Rice Helps Fortify Diets With Folic Acid

(NAPSI)-Research shows that people who eat rice--brown or white--tend to have healthier diets.

For optimal health, a diet should include hearty helpings of both. Brown rice is a nutritious whole grain, and enriched white rice also has a lot to offer. U.S.-grown white rice contains niacin, thiamin and iron and is fortified with folic acid, which can help everyone--from babies to boomers--protect their health.

Folic acid helps prevent birth defects and may reduce the risk of heart disease, certain cancers and Alzheimer's disease.

Since most people don't consume enough of this important B vitamin, adding a few servings of rice can help. Just 1 cup of cooked enriched rice delivers over 80 of the daily recommended 400 micrograms.

Low in calories and fat-free, enriched white rice is also economical. It costs only 10 cents per half-cup cooked serving, with a pound of uncooked rice making more than 2 pounds of cooked rice.

To stretch the food dollar and make hamburgers, meat loaf or meatballs more nutritious and affordable, replace a quarter of the meat with cooked white rice.

Here's a tasty recipe for Rice Tabbouleh. For more rice recipes and information, visit www.usarice.com. For information on folic acid, visit www.folicacidinfo.org.

Rice Tabbouleh

Yield: Makes 6 servings

3 cups cooked enriched white rice

1 cup chopped, Italian flat-leaf parsley

¾ cup chopped cucumber

¾ cup chopped tomato

¼ cup minced mint leaves

¼ cup olive oil

¼ cup lemon juice

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

In a large bowl, combine rice, parsley, cucumber, tomato, mint, olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Toss well.

Nutrition Facts: 190 Calories, 10g total fat, 400mg sodium, 24g total carbohydrate, 1g dietary fiber, 3g protein

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Rice Recipes Rich In Nutritious Flavor

(NAPSI)-Preparing meals that are budget and family friendly, healthy, fast and delicious is much easier when you start with a nutritious ingredient, such as rice, that can be used in a variety of recipes.

Rice absorbs the flavor of other ingredients and certain types of rice are easy to make and cook quickly. To save time, rice can be prepared in advance and later used in quick recipes like the ones below.

Take Minute Rice, for example. Minute Brown Rice was recently named one of the best packaged foods by Women's Health magazine because it takes only 10 minutes to cook yet it has the same nutritional value as long-cooking brown rice.

Brown and white rice are both complex carbohydrates that are trans fat-free, sodium-free and gluten-free, which makes rice healthy for the whole family. Additionally, brown rice is a 100 percent whole grain product, and research has shown that a diet rich in whole grains reduces the risk of heart disease, certain cancers and type 2 diabetes. Here are a variety of quick, easy, healthy and delicious tips the whole family will love:

Breakfast Tips

• Sprinkle cinnamon and brown sugar over hot cooked rice. You can also add dried fruit, milk and nuts to make breakfast even better.

• Fold cooked white or brown rice into your favorite fruit yogurt. Add granola and fresh fruit. Top with honey.

• Enhance the nuttiness of brown rice by adding cashews, peanuts or sunflower seeds. Stir in dried cranberries, cherries or blueberries for a nutritious snack.

Quick Meals

• For a delicious farmer's scramble, add scrambled eggs, cooked sausage, cheese and green onions to hot cooked rice. Salsa makes a great topping.

• For an easy Waldorf salad, add chopped apples, celery, raisins, pecans and vanilla yogurt to cooked and cooled brown rice.

• For an easy pilaf, add sautéed onions, mushrooms and green peppers to rice cooked with chicken broth. Top with toasted pine nuts.

Sweet Treats

• Make a quick raspberry rice pudding by mixing cooled rice, fresh raspberries, honey and vanilla yogurt. Top with lemon zest.

• For an easy apple cobbler, add sliced apples, cinnamon, brown sugar, chopped nuts and vanilla yogurt to hot cooked white or brown rice.

To reheat leftover rice, add two tablespoons of water for each cup of cooked rice and microwave on HIGH about 1 minute per cup or cover and heat in a pan about 5 minutes. Leftover cooked Minute Rice may be stored in a covered container in the refrigerator up to three days.

For more information, including nutritional tips, recipes and recipe videos, visit www.MinuteRice.com.

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Share Smart Recipes To Win

(NAPSI)-As food prices rise, Americans are finding smart ways to feed their family without spending a lot of cash. Now a contest celebrates that thrifty culinary creativity by awarding gift cards, food and even a taste of fame to entrants who submit winning recipes that will feed four for $10.

A Growing Problem

Prices for household necessities such as milk, eggs, bread and flour rose sharply during the past year, at near double-digit rates, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. Egg prices grew as much as 40 percent and milk jumped more than 25 percent. Even Red Delicious apples climbed from 96 cents a pound in 2006 to $1.16 per pound in 2008.

As a result, people have found ways to stretch their family dollar-whether it's buying foods in bulk or growing their own vegetables.

Smart Solutions

A contest, called "Feed 4 for $10," sponsored by Success Rice, encourages people to share quick-and-easy recipes prepared on a budget. The best recipes will be published at SuccessRice.com, and the top 10 winners will receive a variety pack of Success Rice. The top three winners will also receive gift cards.

The first-place winner will be awarded a $500 gift card. The second- and third-place winners will receive $250 and $100 gift cards, respectively. All 10 winners will receive a variety pack of rice, including Brown, White and Jasmine.

The winning recipes, which must be a main dish and ready in 30 minutes or less, will be selected based on taste, creativity, appearance and ease of preparation. All recipes must include any Success Rice product (White, Brown or Jasmine). Entries must be in the standard recipe format, including a list of ingredients and measurements, cooking directions, cooking times and number of servings. The recipes must be original and not previously published.

More information, including contest entry conditions, can be found at www.SuccessRice.com/ feed4for10. Contest entries must be received by December 28, 2008.

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Rice Helps the Heart, and the Wallet

(ARA) – With the rising cost of groceries, families are trying to make their hard-earned dollars go farther. Buying staples -- as opposed to manufactured mixes -- and using them in several different recipes is one way to reduce costs and yet provide a healthy meal for the entire family.

Of all the products on supermarket shelves, one of the most versatile is rice, a complex carbohydrate that is free of sodium, cholesterol and trans fat. It is also gluten-free, non-allergenic and easy to digest. Purchasing plain rice allows consumers to use the versatile grain in multiple recipes and is more cost-effective per serving. For example, a jar of RiceSelect’s Texmati rice is 30 cents per serving whereas seasoned mixes can range from 60 cents to $1.20 per serving.

“One great time -- and money-saving tip -- is to cook all of your rice for the week at once and store the leftovers in the refrigerator,” says Deborah Locke, product manager for RiceSelect. “The next time you are preparing a pilaf, casserole or rice salad, you are halfway there.”

September is Whole Grains Month, and numerous studies have shown that people who eat whole grains, such as brown rice, as part of a healthy diet have a reduced risk of coronary heart disease. Eating whole grains may help regulate blood glucose levels in those with diabetes and studies also show people who consume more whole grains are better able to maintain a healthy weight. Plus, whole grains, like Texmati brown rice and RiceSelect’s Royal Blends, make a great compliment to other healthy foods like vegetables and lean protein.

Rice tastes great as well, which makes it perfect for the whole family to enjoy. But when you head to the grocery store, don’t just pick up any generic brand. Seek out a brand that you know was grown close to home.

Buying locally-grown food is becoming more and more important for consumers who are concerned about minimizing their carbon footprints. RiceSelect, for example, grows and packages all of its products here in the United States. And regardless of what you may have heard, there is currently an abundance of U.S. grown rice.

More than 100 recipes for the family to enjoy are available at www.riceselect.com. The recipes range from salads and side dishes to entrees and desserts. Here are a few of them:

* Brown Rice Black Bean Burrito
Yield: Makes six servings

Ingredients:
1 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. cumin
3 cups cooked Texmati Brown Rice
1 15- or 16-oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 11-oz. can corn, drained
6 8-inch flour tortillas
3/4 cup or 6 oz. shredded reduced-fat cheddar cheese
2 green onions, thinly sliced
1/4 cup plain low-fat yogurt
1/4 cup prepared salsa

Directions:
Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Add onion, garlic, chili powder and cumin. Saute 3 to 5 minutes until onion is tender. Add rice, beans and corn. Cook, stirring 2 to 3 minutes until the mixture is thoroughly heated. Remove from the heat.

Spoon 1/2 cup of the rice mixture down the center of each tortilla. Top each with 2 Tbsp. cheese, 1 Tbsp. green onion and 1 Tbsp. yogurt. Roll the tortilla up and top with 1 Tbsp. salsa.

To save time, when cooking the rice for the burritos, double the recipe on the label and use the leftover rice in another dish, like Cremini Mushroom and Roasted Garlic Rice Soup, later in the week.

* Cremini Mushroom and Roasted Garlic Rice Soup
Yield: Makes eight to 12 servings

Ingredients:
1/3 cup butter
1 pound cremini mushrooms, sliced
1 large sweet mild onion, finely chopped
3 cups cooked Texmati Brown Rice, divided
1 (6 1/2-oz.) container Garlic and Herbs Spreadable Cheese
2 (14-oz.) cans roasted garlic seasoned chicken broth, divided
2 cups water, additional if desired
8 slices pre-cooked ready-to-serve smoked bacon
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Melt butter in a large non-stick stockpot over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms and onion; cook about 10 minutes, stirring periodically. Let the mixture cool slightly. In a food processor or blender, combine mushroom mixture, 1-1/2 cups rice, cheese and 1 cup broth. Pulse mixture until mushrooms are finely chopped but not pureed and mixture is thoroughly combined. Return mixture to stockpot; stir in remaining rice, broth and water. Bring to a boil; cook uncovered over medium heat 5 minutes. Heat bacon slices between paper towels in microwave according to package directions. Chop bacon and set aside. Add salt and pepper to soup to taste. To serve, ladle soup into bowls; sprinkle with bacon.

Courtesy of ARAcontent

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Cabbage Roll Up

My mouth was watering as I read the recipe for the Onion Pie. It would be delicious using our very own Vidalia onions! I'm most definitely going to try the Corn and Shrimp Soup, too. I have a recipe for Confetti Soup which has a lot of the same ingredients but no shrimp. I may have to toss some seafood into the Confetti Soup to see what that would taste like. I'll share that recipe later since we already have one corn soup in County Cuisine for now.

Here's another idea for a side item to go with the Onion Pie:

Cabbage Roll Ups

1/4 stick butter (or margarine)
1 cup cooked rice (brown rice works well as does regular white rice)
1 large head cabbage
1 1/2 lb. ground round steak
2 Tbsp. minced fresh onion (I usually increase the amount of onions)
1 can tomato sauce OR 1 can tomatoes
garlic salt to taste

Cut around the core of the cabbage and remove. Put head of cabbage into boiling water. As leaves soften, remove and drain. Add cooked rice to raw meat in separate bowl. Saute onions in the butter. Add onions to meat and rice mixture. Mix well by hand; if the mixture feels too dry, add a little bit of the canned tomatoes or sauce.

Holding a cabbage leaf in hand, put a scoop of the meat mixture into center and fold the leaf around it.

Layer in foil lined baking dish. Cover with any remaining cabbage leaves. Pour tomato sauce or tomatoes over the top. Cover tightly with foil and bake at 275 degrees for approximately 2 hours. You'll need to watch it closely as the cabbage will burn. I usually end up adding more tomato sauce.

As a variation you might want to try some of the excellent canned tomato mixes (Italian, Mexican and others).

Putting a little sausage in the mixture (best to cook it just a bit first, although not completely) adds a nice bite.

Happy New Year!
Claire