rice blends

one of my twitter friends recently posted that her two year old was eating goldfish crackers with a spoon . . . i think you know where i'm going with this, right? that makes perfect sense to me. i eat lunch just about everyday with a spoon, and my bowl always includes food most people would eat with a fork.

 brown basmati rice, wehani rice, and black rice

rice, the whole grain kind, is a standard in my bowl. i make it on the weekend and store it in the refrigerator for workday lunches. it's hearty, filling, good for you, and i like the taste a blend of rice spoons up: nutty, sweet, rustic, and with brown basmati rice i get the distinct smell of burlap.

          there are oodles of rice blends at the grocery, but i have so many types in my pantry that i usually just combine whatever i have on hand. a fool-proof way to make it is in the oven in a casserole dish. and, by adding a little olive oil before cooking, the dish practically wipes clean. serve it with chopped olives, radishes and some feta or ricotta cheese. or use it as the main starch with any kind of protein. i like to eat a bowl for breakfast with walnuts and a glass of tomato juice. and, at our house it's customary to eat rice with a spoon.

ingredients

• 3/4 cup brown basmati

• 3/4 cup red rice
• 3/4 cup black rice
• olive oil
• 2-3 cloves of garlic, smashed and peeled
• salt and pepper

directions

1. preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
2. rinse the rice well and put it into a casserole dish with a tight fitting lid.

3. add enough water to cover the rice about 1/2" above the grains.
4. pour in a few tablespoons of olive oil, and stir in the garlic and some salt and pepper
5. bake at 400 degrees until the water is absorbed and the rice is al dente . . . about 40-50 min.
6. put the dish on top of the stove and take the lid off. allow most of the steam to escape. toss with a fork, and serve /or allow all of the steam to escape and cool the casserole to room temperature. replace the lid and store in the refrigerator.