Brown Rice Convert

I admit it. I’m not much into brown rice. My excuse has always been that I don’t eat that much rice. I eat one or two servings a month. So why eat brown rice. It doesn’t contain that much fiber.

Well, I am getting older now and beginning to rethink some of my dietary choices. This decision was brought on by thinking about diseases related to diet, such as obesity, diabetes and hypertension. I don’t have them, yet. And I am trying to avoid them. So some changes were in order for me. Small, incremental and nonpainful changes are the ones I am concentrating on. After all, life and food are both supposed to be enjoyed.

Recently, I worked on a rice presentation for some associates of mine. I had to include brown rice, ‘cause it’s rice and you gotta include it. I made a brown rice, pear and cranberry salad. And I fell in love. (Okay, it wasn’t chocolate, but you know what I mean.) It had a wonderful flavor, nutty, sweet, crunchy, and colorful. I was hooked – on brown rice.

Brown rice contains more resistant starch than white rice. So exactly what is resistant starch? First of all starch is digested at a different rate. The starch in potatoes digest very rapidly, whereas, that in beans, barley or long grain brown rice digest more slowly, and cause a slower and lower rise in blood sugar levels. Resistant starch goes all the way through the small intestines without being digested at all. Behaving more like a fiber, and in some cases is classified and labeled as a fiber.

Benefits of Resistant Starches
1. Improved glucose regulation and better weight control
2. Reduced constipation
3. Reduced colon cancer risk
4. And reduced blood cholesterol and triglycerides

For those who would like to begin your journey to better eating, I am including my recipe for pear and walnut rice salad with cranberries. If you are going to get started, may as well start with something good!

Pear and Walnut Rice Salad with Cranberries

Serves 6.

Ingredients:
3 cups cooked brown rice
1 large firm pear, cored and diced
3 medium green onions, thinly sliced
½ cup coarsely chopped walnuts, toasted
⅓ cup crumbled blue cheese
⅔ cup dried cranberries
½ cup prepared vinaigrette, such as Italian or raspberry
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
 Lettuce leaves, optional

Directions:
1. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl; toss to coat. If salad is dry, add more dressing. Serve over lettuce leaves, if desired.

Cooking Brown Rice
The procedure for cooking brown rice is similar to that of white rice. However, brown rice requires more time to cook. Forty-five to 50 minutes as opposed to about 15 minutes for regular long grain white rice. Most types of rice will yield about 3 cups of cooked rice for every 1 cup of dry. Rice can also be cooked and frozen. For every cup of brown rice, use about 2 to 2 ½ cups of water. Instant brown rice can also be used. Although it is generally more expensive.

Chocolate – Eat Up, for Health Benefits, Of Course

Chocolate, we love it. And now, it’s good for you! We love it and it’s healthy, too. I never thought those two statements would ever be seen together. Before you rush out to empty the stores of chocolate, let’s take a deeper look.

Theobroma cacao, the botanical name for chocolate means “food of the gods”. We enjoy chocolate in many forms, hot chocolate, chocolate chip cookies, cakes, candies and everything in between. Chocolate can be used in savory and sweet foods. The web is brimming with chocolate recipes to delight the tastebuds. Cook books have been devoted entirely to the subject of chocolate.

Although Americans love chocolate, we are not the number one consumer – that title belongs to Belgium, consuming about 10.74 kg per person. Americans consume about 5.58 kg of chocolate per person, ranking 10th in consumption.

If you consume chocolate for the health benefits and that is why we choose it, right? Here are a few things you may want to know. The health benefits of chocolate come from a group of compounds referred to as flavonoids. These compounds act as antioxidants and may help lower LDL cholesterol, blood pressure and increase blood flow to the brain. To get the maximum health benefits, eat dark chocolate. It contains a higher level of cocoa and therefore a higher level of antioxidants.

Before overindulging, chocolate does contain fat and sugar. A one ounce portion should provide the health benefits without increasing the waistline. If you want to indulge in chocolate on Valentine’s Day or any day, give the recipe for chocolate fondue a try. It makes two servings – one for you and maybe one to share.

Chocolate Fondue

Serves 2.

Ingredients:
3 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
3 Tablespoons heavy cream or half-and-half
Pinch of salt
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Assorted fruit (strawberries, fresh pineapple, pears, apricots, banana)

Directions:
1. Place chocolate, cream and salt in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on medium. Stirring every 20 seconds, until melted. Add vanilla and stir.

2. To serve, use skewers to dip fruit into warm chocolate.

Note: If desired, substitute 1 tablespoon of coffee for 1 tablespoon of cream. Chocolate will harden upon cooling. If you have leftover chocolate, add dried cranberries and almonds. Drop on wax paper and allow to harden.