Baked Brown Rice

Did you know you could bake brown rice in the oven? I didn't! Since I discovered this method of making brown rice, I have been making it every week. At this stage of my life I love dinners that I can prepare earlier in the day and not have to think about too much. Also, this method makes fluffy and flavorful rice every time. I like using brown rice for the health benefits, but always disliked how long it takes to make on the stovetop (I don't like tending it) and really disliked the way it turns out in the microwave. I bought the large, inexpensive bagged long grain rice, a nice container with wide mouth to store it in and just scoop out the amount I need. I also add lemon juice to mine but that is optional. This is one of my new favorite things thanks to Mels Kitchen Cafe!

{Makes about 3 1/2 cups cooked rice}

1 1/2 cups brown rice
2 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth or water 

juice of one large lemon, optional

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease an 8X8-inch or 9X9-inch baking pan. Place the rice in the prepared pan and pour in the liquid. Stir to equally distribute the rice. Cover tightly with a double layer of aluminum foil and bake for 1 hour and 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and let sit for five minutes before removing the aluminum foil and fluffing with a fork. Enjoy!

Easy & Delicious Fried Rice

I love when a recipe can be extremely simple and fast, but flavorful and versatile all at the same time. Not an easy combination to find! This past week a local television show (Good Things Utah) demonstrated a recipe for fried rice that I really wanted to try. I've made other, more complicated versions and this one seemed really easy and didn't involve specialty ingredients. I enjoyed it but did make a few adaptations for my personal taste. Click here to be linked to the original recipe, and below is my slightly different version. This recipe makes a huge amount, just so that you are aware! I think this would be a great use for leftover ham or chicken, especially since you probably have all of the other ingredients {rice, eggs, frozen veggies} on hand. You can also add whatever vegetables you like, including broccoli, snow peas or water chestnuts. I added bean sprouts to mine. I also liked the idea of grating the carrots since they take a significant amount of time to cook if you slice them. However, if you want them larger, I would think you could pre-boil them or use frozen. I love this recipe and will be using it again!

*Printable Version*

What You Need:
2 cups cubed ham {Note that the orginal recipe uses chicken and shrimp would be great also}
6 scrambled eggs
2 carrots, grated
1/2 medium onion, chopped
3/4 cup frozen peas
3/4 cup bean sprouts
1/2 cup butter
1-2 garlic cloves, minced OR 1 tsp garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
4 cups cooked rice {I prefer to cook mine in chicken broth rather than water}
1/4 cup soy sauce plus more to taste, if you like

Directions:
~Prepare rice according to package directions and set aside. I did not use instant.
~Scramble 6 eggs in a large pan and set aside.
~In a large wok or separate frying pan, sautee onion in a tablespoon of oil until soft and add carrots and cubed ham. Add frozen peas and bean sprouts. Add rice and soy sauce to the mixture.
~Melt 1/2 cup butter. Add garlic and ginger to the butter, stir, and add to rice mixture.
~Mix all together well and let simmer for 5 minutes. Add more soy sauce to taste and enjoy!