Delicious and simple cooking always wins! We cooked this simple rice recipe in our cooking class as part of the Spring Renewal Challenge.

INGREDIENTS:

  • 160g basmati brown rice
  • 2 TSP black chia seeds
  • 1 small red onion, finely sliced
  • 1 Lebanese cucumber, cut into thin ribbons
  • 1 avocado, cubed
  • 1 bunch asparagus, steamed, trimmed, sliced diagonally
  • 1/4 cup fresh dill sprigs
  • 2 cups watercress sprigs OR baby spinach
  • Vinegar (use your preferred e.g. balsamic, cider etc) OR Lemon
  • 2 garlic cloves, crushed
  • 2 tbsp olive oil

Method

I named this Simple Rice Recipe because its simplicity in both the method and ingredients.

  1. Cook rice and cool for 10 minutes.
  2. In a bowl: add onion and salt
  3. Mix through the rice and chia seeds
  4. Add cucumber, asparagus, watercress and avocado
  5. Season with salt and pepper.
  6. Place vinegar and oil in a jar and shake.
  7. Drizzle dressing over salad.
  8. Add dill. Toss to combine. Serve.

Bon Appetite!

Rice is easy to cook, it’s versatile and it comes in many colours. For a healthier option we used brown basmati rice. If you are in a hurry there are plenty of delicious rice recipes under 20 minutes. From an impressive side dish like the Simple Rice Recipe above to salmon or seafood rice recipes. How can you cook the rice? Do you prefer to use a slow cooker? It is definitely my first option. But you  you can use a rice cooker, a microwave or even a steam oven. Yes is simple!

Here are some of the reasons we have used the brown basmati rice:

  • Basmati rice is rich in amylose, meaning it does not stick together after cooking. The body takes longer to digest high-amylose rice because the amylose slows down starch digestion.
  • Brown rice contains a higher amount of dietary fiber than white rice — 1.6 g per 100 g