Ginger, Orange Brown Rice

For someone who doesn’t like rice, I sure make a whole lot of it.

As more and more of my friends start popping out little humans, the conversation at my family dinner table has more frequently been about children and parenting.

Naturally, as is with most people, my standards for parenting are based off of dear old mom and dad. My parents and I spend a decent amount of time discussing my childhood and the things that did and didn’t work.

While my brothers and I give my mom a really hard time about what we did and didn’t eat, she did a really good job of providing a balanced meal almost every night of the week.

There was almost always a protein, a salad or vegetable and a starch of some sort on our plates. Even though some diets or nutritionists may say that’s not the best way to eat, I think it is absolutely the best way for kids to eat.

It not only provides balance, but it teaches balance.

And while I may have strayed from this balance in my college days, now when I cook, I try to make sure there is a little bit of everything.

That little story right there was a really long way for me to explain to you why I cook so much rice.

Story or no story, I try to jazz up my rice so that it accompanies the protein I’m making for that evening. I made this to go with my delicious sea bass last week and you should too.

You will need…

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 medium onion, diced

1 cup brown rice

1 teaspoon orange zest

1 tablespoon finely chopped or fresh ginger

2 cups chicken stock

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Start by heating the oil in a medium sized pan over medium heat. When the oil is hot but not smoking, add the onions and let them sweat until they are translucent.

Add the rice and sauté it for 1 minute.

Then, add the orange zest and ginger and cook for 1 more minute.

Add the stock to the mixture and bring to a boil.

Cover the pan with a lid and cook over low heat for 20 to 25 minutes or until rice is tender.

Add salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste and serve hot.

Love and Beer Floats

Angela