Tag Archives: brown rice

Stir-fried Veggies & Brown Rice

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My Instant Pot likes to play leading role in the kitchen these days. Last night it had to play second fiddle to the wok. Stir-fried Veggies & Brown Rice. ‪#‎simplywhole‬ ‪#‎freelyeat‬ ‪#‎instantpot‬

stir fried veggiesbrown rice ipot

 

Brown Rice instructions here.

Stir-fried Veggies:

  • Cut up lots of veggies (for long veggies, on the diagonal)–Carrots, Celery, Broccoli, Cauliflower, Onions, Garlic, Mushrooms, …
  • Stir-fry them

We like to add a sauce of:

What was in your Instant Pot last night?

 

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Brown Rice {Instant Pot Recipe}

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Rice is a staple food for many cultures, including mine personally when it is whole grain. I eat brown rice for breakfast, lunch and supper–and sometimes for a snack. Although short grain is better for “sticky” rice, in desserts and sweet dishes, and long grain better for fluffy, non-sticky dishes, and basmati and others can be more flavorful, much of the time I just use plain ol’ organic long grain brown rice, because that’s what I use the most of, so that’s what I buy in bulk, 25# bags. 

Instant-Pot-1-300x300Making rice on the stove was never my thing. I purchased rice streamers and cookers early on. My Instant Pot has simplified perfect rice even further–by cutting the time down.

Like most things around here, I keep it pretty simple, just cooking it plain, so leftovers can be used in a variety of ways. If I make unflavored, plain rice for supper, to serve super flavorful Savory Mushroom Gravy over, like I did last night, I can eat the leftover rice as a sweet breakfast, with fresh organic strawberries and coconut milk poured over it, like I did this morning. 

I make flavored rice, and use it in casserole type recipes too, but for today, we’re focusing on the basics. Make up a large pot of plain brown rice in the Instant Pot, and use throughout the week, for breakfast, lunch, supper, or snacks. I’ll share the Savory Mushroom Gravy recipe next time I make it–if I remember to take a picture (which I didn’t last night, and it’s all gone.) This morning, the little bit of leftover rice, got coconut milk and strawberries added. So here it is.

 

 
To make brown rice in the Instant Pot, use 1.25 cups purified water for each cup of organic brown rice. Just measure rice into pot and add water and close the lid. Cook on high pressure for 21-22 minutes. Quick release, and fluff with a fork right away, then let it sit on keep warm until ready to serve. 

To reheat, put 1/2 cup water in Instant Pot, put the trivet in and set a an oven safe bowl of leftover rice on the trivet. (I use Pyrex or stainless steel bowls.) Put the Instant Pot lid on and Steam (high pressure) for 5 minutes, then quick release. This is the time usually needed for my glass bowls straight from the fridge. In stainless steel, for small amounts, or not so cold, it might not take 5 minutes to heat through.

Enjoy the Whole Grain Goodness!
How do you like to eat rice?

Savory Mushroom Gravy {Recipe}

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Savory Mushroom Gravy has become a family fave (except for 1 son who hates mushrooms). We love it over rice or potatoes. Although I don’t make the gravy in the Instant Pot, I do make its underpinnings there. This no-fat gravy is rich, hearty and flavorful. (You meat eaters will never miss the beef.)

Savory Mushroom Gravy

Savory Mushroom Gravy

Dry or water Saute:

  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced

Add:

  • 3 cups veggie stock/broth (or water with 2 veggie bouillon cubes, stir to dissolve and disperse).

Add:

  • 3/4-1# mushrooms, chopped (crimini)
  • 2 Tbl. Bragg’s Liquid Aminos
  • black pepper

Simmer until mushrooms start to soften.

Mix (I shake in a small mason jar):

  • 6 Tbl. fresh ground whole wheat flour
  • 1 cup water

Whisk in. Simmer till thickened.

Serve over Brown Rice or baked or mashed Potatoes.

I cook both Brown Rice and Potatoes in my Instant Pot. The Brown Rice link will take to instructions.

red potatoes brocolli iPot

For Potatoes:

  • approx. 3# medium red potatoes

Place 1 cup water in Instant Pot pan. Place potatoes on trivet set in pan. Put lid on. Seal. Hit Manual and 10 minutes. Quick Release is fine, or let it sit on Keep Warm until you’re ready to serve dinner.

To add the frozen Broccoli, I stopped the Instant Pot with 2 minutes left. Added the frozen Broccoli in a stainless steel pot that fits. Restart Instant Pot for 2 minutes. Quick Release. (If using fresh broccoli, you may need 0 minutes.)

Add a fresh greens and veggies salad and enjoy this hearty, potatoes and gravy dinner. Try it and let me know what you think.

 

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Lisa’s Easy Veggie & Lentil Stew {Instant Pot Recipe}

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Quick and easy, delicious and filling, and Good for You-Naturally!™ Those are the criteria I am looking for in developing most of my recipes (and looking for in others’ that I try). In other words, Freedom & Simplicity™ that’s Good for You-Naturally!™ This one fits the ticket!

It’s a recipe that had become buried in the box. We used to really enjoy it but somehow it hadn’t been made recently, and certainly not since I’d got my Instant Pot. It was time for it to come back to life. Especially now when I needed something quick and easy (time was short), something warm and hearty (spring blizzards are no fun), and as always, something both very yummy and health promoting.

Veggie & Lentil Stew

Here’s my recipe as I developed it years ago. Below that is my adaptations yesterday, when we were in a hurry. We all dove in and I didn’t think to take a pic until I was jarring up the leftovers. Yes, it makes a pot full! Fantastic lunch for today.

Lisa’s Veggie & Lentil Stew
(all ingredients are organic here, get as many as you can that way)

  • 12 c. purified water (approx.)
  • 1 c. brown rice
  • 1.5 cups lentils (dried)
  • 1/4 tsp. dried minced garlic (approx.)
  • 2 tsp. dried basil
  • 3 bay leaves (optional)
  • 1-2 tsp. dried parsley
  • 1 chopped onion (or 3-4 Tbl. dried minced)
  • 4 stalks celery, chopped (or a handful dried)
  • 2 carrots, sliced
  • 1-2 cups corn
  • 1-2 cups peas
  • 2 cups green beans
  • 2 cups tomato sauce (or whatever they’ve shrunk that can down to now)
  • 1 qt. crushed tomatoes (or whatever they’ve shrunk that can down to now)
  • nice squirt of Bragg’s liquid aminos

Add it all to the pot and simmer until done.

How it came together yesterday:

Was out of bay leaves, so they truly are optional. Used dried onion and celery. Had a big bag of frozen mixed vegetables on hand–carrots, corn, peas, green beans. Well how perfect is that?! I used 4 cups of the mix, and added an extra cup of frozen corn. I threw everything into my Instant Pot (6 qt.), filling with water to about the 4 L line. I have no clue how much water that was. I hit the buttons for high pressure and 22 minutes (the time needed for brown rice, the longest cooking ingredient) and left for Good Friday church service. We got home to stew done and on Keep Warm. (i.e. Natural Pressure Release–it was full enough it probably would have splattered if I tried to Quick Release.) The water was all absorbed, so I added more. Served it with fresh veggie sticks, and whole grain oatmeal muffins.

Mm-mm Good for You-Naturally!™ Mushrooms would have been a fantastic add-in (that I will add to the recipe card), but didn’t think of at the time (and not sure I had any on hand.)

Let me know if you make this recipe and how you like it!

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