Hello to the five loyal followers of my blog. If you’ve really been paying attention, one or two of you might recall that I’ve snarked here and elsewhere that one reason blogs annoy me is that even if you are my dear friend, I don’t (necessarily) care what you had for breakfast.
But today, I am going to break my own rule. Today, I made something that was so, so good, I feel it my duty to break the rule–and if you’re still reading, you must be curious, so why should I hold out on you?
I made brown rice last night. At our house, my husband and I try to have lots of basic ingredients so we can throw things together to eat. Beans, rice, etc. are good things to make ahead. This morning, as a break from the ubiquitous oatmeal, I put into one of our thrift shop Creuset pans a couple cups of cooked brown rice, and maybe a half cup of milk, plus some maple syrup and nutmeg. (I am not name-dropping Creuset to be pretentious, but because I adore these pans. They are really expensive, but you can find them discounted or used, and even at retail, they are probably worth their price if you consider cost per use. They are heavy and non-sticky, and also very beautiful. I used the little yellow one, in this case, if you need me to paint more of a picture.)
I brought the stuff in the little yellow pan to a slow heat, actually slower than I had planned…I was getting impatient; time was passing and soon we’d be late for the day. But then it started to warm, and heat, and I stirred it a bit, and it got very creamy. I didn’t taste it, and thought I’d added too much maple syrup, and perhaps it could have used a little less, but it was so delicious that I’m thinking it is the new comfort food for brutally cold mornings. I might have to go make some more now, in fact. It was THAT GOOD.
And that basic recipe sings for more improvisation: cinnamon, honey, nuts, candied ginger, other aromatic and certainly savory spices, cheese, and so on. Let me know if you try it, and what new variations you invent!
Bon appetit!
Rebecca Kuder 
Mmmm, a healthier rice pudding! Sounds fantastic–though I must admit I have a life long love affair with white rice. I can’t get enough of that stuff.
it sounds good…but i always choose white over brown even though i know it is the less healthy choice…maybe this will push me towards brown:)
I wonder how it would be with white rice. I think it would become too mushy. Thanks for dropping by, and if you try it with white rice, let us know how it turns out.
I wonder if you used other types of brown rice, and what the variation would be. We use short grain sticky brown, but there is also brown basimati. You could use coconut milk and some Indian spices for a variation. I’m trying this right now since I have rice already made, and it sounds delicious.
Hi Nita,
I was thinking about this too. I used short grain brown rice, so it’s got a lot of sticky to it, which I think made it creamier than brown basmati would. (I have some of that in the cupboard, too, so will try it soon.) I was thinking about what it would be like with white rice, and I think you’d lose the great chewy texture of the short grain brown rice. I love the idea of coconut milk! Let me know how your experiment turns out. Yum! But uh-oh, I’m without leftover brown rice, so either I make some at 10:45 pm, or I live without it in the morning. :(