Fruitful Friday - Brown Rice

A request has come in for my recipe for Fried Rice. I thought I would share it with you as a way to introduce one of the world's healthiest foods into your regular diet... Brown Rice. Click here to learn more.

I'll freely admit how much I adore white rice...the Jasmine variety in particular. But after learning the amazing health properties of brown rice, I have tried to incorporate it whenever and wherever I can. (I even add it when I make tuna, egg or chicken salad. It adds bulk and nutrients, without changing the overall flavor!)

Fried Rice was the way I began cooking it for my family. To get the biggest health bang for your buck, be careful not to go overboard on the oil. Olive oil is the best variety and try to keep it at the lowest temperature possible...so as not to "overcook" the oil and release unwanted toxins. I am also not giving exact measurements - I tend to go by my personal tastes and what my family prefers. Have fun with it, but if you need an exact recipe, try this one.

• Start by pouring Olive Oil into a wok or large skillet. Bring it to a medium high heat.
• Saute minced fresh garlic and chopped onion (the white part of green onions is best).
• Add any meat protein (if you choose) and cook thoroughly (i.e. shrimp, chicken, pork).
• Add cooked and cooled rice and stir, stir, stir!
• Add fresh or frozen vegetables (I love peas and carrots, maybe spinach, bean sprouts and remaining green onion) continue to stir until cooked.
• If I want a milder flavor I only season with sea salt and white pepper.
• If I am looking for soy flavor, I add a good amount of soy sauce and continue to stir until totally blended into the rice.
• I like to serve this with sliced cucumber and omelets. For my omelet, I whisk a bit of soy sauce and fish sauce into my eggs and cook them in a thin omelet, then cut into strips.

Hope you enjoy...

In some parts of the world, the word "to eat" literally means "to eat rice."