thinly sliced
600g lamb backstrap
1 bunch asparagus, woody ends trimmed, cut into 2cm pieces
150g frozen peas
2 ripe tomatoes, coarsely chopped
¼ cup chopped flat leaf parsley
- Heat saucepan with a spray of olive oil over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally for 4 mins or until onion softens.
- Meanwhile steep saffron in 1 tblsp hot water. Also place the stock and cinnamon in a saucepan over medium heat to simmer.
- Add rice to onion mixture. Cook, stirring for 2 minutes. Add the saffron mixture and the stock. Bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to low and cover. Cook for 12 mins without stirring.
- Meanwhile, toast almonds to golden brown and remove. Spray pan with oil and cook mushrooms until tender. Add the lamb and cook for 3 mins per side or until cooked to your liking. Set aside to rest.
- Add asparagus, peas and tomato to rice. Set aside for 5 mins, covered.
- Thinly sliced lamb across the grain. Arrange rice on a serving platter, scatter with almonds, mushroom and parsley. Season to taste. Arrange lamb on the top and serve.
Wow that sounds great, i am very keen to try this out and impress my girlfriend!