Rather than just throwing some refined, white pasta or 10 min. white rice on the stove, consider this blend:
Nutty Rice & Quinoa
2/3 c. brown rice (not the instant cook type)
1/3 c. quinoa (read the directions, some types need to be washed first)
3 T. coconut oil
1/2 t. sea salt (or more to taste)
2 1/4 c. water
2T. butter (preferably grass-fed)
Toss the first 5 ingredients in a rice cooker (or make on the stove the old fashioned, needs-supervision way), covered, for 30-40 minutes. [I always taste it to make sure it's the right consistency before saying it's done.] Mix in butter.
This is smooth, buttery, and has lots of protein (because of the quinoa) and good fats with the coconut oil and butter.
Quinoa is a GREAT replacement grain. Some of my friends have super picky kids who don't really like meats but will eat this grain with enough yummy butter and salt. It's also gluten free.
This grain is good cold or hot and makes a good replacement for rice in soups, salads, sides, etc. In fact, the recipe above can also be made with all quinoa (and a shorter cook time), but my family still prefers the rice taste to the nuttier quinoa, so we mix it to get some of the benefits of each.
Admission: I know some people soak or sprout quinoa to maximize digestibility and nutrient intake--I'm not there yet. Maybe someday. Right now I'm kinda digging the "fast and healthy" version.
