Brown Rice! Yuck!

BlessedBe · 11-21-2006, 07:45 PM

Okay, how do I get brown rice to taste good? I added over a tablespoon of Mrs. Dash seasoning, and it still has no taste. I had to put sweet and sour sauce on it to be able to eat it. Any tips on getting brown rice to take the seasoning?

I added the seasoning before heating the water and letting it simmer. What did I do wrong?

mandalinn82 · 11-21-2006, 07:57 PM

Well, first of all, try different rices. I HATED brown rice until I discovered a wild/brown rice blend from Lundgren...its so nutty and delicious it doesn't require a lot of embellishment. Also, try cooking your brown rice in chicken broth/stock - almost no calories, and gives it great flavor inside and out. I often add a few cloves of chopped garlic in with my brown rice while it is cooking. Other flavoring ideas - chili powder and/or a dash of cayenne pepper, or some light butter with italian seasoning.

Glory87 · 11-21-2006, 08:18 PM

I rarely eat brown rice plain (although I do like it). I normally eat it with some kind of spicy sauce (from stir fry or from curry). I stir everything up together and the brown rice tastes like the sauce. I would also second Mandalinn's suggestion to cook the brown rice in stock, that tends to infuse it with flavor.

But, if you HATE brown rice, there is no reason to torture yourself. White rice might have some of the wholesomeness stripped out, but it's not poison. If I hated brown rice, I would just watch my serving sizes and eat white rice. I still do eat white rice - in sushi and at my favorite burrito places (Qdoba/Chipotle).

You might also try quinoa (keen-wa). It's a grain from the Andes (and one of the few vegetarian proteins that is "complete" - having all amino acids). It cooks like rice (but faster) and has a neat appearance and a nutty taste. Around here, it's easy to find in the grocery store in the bulk bin aisle.

BlessedBe · 11-21-2006, 08:26 PM

I don't hate brown rice, I just can't figure out why it didn't take the seasoning flavor I put in with it. Unless it just didn't infuse it cause the seasoning pieces are kind of big, and not really much of a powder. Could that be the reason? And I'll try something else. Maybe use that flavor packet from ramen noodles? Would that give it flavor?

freiamaya · 11-21-2006, 08:33 PM

Instead of adding alot of salt (that comes in the ramen noodle package, including MSG), why not try a basmati brown rice. This is a really, really nice brown rice that tastes really good and smells great! I would avoid the instant brown rice like the plague, personally.
Give the basmati brown a try!

BlessedBe · 11-21-2006, 08:39 PM

I'll see if we can get that around here. It's a small town.

What about other flavor packets? Do they all contain salt and MSG? Like the taco seasoning packets and such?

BlueToBlue · 11-21-2006, 09:34 PM

Try cooking it with spices like oregano, basil, cumin, etc. Experiment to see what you like. Also, as others suggested, try cooking it in chicken broth instead of water.

Personally, I never eat brown rice (or white rice, for that matter) plain. I always top it with something. Here are some of my favorites:
- cooked butternut squash, laughing cow cheese wedge, canned chicken, and cinnamon
- 98% fat free cream of mushroom soup w or w/out canned chicken
- premade Indian meals
- fat free refried beans
- roasted eggplant cooked in tomatoes, garlic, marjoram, coriander, red pepper, and pine nuts (also sometimes with frozen seafood mix (shrimp, scallops, and calamari) thrown in)
- veggies sauteed and then stewed in tomatoes, red wine vinegar, and worcestershire sauce

rockinrobin · 11-21-2006, 09:40 PM

I use short grain brown rice. It's the first brown rice that I really like. I either add about a tsp. of salt or a chicken boullion cube to the water.
I usually eat it along side a stir fry which has a soy sauce base to it., which gives it plenty of flavor, although I do enjoy it just with the salt or boullion.

Glory87 · 11-21-2006, 10:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BlessedBe

I'll see if we can get that around here. It's a small town.

What about other flavor packets? Do they all contain salt and MSG? Like the taco seasoning packets and such?

If you don't want to use salty flavoring packets, invest in filling out your spice cabinet. Spices are pricey in regular grocery stores but can be VERY reasonable at Mexican, Asian or Indian grocery stores. I've never bought a flavoring packet - that's what the spice rack is for! My usual favorites are: white pepper, cumin, oregano, basil, red pepper flakes, coriander, tumeric (makes things a lovely yellow color)...as well as plenty of minced garlic and onion.

Hun.e.B · 11-22-2006, 01:22 AM

Someone already said my advice...if you hate it dont eat it!! Life is simply to short to do that to yourself. I dont mind brown rice, but really the only time I eat it is if I make a teriyaki stirfry so the rice has teriyaki sauce on it.

My feeling is this...if you hate something dont do it. Find what you love and find a way to make it healthy.

Good luck!

~melissa

2frustrated · 11-22-2006, 05:16 AM

I'm really surprised that you all flavour your brown rice!

I'd eat it plain out of the pan if it wasn't such a CARB!

silverbirch · 11-22-2006, 05:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 2frustrated

I'm really surprised that you all flavour your brown rice!

Yes, me too! It has never even crossed my mind. Brown rice is so sweet and delicious just as it is. (Could be a cultural thing, I suppose. The UK and North America are quite different places.

)

Mummy_Tummy · 11-22-2006, 06:06 AM

I don't eat rice plain either. I have it with curry or stir-fry or some sort of sauce. Maybe I'm nutso but I made the switch from white to brown rice with no problems and never even really noticed that much of a difference in flavor. Same with wholegrain pasta versus white. I don't get people saying there's that much difference in flavor.

WaistingAweigh · 11-22-2006, 08:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mandalinn82

Well, first of all, try different rices. I HATED brown rice until I discovered a wild/brown rice blend from Lundgren...its so nutty and delicious it doesn't require a lot of embellishment.

I agree, that Lundgren rice mix is the best! It's the only way I can eat brown rice and don't mind it plain. Recently though I have bought some short grain brown rice. I haven't tried it yet, but I'm hoping it won't be so bad.

Glory87 · 11-22-2006, 10:35 AM

Oh, I love plain brown rice. I also switched to brown rice/whole grain pasta without any issues. I had an ex boyfriend that hated the whole wheat Boboli pizza crust - said it tasted like dirt (I love it!).

I don't think carbs are evil

I lost all that weight and kept it off eating over 200 grams a day!