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 Alisa Fleming ~ Oatmeal gets top billing on healthy blogs when it comes to breakfast, but I'm here to sing the praises of another oft forgotten whole grain, brown rice. Hearty, gentler on the stomach, gluten-free, and might I add, delicious ... brown rice makes for a warm and hearty breakfast that is easily addictive. Of course, there is that time issue; brown rice takes 40 minutes to cook, while oats are ready in mere minutes. But whole grain rice has one major thing on oats ... it works very well as leftovers and reheats beautifully, which makes recipes like the one below pure heaven in the colder months.
Rather than nuking the rice, I cook it hot cereal-style on the stove top for a warm and creamy breakfast that is somewhat like a sweet risotto. The inspiration for this recipe is from The 4-Ingredient Vegan, but my version adds some flavorings for a few more than four ingredients. At first, I defied her serving size and upped it to a full cup of brown rice. Wow, I quickly discovered just how filling brown rice can be! Though low in calories and fat, the recipe below provides ample morning fuel. Of course, if you want to "beef" it up more, you can add some chopped nuts, or even stir in a little protein powder.
Note that the milk alternative I used for creating this recipe was sweetened. I wanted to point that out since I typically use unsweetened milk alternatives in most of my recipes, and using an unsweetened variety will change the flavor slightly and may prompt you to add just a touch more sweetener (of your choice). Recipe: Cinnamon Raisin Breakfast Risotto Summary: (a.k.a Hot Rice Cereal) - This recipe comes together in just a few minutes, and is a great way to use up leftover rice! It is adapted from The 4-Ingredient Vegan by Maribeth Abrams. Ingredients - 2/3 Cup Leftover Short Grain Brown Rice
- 1/2 Cup Vanilla Milk Alternative (I used Hemp Bliss from Manitoba Harvest, but your favorite type/brand will work)
- 1/8 Teaspoon Cinnamon
- 2 Tablespoons Raisins
- Pinch Salt
- 1 Tablespoon Maple Syrup, or to taste
- 1 Tablespoon Ground Flaxseed, optional
Instructions - Bring all but the flaxseed to a boil in a saucepan or small skillet.
- Reduce heat to low and simmer for 10-15 minutes or until most of the liquid is soaked up and the rice reaches your desired tenderness.
- Remove from heat and stir in ground flaxseed, if using. Serve hot.
Preparation time: Cooking time: 15 minute(s) Diet tags: Vegan, Dairy free, Gluten free, Egg free, Nut free, Peanut free, Soy free, Wheat free, Refined Sugar free, and Low Fat Number of servings (yield): 1 warm and yummy breakfast Copyright © Alisa Fleming. Article, recipe, and photos by Alisa Fleming, founder of GoDairyFree.org and author of Go Dairy Free: The Guide and Cookbook for Milk Allergies, Lactose Intolerance, and Casein-Free Living. Alisa is also a freelance writer for several publications, with an emphasis on creating recipes for various types of special diets. |
