By: Jenna Anding, Associate Professor and Extension Nutrition Specialist, The Texas A&M System
Rice is a great-tasting grain food. Most of the rice today has added B vitamins to help our bodies stay healthy. Rice is also fat-free, cholesterol-free and sodium-free.
A serving size of cooked rice is ½ cup. This is about enough to fill a cupcake wrapper.
Uses
You can use rice as a side dish or include it in casseroles, soups and salads. For pennies per serving, let red beans and rice be the main part of a meal.
How to store it
Store rice in an airtight container and keep it in a cool, dry place. This will help protect the rice from moisture and insects. Use within 2 years.
Once cooked, store in a covered container in the refrigerator and use within 1 week.
Cooked rice can also be frozen for later use. Store it in freezer containers and use within 6 to 8 months.
How to prepare it
Rice is often packaged in a 2-pound bag. One pound of rice is equal to about 2⅓ cups of uncooked rice. One cup of uncooked rice makes about 3 cups of cooked rice (6 servings).
To make rice, mix the following ingredients in a medium saucepan:
1 cup uncooked rice
1 tablespoon margarine (if you like)
2 cups water
½ teaspoon salt (if you like)
Bring the contents to a boil and stir once or twice. Reduce the heat, cover the saucepan and simmer for 15 minutes or until the rice is tender.
Note: Some people rinse or wash rice before cooking. Doing this removes many of the nutrients added to rice. Packaged rice is clean and does not have to be rinsed or washed before cooking.
Rice Salad (makes 6 servings)
What you need
3 cups cooked rice, cooled
2 hard-cooked eggs, chopped
½ cup mayonnaise-type salad dressing
½ cup finely chopped green onions
½ cup chopped sweet pickles
1 teaspoon prepared mustard
ground black pepper (as much as you like)
How to make it
- Wash your hands; make sure your cooking area is clean.
- Combine the rice, eggs, mayonnaise, onions, pickles, mustard and pepper in a large bowl.
- Toss the ingredients to mix them completely.
- Chill the salad.
Download a printer-friendly version of this publication: Cooking with Rice (not instant)
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