brown rice Archives - The Midnight Baker

Cream of Turkey & Brown Rice Soup

Judith Hannemann — Fri, 28 Feb 2014 00:00:00 +0000

Cream of Turkey & Brown Rice Soup

This cream soup is full of brown rice, veggies and turkey. So flavorful and comforting. It’s a meal in itself!

I had an accident with a tooth a few days ago–which makes chewing a little bit difficult to say the least. Not painful at all, just a very weird sensation, however, I have to wait about a week to see my dentist because this isn’t really an emergency.

However, I want to eat something BESIDES pudding LOL–and I don’t think I’d fare too well with a diet of that for a week, so I decided a soup may be a good idea (and one that could be pureed a bit with an immersion blender) and a soup that contained a bit of fibre and veggies.

I love cream soups! Plus I love brown rice. I also had 2 turkey drumsticks I’d roasted in the slow cooker for a post I was writing for a friend who edits the food section of Bon Bon Break. Great deal because I couldn’t manage eating those leftover turkey legs with this tooth so I was glad to use them AND I had a hankering for that turkey to be honest.

This soup is a complete meal!

I pureed it some with the immersion blender purely to go down easier. My pics, however, was before that process so you can see how yummy and chunky this soup is.

It tasted wonderful and hit the spot. This is a complete meal–so just a green salad as a side would be very good with this!

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Cream of Turkey & Brown Rice Soup

This cream soup is full of brown rice, veggies and turkey. So flavorful and comforting. It’s a meal in itself!

Prep Time15

Cook Time2

Total Time2 15

Course: soups

Cuisine: American

Keyword: brown rice, soups, turkey

Servings: 4

Calories: 421kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

1 cup uncooked brown rice
2 1/2 cups cold water
1 cup sliced baby carrots
1 tsp olive oil
2 tbs butter
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped celery
3 envelope Swanson's Flavor Boost chicken flavored stock
2 cups water
1 cup cooked diced turkey or chicken
1 1/2 cups light cream or half and half**

Instructions

NOTE: I prepared the rice and carrots in my rice cooker. For stovetop method, after rinsing and soaking the rice in the saucepan, add the carrots & olive oil, bring to boil, reduce heat, cover tightly and simmer until liquid is absorbed.
*I love the flavor that the Swanson Flavor Boost imparts, but you can use 3 standard chicken stock cubes in it's place or 2 cups of homemade chicken stock (omitting water if using homemade).
**Evaporated milk may be substituted for less fat
Rinse brown rice and drain. Place rice in the insert of a rice cooker. Add the 2 1/2 cups of water and let it soak for 45 minutes.
Then add the sliced carrots and the olive oil. Set to "COOK". This should take about 40 minutes, but check the water level. I try not to let it start to brown on the bottom (although that would taste nice in this).
When rice has completed the cooking cycle, heat the 2 tbs of butter over medium heat in a 4-5 quart dutch oven or stock pot. Add the celery and the onions. Cook until onions and celery are soft, stirring frequently to prevent burning.
Add the Flavor Boost (or stock cubes) and water--if using homemade stock do NOT add the 2 cups of water!! Add the turkey or chicken and heat to boiling.
Add the cooked brown rice and carrots, stirring well.
Reduce heat and add cream, stirring until heated through. Add salt and pepper if needed--I needed no extra since the Swanson product is well seasoned.

Nutrition

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Cheesy Broccoli Rice Casserole

Judith Hannemann — Mon, 03 Feb 2014 00:00:00 +0000

Cheesy Broccoli Rice Casserole

A warm and comforting casserole that can be a side dish or a main–just add leftover meat for a complete meal!

This is a wonderful casserole for cold winter nights! It’s full of cheese and delicious broccoli.

Comfort food and you can use your leftovers!

I added some leftover chicken to the mix, but you don’t have to do that. If you leave it out, it becomes either a meatless/vegetarian main dish or a rich side dish.

You’ll love the buttery crunchy topping

I used white rice in this as I was pressed for time. However, I want to try it next with brown rice. Since the rice is cooked first, the length of time for the final cooking will not be altered. Quinoa would probably be even better! So use whatever grain you want! Even leftover rice will do!

Creamy, cheesy and delicious

Sure this casserole is heavy on the fat, but using brown rice or quinoa packs quite a bit of fiber–as does the broccoli.

Anyway, this is comfort food at it’s finest. Enjoy!

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Cheesy Broccoli Rice Casserole

A warm and comforting casserole that can be a side dish or a main–just add leftover meat for a complete meal!

Prep Time15

Cook Time35

Total Time50

Course: Comfort Foods, side dishes

Cuisine: American

Keyword: broccoli, broccoli casseroles, cheese, RICE

Servings: 4

Calories: 771kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

10 oz frozen broccoli florets defrosted & drained
1 10.75 oz cream of chicken soup
2 cup cooked rice
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup cubed Velveeta*
1/2 cup evaporated milk or cream
2 tbsp butter
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups cooked cubed chicken optional

TOPPING

1 cup Ritz cracker crumbs
2 tbs butter melted

Instructions

*The Velveeta may be omitted. I add this as Velveeta stops any cheese sauce from separating and keeps it creamy. I happen to like it too, but if you don’t, just leave it out.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly spray a 1.5 quart oven-proof baking dish.
Cut broccoli florets into pieces all about the same size.
In a large microwave-safe bowl, combine soup, evaporated milk, butter and Velveeta. Microwave on HI for about 1 minute; remove and stir. If mixture still has large chunks of the Velveeta, then microwave an additional 30 seconds on HI. Remove and stir until almost smooth.
Add cooked rice, broccoli, shredded cheddar, salt, pepper and chicken if using, to bowl with the soup/cheese mixture. Mix well.
Turn into prepared baking dish.
Mix Ritz crumbs with melted butter, so all crumbs are coated. Top casserole with buttered crumbs.
Bake 30-35 minutes or until crumbs are browned and sauce bubbles on the edges of the baking dish.

Nutrition

Piping hot from the oven

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Food Bloggers Against Hunger, Part II

Judith Hannemann — Sun, 07 Apr 2013 23:00:00 +0000

OK, I took the challenge. I went to the food store armed with a list and the strict budget of a SNAP recipient. The results were surprising.

First of all, I read my local ads carefully to decide where to do the bulk of my shopping. Then I made a list and stuck to it.

I was surprised that I was able to get a sufficient amount of food and foods that were relatively healthy too.

Of course, I wasn’t going to buy pantry items I have on hand, and I’d suspect most households no matter what income level, have on hand as well. These would include, at the very least, oil, flour, sugar, oatmeal, margarine/butter, some form of pasta and a couple of cans of condensed soup and salt & pepper & the like.

I did a majority of my shopping in ShopRite, then a couple of other local stores. I live in a rural area where I must drive in order to shop. Also, shopping centers seem to be congregated all around each other, therefore I made sure to hit every store on my route without unnecessary driving–I planned my trip.

Rather than take $3-$4 and try to shop for one day, I multiplied that and came up with a weekly allotment for a family of 2 originally. However, when I saw what I could get, especially bulk packaged, I extended this for a family of 4 because what I bought would indeed feed a family of 4 for one week. No, you couldn’t “eat like there was no tomorrow,” but you would not starve and you’d be relatively healthy. I spent a total of $54 on this food. Here is the food I got for this total:

These items from various stores totaling $12

What I spent in ShopRite

No child in this country should ever go hungry. Our children are our most precious resource. Please take 30 seconds to go to this website and encourage Congress to pass anti-hunger legislation. Please understand this is not political in nature. No matter what our individual politics are I think we can all agree that no child should go hungry or wonder where their next meal is coming from.

No Hungry Kid

Please also take the time to see the film, “A Place at the Table.” This link lists showtimes in your city. It is also available through iTunes and at Amazon.com

So here is a recipe using what I bought on my challenge shopping trip. I had some pantry items that I had on hand like the soup, the celery, a few leftover baby carrots and traditional seasoning.

This meal is hearty and filling. The chicken thighs were huge. I made 2 portions since I don’t have a family, however doubled, it’s a complete and relatively healthy meal for a family of 4.

Tasty and economical

Please remember to observe proper sanitation when preparing raw meat, and especially chicken. Wash and disinfect all surfaces the poultry came in contact with.

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Chicken with Creamy Brown Rice

This meal is hearty and filling. The chicken thighs were huge. I made 2 portions since I don’t have a family, however doubled, it’s a complete and relatively healthy meal for a family of 4.

Prep Time15

Cook Time1

Total Time1 15

Course: Chicken, Comfort Foods, Everyday Meals

Cuisine: American

Keyword: chicken, creamy brown rice

Servings: 4

Calories: 668kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

4 chicken thighs or any other parts
1 cup brown rice
2 cups water
20 oz 2 10 oz cans cream of chicken soup
1/2 cup sliced celery
1/2 cup sliced carrots
1/2 cup sliced mushrooms
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp thyme
1 tsp olive oil

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray a 13 x 9-inch pan with non-stick spray.
In a large bowl, combine the brown rice, the soup, the water, sliced vegetables and the 1 tbs olive oil. Mix well and add to prepared baking dish.
Rinse chicken and pat dry. Place on top of rice mixture in prepared pan. Brush each piece with the 1 tsp olive oil. Mix the salt, pepper & thyme and distribute over top of the chicken pieces.
Bake at 375 for 1 hour or until rice is tender and chicken has an internal temperature of 185 degrees (or juices run clear)

Nutrition

Chicken with Creamy Brown Rice

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