BROWN RICE: Golden Rice

Why brown rice?

It’s a lot better for you than regular white rice! “…ordinary white rice should be avoided and replaced by brown or white basmati rice, for which the glycemic index is lower.” (David Servan-Schreiber, Anti Cancer, page 63)

This doesn’t mean you should eat LOTS of brown rice. As Dr. Servan-Schreiber says, “Above all it’s much better … to eat vegetables and legumes (beans, peas, lentils). Not only are their glycemic indexes low, but their potent phytochemicals fight cancer growth every inch of the way.” (David Servan-Schreiber, Anti Cancer, page 63)

GOLDEN RICE

In order to make brown rice rich in the “potent phytochemicals that fight cancer growth,” I now add turmeric and black pepper to every pot of rice I cook. And the result is a gorgeous golden rice!

For example, when we had friends over for dinner one night, I made two stir fry dishes – an Asian stir fry and Indian stir-fry (like a biriyani) — and both were made with Golden Rice, (but in the Asian stir-fry, I used less turmeric than in the Indian stir-fry).

Ingredients

Brown rice

• Previously on this page, I mentioned that I like to use a variety of brown rice called Sweet Brown Rice or Korean Sweet Brown Rice – available in the Asian supermarkets and by mail order. The word “sweet” in the name of this rice is misleading. It’s not sweet; it’s just sticky. It’s a short grain rice that clumps together when cooked so it has a very chewy texture. Well….now I’ve learned that sweet sticky rice has a higher glycemic index than the more common rice varieties. So now I use brown Basmati rice — for Indian foods — and regular brown rice for other foods.

Filtered water

Turmeric and freshly ground black pepper

• Turmeric and black pepper are a potent anti-cancer combo, as discussed in an earlier post, Turmeric and Black Pepper . In addition, new research indicates that turmeric and black pepper are especially effective against breast cancer (stem cells). For a summary of this new research, see Dr. Servan-Schreiber’s blog.

• How much turmeric and black pepper should you use when making rice? It’s up to you. Experiment; start with a little turmeric and add more next time until you get the proportion of turmeric to rice that works for you. But here’s a rough guide based on my experience:

1. For a light golden color and a slightly but not noticeably earthy taste, I add about a teaspoon of turmeric and a few grinds of fresh black pepper to two cups of raw brown rice.
2. When I want the earthy spicy flavor of turmeric and black pepper, I add about 1 tablespoon turmeric and a generous amount of freshly ground black pepper to two cups of raw brown rice.

Note: I will measure carefully and report more exact proportions here soon.

Directions (rice cooker, my preferred way to cook rice)

• Rinse the rice under cold running water until it’s no longer cloudy (about 3 rinses).

• Place the rinsed rice into the bowl of the rice cooker. Add the water according to the directions for your particular kind of rice. Someone once told me that the water level should be about one knuckle above the rice and this works pretty well for me (I have small hands, though).

• Add turmeric and black pepper, according to your taste.

• Press the button for cooking and wait until it’s done. That’s it!

Directions (stove top)

• See the Purcell Mountain Farms for stove top (and rice cooker) directions for preparing many different varieties of brown rice.

Enjoy and be healthy,

~Leni

WINTER SQUASH: Basic Recipe

 

Why winter squash?

 

Bright orange in color (the flesh, that is), winter squash is loaded with the carotinoids vitamin A and lycopene, “which have the proven capacity to inhibit the growth of cells of several cancer lines, including brain gliomas,”  (David Servan-Schreiber, Anticancer, page 122). Other carotenoids “stimulate the growth of immune cells and increate their capacity to attack tumor cells,” (David Servan-Schreiber, Anticancer, page 122).

In addition, “a study that tracked breast cancer patients for six years showed that those who consumed the most foods rich in carotenoids lived longer than those who consumer less,” (David Servan-Schreiber, Anti Cancer, page 122).

By the way, in a vitamin pill, you get only a few of the 563 identified carotinoids and none of the yet-unidentified ones — – another reason why a diet of good-for-you foods is better than the best vitamin supplement.

In addition, winter squash is a good alternative to potatoes, including sweet potatoes. While sweet potatoes have a lower glycemic index (and therefore cause less of a rise in blood sugar) than regular potatoes, winter squash has an even lower gylcemic index. For the gyclemic index of common foods, see NutritionData.com. (Just enter the name of the food in the search box. Note: When comparing foods, be sure to compare cooked to cooked and raw to raw.)

Varieties of winter squash

 

There are many different varieties of winter squash. I like them all, but my current favorite is kabocha. The first time I saw a kabocha squash I was at an international market, and I had to ask someone what it was and how to cook it. But once I tried it, I was hooked.

Budget saving tips – buying and storing

Now that winter squash is in season (October), I’ve seen kabocha squash and many other interesting varieties at Whole Foods and the local supermarkets for $1.49 a pound (when not on sale) and that means that you can easily spend about $9.00 for a large squash (6 pounds). Ouch!

But at the farmers market this weekend, winter squash was going for just $1.00 a pound!

As I was about to purchase two kabocha and one buttercup squash, I lamented that I won’t be able to come back next Saturday – the last Saturday of the farmers market this year – to buy some more. “No problem,” commented the smiling woman to whom I was about to hand over a few dollars. “You can store winter squash in a cool place for the entire winter. In fact, that’s what farmers do. Winter squash doesn’t grow in the winter, it grows in the summer months and it’s stored over the winter.”

“For storing over the winter, a basement or a shed outside work perfectly, as long as you cover the squash with a blanket to keep it from freezing,” she said.

“Great idea!” I thought, and then I promptly selected many more beautiful winter squash to store over the winter.

And, she cautioned, “don’t put the squash into a plastic bucket or a cardboard box; you want the air to circulate freely to prevent ripening.”

“That makes sense,” I thought.

It’s amazing what you can learn while shopping at a farmers market! I love it!

And, I have two more bits of advice to add:

• Apparently you can even store winter squash in a cool area of the house without a blanket. I talked to a woman at the supermarket who told me that she left an acorn squash in the back of a cabinet in her kitchen all winter long and finally discovered it in March when she was doing some spring cleaning. It was in perfect shape, so she cooked it and enjoyed it.
  • For a video that mentions storing winter squash in a dark cool cabinet and gives a lot more helpful information about winter squash, see You-Tube .
• If the stem of your squash has a little mold on the end of it, cut off the moldy end with a sharp pair of kitchen scissors before you put the squash into winter storage. (I try to avoid mold as much as possible. Mold can cause allergic reactions and some mold is carcinogenic.)

WINTER SQUASH – BASIC RECIPE (microwave steaming)

 

This is a basic recipe; nothing fancy. I’ll be adding more recipes for cooking winter squash as time goes on – after all, I have about 25 pounds sitting stored away for the winter!

I use this recipe whenever I’m in a hurry – no matter what variety of winter squash I’m cooking. It’s easy and fast and there’s not much clean up either.

 

Ingredients

1 winter squash

• The squash I used was a 2 ½ pound kabocha squash. The cooking time in the directions below reflects this variety of squash and this weight – and my microwave. You will need to adjust your timing accordingly.

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste, if desired

Directions

Wash the squash and the pierce the skin all over with the tip of a sharp knife or the tines of a fork. (This is very important as it allows the steam to escape and keeps the squash from exploding in the microwave!)  Place the pierced squash on a microwave-safe plate and put into the microwave. Microwave on high for 5 minutes.

Remove the squash from the microwave. Pull at the stem to remove it; it should come right off. Then, using a sharp knife (preferably a sharp heavy knife like a chef’s knife), cut the squash in half (stem side to opposite side).

• I just learned that America’s Test Kitchen in their book, Cooking for Two (2009), says that the “best chef’s knife” is the very affordable Victorinox Forschner Fibrox 8-inch Chef’s Knife that sells for about $24.95. It’s lightweight and easy to use with a comfortable nonslip handle.

Use a large spoon and scoop out the seeds. Discard the seeds (unless you plan to feed them to your feathered friends.)

• Apparently, “…birds like a great variety of foods, including melon, squash, and pumpkin seeds. And, feeding homemade bird food, is a great way to recycle ‘waste’ and lower your bird food bill.

Pour ½ cup of water onto a microwave safe plate with a rim. Then place the squash halves, cut side down, onto the plate.  If there’s a thinner and thicker side to your squash halves, place the squash so that the thinner sections are in the middle of the plate.

Microwave the squash on high for 10 minutes. Without removing the plate (and risking getting burned with hot water) test the squash for doneness in the following manner:  Using your finger (in an oven mitt or shielded with a kitchen towel) press on the peel of the squash – in the thicker sections of the squash — to see if it gives a little when you press.  If it doesn’t give a little, then add ¼ cup more water to the plate with the squash and microwave on high for another 5 minutes, or until the flesh in the thickest section gives slightly when you press.

If the squash seems about done, leave it on the plate so it can continue to steam cook while it cools. When cool enough to handle, use a spoon to scoop out the squash, scraping close to the peel. Discard the peel.

Place the squash into a serving bowl, and using a potato masher, mash the squash. Add a little salt and pepper,  if desired.

• If your cooked squash is a little dry, consider cooking a second squash – one of the more moist varieties – such as butternut or acorn squash – and mashing the two of different varieties together. (I haven’t tried this yet, but it seems like it would be a good idea.)

Freeze in silicone muffin pans

To freeze the mashed squash, let it cool off and then spoon into the muffin section of a  silicone muffin pan (the regular- not the mini-size pans). Place in the freezer and when frozen, remove from the muffin pan and place in zippered freezer bag; store in your freezer. For the best results, use within about 3 months.

So when winter squash is selling at a good price, cook up a lot of it, mash it, and freeze it. This saves money, time, and clean up !

Enjoy and be healthy!

Leni

QUINOA: Plain and Simple Quinoa

Ingredients

1 cup quinoa

• Why quinoa? How does quinoa help to prevent cancer?

1 1/4 cold filtered water

Note: Most package directions say to add twice as much water as quinoa, but that results in soggy quinoa — not what you want. If you use less water, it’s so much better. Lieberman and O’Connor, authors of The 10 Things You Need to Eat (a good primer on 10 healthy foods and creative ways you can use them in cooking;  published in 2010)  say that you should use just one and a quarter cups water to one cup of quinoa. I tried cooking quinoa their way (after cooking with too much water for a long time) and voila, great quinoa! Finally light and fluffy, not heavy and soggy!

Directions #1 – for cooking quinoa to serve as a hot side dish

• Unless the package says that the quinoa has already been rinsed, rinse the quinoa in cold water until the water runs clear, and this may take five or more changes of water. It helps to use your hands and rub the quinoa grains against each other as you rinse them. Rinsing removes the outer slightly bitter, soapy coating. Drain the quinoa.
• Place the rinsed and drained quinoa and the water in a heavy pot (for example, an enamel coated cast iron pot). Bring the water to a simmer. Reduce the heat to the lowest possible setting and then cover the pot.
• Cook covered, for 20-25 minutes, or until the quinoa is tender but still chewy and a white spiral-like thread appears around each grain.
• Uncover the pot and fluff the cooked quinoa with a fork.
• Let the cooked quinoa sit for a few minutes (to let off steam) before serving.

Directions #2 – for cooking quinoa to serve in a salad

This preparation makes for fluffy and dry quinoa which is what you need to absorb the dressing and give flavor to the salad.

• Place the drained quinoa into a pan and add water to cover the quinoa by about 2 inches. Bring the water to a boil and then boil gently for 8 minutes.
• Drain the quinoa in a sieve and rinse under cold running water.
• Place the sieve with the drained quinoa over a pan of boiling water, making sure that the quinoa does not touch the water. Cover the sieve with a kitchen towel and then place the lid on the pan.
• Bring the water in the pan to a gentle boil and boil for about 10 minutes – steaming the quinoa.
• Note: Check the water level in the pan after about 5 minutes to make sure there’s enough water to boil for the remaining time; if not, add more.

Directions #3 – Quick and easy – my new favorite way to cook quinoa!

• After a friend told me she always cooks quinoa in her rice cooker, I gave it a try. Wow, it worked! I’m going to make it this way from now on! By the way, I used 1 cup of dry quinoa to 1 3/4 cups water.

What to do with quinoa?

• How about a plate of quinoa topped with pasta sauce and some veggies on the side? Yesterday, while foraging in the refrigerator at home, my daughter fixed herself the plate of food you see pictured at the top of this page: quinoa topped with pasta sauce and topped with quinoa, shitake mushrooms (just reconstituted shitakes), and steamed frozen asparagus.
• Mix cooked quinoa with Sundried Tomato Flavor Cubes or Sauted Herb Flavor Cubes – yum!
• For a powerhouse breakfast, mix cooked quinoa with cooked steel-cut oatmeal, add some almond or skim milk plus all the fixings. A great breakfast – or snack. Just keep cooked quinoa and cooked steel-cut oatmeal in your refrigerator, and you can fix a bowl of this delicious and nutritious quin-oat porridge anytime!
• Here’s the Quinoa and Black Bean Salad recipe I served at a recent picnic – a big hit! I made my quinoa salad exactly as the recipe recommends, except without the pickled jalapeno chilies. In general, pickled foods should not be part of an anti-cancer diet. Although Dr. Servan-Schreiber does not talk about pickled foods in his book (he can’t cover everything!), it’s been know for a long time that picked foods increase the risk of developing stomach cancer. In fact, for an epidemiology class in graduate school, I even did a paper on that very topic back in the 1970′s! See Medline Plus for information on stomach cancer and it’s risk factors.

Can you freeze quinoa?

Yes, definitely. Cooked quinoa freezes very well.

More information about quinoa

Quinoa.net A great site for more information about quinoa, including cooking directions for the microwave and rice cooker as well as the stove top (uses more water than I suggest, but you might like that better). In addition, great photos of the people who plant and harvest the quinoa you enjoy.

Enjoy and be healthy!

Leni