Apple Rice

This recipe can be used with any grain and any juice. When I am low on money, I tend to eat a lot of rice. I always seemed to have it on hand. It's cheap and easy to make and it goes with anything. I also like that I can cook a whole lot of it and then use it in a few dishes through the week.

Side dish, snack.. or sometimes this is dinner, but really what more could you want?

A while back I caught a recipe on the food network about using other liquids when making rice... and really, why do people seem to think you can only use water in rice? Sometimes I use veggie broth, but never thought about juice.  Brilliant idea!

This dish goes really well with all things bbq. I paired it with sauteed collard greens and BBQ tofu. I also paired the leftovers with a veggie burger. It is a really easy way to change up your day-to-day meals without having to go shopping for new ingredients.

Apple Rice

45 minutes, serves 3-4

• 1 cup of brown rice, rinsed
• 2 cups apple juice (or you can do half and half, liquid needs to be 2 cups total)
• 1 apple, cored, peeled and diced into 1" dice (I used gala apple, but any kind should be good)
• 1 pinch salt
• 1 tsp butter
• 1 cinnamon stick

Rinse the rice and add it to a pot with the liquid, apple, salt, butter and cinnamon. Bring to a boil. Cover and bring it back down to a simmer and cook for 40 - 50 minutes or until liquid is all absorbed. Let it sit 5 minutes or so until ready to serve. Remove the cinnamon stick prior to serving. Garnish with fresh herbs if you have any on hand.

I always add the water last and try to toast the grain a bit before cooking.
Not necessary though

45 minutes later and I have dinner.
Paired here with salt and pepper tofu and collard greens

Some other good combinations here would be peach, pear, white grape, white cranberry, limeade or lemonade.. pretty much any juice. If you have some you can add in dried fruit like craisins.

You can also sub the rice for other grains. I made a pineapple quinoa before and it was good. Couscous and white rice would be great substitutions as well. I may try couscous next. You will have to cook the fruit separately for couscous though since it is basically instantly cooked.