Secret to Delicious Brown Rice

I'm not a huge fan of brown rice. I know that it's good for you. I know I should eat it over white rice. But I struggle with the flavor. It's just sooo brown. I've tried cooking it in vegetable broth rather than water. Didn't help much. Felt like a waste of the broth because the rice still tasted very brown.

The only remedy I've found for this is tomato. It can be tomato sauce or canned tomatoes. Just something about tomatoes make brown rice taste really good. Other flavors can be added and they are actually discernable. I don't know why, but brown rice loves tomatoes and tomatoes love brown rice. Once you complete that combination anything is possible.

The other day I made spicy brown rice with jalapeno flavored canned tomatoes. I really like the jalapeno tomatoes. Unlike other flavor varieties of canned tomatoes they have no added sugar or corn syrup and a respectably short ingredient list. Basically just tomatoes, chilis and some salt.

Because of the brown rice this recipes takes a little bit of time, but it's still easy, low fat and all takes place in one pot.

Ingredients
1 cup dry brown rice
2 cups water
1 can jalapeno flavored canned diced tomatoes
3 cloves diced garlic
1/3 cup frozen mustard greens
1/2 cup frozen peas
1 packet or 1 tsp soy sauce
2 tbls spicy mustard
1 tsp balsamic vinegar
1 tsp olive oil
juice from one lemon

Add rice and water to a large pot. Cover and bring to a boil. Once it has come to a boil let cook covered at a simmer for 20 minutes.

Add olive oil and mustard greens. Continue simmering for 10 more minutes.

Add tomato. Cook 5 more minutes.

Add garlic, vinegar, mustard, soy sauce, lemon juice. Cook 5 minutes more.

Turn off heat. Leave on hot burner. Add peas. Stir. Cover and let warm for 2 more minutes. Move contents to cool storage container.

It's important to barely defrost the frozen peas. You want bright green, vibrant, crunchy peas. If you let them cook too long they will turn a sickly color of green and be mushy.

This dish is mildy spicy. Packed with whole grain from the rice and lots of protein from the peas. Once taste it, you won't believe it was made with brown rice. The other ingredients really shine through thanks to tomatoes taming properties over brown rice.

Just because we want to eat well, doesn't mean it can't taste great.