Minute rice + apple pie rice pudding recipe!

A couple of weeks ago I attended yet another web event and this time it was for Minute Rice®!

Being that I live in an Asian household, I had never come across minute rice before because it was just never used in my house. We always cooked rice from scratch in our rice cooker and it would take a good 30 – 45 minutes to cook depending on how much rice we needed. So imagine my surprise when I found out that it was possible to make rice in UNDER TEN MINUTES! Talk about life changing! Not only that but Minute Rice® is also non-GMO!

I was sent two boxes of Minute Rice® to try for myself and I must say, I was pleasantly surprised as to how similar it resembled the rice I make in my rice cooker at home…but with less than 1/4 of the cooking time! The rice turned out perfectly and was really fluffy!

To be honest, I didn’t think that the brown rice would turn out as soft as it did being that brown rice tends to be a little more tender than white rice but it’s texture was comparable to the long grain rice.

I made ginger tumeric brown rice congee!

You can prepare the Minute Rice® on stove top or in the microwave and I found that I liked it better when I cooked it on stove top because I could gauge the texture of the rice better and add more/less water to it depending on how tender I wanted the rice to be. This was harder to do with the microwave method.

So how is it that this rice can magically cook so quickly? Well, the rice is pre-cooked, then dried out so that there is no longer any moisture in the rice. This way when you make it at home, all you need to do is heat it right back up and it’s ready to go! If you really think about it, this is quite similar how store-bought pasta is made.

Veggie Lasagna Loaf (photo credits to Minute Rice®)

Speaking of pasta and all things Italian, during the event, chef Higgins showed us how to make this lovely lasgana loaf using Minute Rice®! Who would of thought that you could use rice in place of pasta? Or even in place of flour to make pizza (recipe can be found on minuterice.ca)?

I was inspired by the recipe for pear and cranberry rice pudding from minuterice.ca and decided that I would create my own rendition of it 🙂

Apple pie rice pudding (serves 4)

• 3/4 cup uncooked Minute Rice® whole grain brown rice
• 1 medium apple (peeled and chopped into 1 cm cubes)
• 3 tablespoons coconut sugar (or granulated)
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup canned coconut milk
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 egg (optional*)

Method:

1. Add the coconut milk, coconut sugar, brown rice and salt in a medium sauce pan. Cook on medium heat until it comes to a boil. Add in the cinnamon and reduce the heat to low.  Continue to cook the rice for 13 – 15 minutes making sure to stir it often to prevent it from sticking to the bottom. It should be thickening at this point. 
2. Whisk the egg in a small bowl. Add the whisked egg into the pot making sure that you are stirring quickly and constantly to prevent making scrambled eggs by accident.
3. Take the rice pudding off the heat when it reaches desired consistency. You can serve it right away and eat it hot OR let it cool for 30 minutes on the counter before moving it to the fridge to chill for 2 hours to eat it cold.

 *adding the egg is optional, it merely adds a richer more custard-like consistency to the rice pudding

Here are top 10 Rice Cooking Tips from Chef John Higgins himself!

Try coconut: Cook rice in coconut milk for a mildly sweet flavoured rice which pairs well with curry dishes and other spicy recipes. Coconut flavoured rice with fresh slices of mango or your kids’ favourite fruit can make a fun, healthy dessert option.Sweeten with fruit: Add dried fruit – such as craisins, raisins, dried blueberries and currents – to your cooking water to draw out the sweet fruit flavours which will infuse your rice with a savoury taste the whole family will enjoy.

Add zing with zest: For a zesty citrus spin on your rice dish, grate lemon, lime or orange zest into the rice’s cooking water as it’s boiling. Be sure to thoroughly wash your fruit with warm, soapy water before grating the zest into the water. For a more gourmet taste sensation, try a combination of citrus fruits in one rice dish.

Pear and Cranberry Rice Pudding With Chocolate Crunchies (photo credits to Minute Rice®)

Steep your rice: Infuse the rice with your favourite flavour of tea for a fragrant, subtle gourmet taste. Steep a pot of tea and use the liquid to cook your rice instead of using plain water. For those less adventurous, start with a more simple flavour such as Earl Grey, English Breakfast or Chamomile tea. For an economical option, use the tea bag left over from your morning cup of tea.

Boil in broth: When boiling rice, substitute water for broth to add flavour to the rice itself and your dish. Chicken broth, beef broth or vegetable stock are excellent choices. Low-sodium broths add a punch of flavour without the added salt.

Cut cooking time: Risotto is a wonderful meal or side dish option enjoyed by all ages, but it takes time to make.  Using instant rice in a risotto dish can cut in half the time it takes to make traditional risotto.

Think flavour: Add spices to the rice’s cooking liquid for an aromatic and flavourful base to your dish. Star Anise, cilantro and turmeric are good choices, with bold, robust flavours.

One pan taco dinner (photo credits to Minute Rice®)

Cut cooking time: Risotto is a wonderful meal or side dish option enjoyed by all ages, but it takes time to make.  Using instant rice in a risotto dish can cut in half the time it takes to make traditional risotto.

Try rice for breakfast: Instant rice in particular is quick and easy, making it a convenient and nutritious family option. Add almond or soy milk, or your kids’ favourite flavoured milk, as well as dried fruits or nuts for a complete, oatmeal-like breakfast dish which can be served hot or cold. Prepare the rice the night before to save time in the morning.

Add veggies: Enhance your rice dish by adding frozen vegetables. Rather than cooking the vegetables separately, though, condense your cooking time by adding them to boiling water before you begin cooking the rice. Using pre-cut, frozen vegetables is more convenient than cutting fresh vegetables (while still being nutritious), especially when you are pressed for time.

Wheat-Free Rice Crust Pizza (photo credits to Minute Rice®)

Have any of you tried Minute Rice^® before? Well whether you have or haven’t, here’s a chance for you to receive 12 boxes of Minute Rice^® of your own!

Giveaway rules (ENDED)

1. Follow my blog (link to do so is on the side bar)
2. For Canadian residents only
3. Leave a comment below telling me what your favorite rice dish is.

Bonus entry: Follow me on Instagram @eatmunchlove and comment on the giveaway photo below telling me what type of rice you prefer (ex. white, Jasmine, long grain, short grain, brown, black, glutinous, the list goes on!).

The winner (hmrcarlson) was randomly selected and has been contacted! Thanks everyone for entering!

Save $1 coupons are available at https://websaver.ca/en_ca/portal/minute_rice while quantities last, so please act quickly! More information and recipes can be found at www.minuterice.ca It can be found at major retailers, starting from $3.19 for 350g of instant white rice, and from $4.59 for 600g of instant whole grain brown rice.

 Disclaimer: The Minute Rice^® was sent to me by Minute Rice^® and any text that is in backquotes was from the event’s press release. All other text and opinions in this post are genuine and my own.

Tags: entrees, giveaway, Recipe, Rice, rice pudding, Vegan