Penny's Brown Rice

Penny is a trendsetter. She ate brown rice and whole wheat pasta long before anyone else did. I used to couldn't stand (sorry, poor grammar on my part there) either one of those things, and now they're staples in my pantry---much preferred to the white versions. Of course, that relationship was cemented once I realized that on myWeWa eating plan, brown rice and whole wheat pasta both have ZERO points, and their white cousins have a zillion points. But I digress.

I sent Penny a box of Pampered Chef goodies for her new kitchen---What was I thinking? She doesn't cook!---including a microwave rice cooker. Penny, I promise you it will be a life-changing thing if you just cook up a pot of brown rice once a week, eat part of it, save the rest in the fridge, and then a couple of days later make yourself a yummy stir-fry.....in ten minutes! These step-by-step directions will give you perfect brown rice---super cheap, super nutritious, and you don't have to leave your house to go pick it up: you make it yourself. See, that's what cooking means, darlin'.

1. Measure out 1 cup of brown rice (NOT instant or minute rice, just regular long-grain brown rice.) Put it in the bottom of your rice cooker, and then add about 1 teaspoon of salt and 2 1/2 cups of cold water.

2. Put the white/clear inner lid on top of your rice cooker---be sure the edges/ridges are on the top. Then put the brown lid on top of that, and lock the sides in the up position.

3. Put the cooker in the microwave. You want to set

it to cook as follows: first, cook it for 10 minutes on HIGH power, then for 25 minutes on MEDIUM (50%) power. Your microwave will probably let you set them both at one time, so you don't have to re-set after 10 minutes. (Push 10:00, power, 10; then push 25:00, power, 5; then START).

THAT'S ALL! After it cooks, take it out and let it set for 5 minutes before you take off the lid. Be careful, there will be some steam.

Here's what it will look like when you take off the lid, with little holes in it.

This is after you fluff it with a fork.

Because I needed to make some rice to take these pictures, Lucy and I had this for dinner: brown rice topped with fresh spinach sauteed in garlic-infused oil, salt, and pepper; and topped with parmesan cheese and tomatoes. It was tasty.

I have 2 cups of rice in the fridge now, for a meal later in the week. One of Lucy's favorite dinners (she can make it herself, so you SHOULD be able to as well, Penny!) is to make a quick stir-fry. She heats a little oil in a skillet, throws in a little fake chicken or tofu (or nothing if she wants just veggies), adds a package of stir-fry veggies from the freezer, stirs them all around for a few minutes until almost done, adds the cooked rice to the skillet, then pours in some Thai Peanut Sauce or Ginger-Wasabi sauce (I think I sent you both) and heats it all through. There's not an easier, quicker dinner to make----and it's as good as Pei-Wei without ever leaving home. You can even buy some chicken tenders to cook in there, or a little pork cutlet that you chop up---they cook so quickly, just do them first in the oil, then add the frozen vegetables.

Am I kidding myself, or might Penny actually start to cook her own brown rice? Stay tuned, for the next portion of "As the World Turns." I love you, Peeeeeeeeeeny!