I love risottos very much, of all kinds and colors, and this brown rice with vegetables and mushrooms, although not a true risotto, completely satisfies me: it is simple to prepare, it is colorful, and it is very, very tasty, just delicious.
I discovered brown rice several years ago. Initially, I used it very little because, despite trying different brands, they all had very long cooking times (over 1 hour) not suitable for my needs, when I had small children, long cooking times were not very convenient for me, and I could only prepare it occasionally, usually on holidays.
Then I discovered it became more readily available. It spread to supermarkets, and cooking times reduced a bit (30 to 40 minutes).
The first time I prepared this brown rice with vegetables and mushrooms I elaborated (by adding mushrooms) a recipe found on the back of a rice package, and we immediately liked it so much, even the children ate it, which was a great satisfaction for me. 😃
Yes, the idea of adding mushrooms was indeed a great idea!
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- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Economical
- Preparation time: 20 Minutes
- Portions: 4
- Cooking methods: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All seasons
Ingredients
- 12 oz brown rice
- 2 carrots
- 1 stalk celery
- Half onion
- 3 champignon mushrooms
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- black pepper
Tools
- Chopper
- Pot
- Pan
How to Prepare Brown Rice with Vegetables and Mushrooms
Bring the rice to a boil in plenty of water.
While the rice is cooking, prepare the seasoning: chop the carrots with the celery and onion in the mixer, then sauté the chopped mix in a pan with a little oil and some pepper.
Cook the vegetables in a pan for a few minutes, not too much, they should remain slightly firm.
Clean the mushrooms and pass them through the mixer into small pieces.
When the rice is cooked, drain it and toss it in the pan with the vegetables.
Let it season, then add the chopped mushrooms and stir.Adding the mushrooms at the end enhances their aroma.
Brown rice does not overcook, at least it never happened to me, so you can easily toss it in the pan.
Below you can admire the original photo, the photo that represented this recipe for years, inserted in 2014 when this blog was just a few days old and I was in the midst of my photographic incompetence. 😄😇
It is a photo I am very fond of because, despite its technical ugliness (yes), it expresses well the creaminess of this brown rice with vegetables and well represents why I immediately liked this recipe so much, and continue to like it so much.
Over the years, I have repeated the recipe several times but never changed the photo because I struggled to re-photograph the same creaminess and convey again the feeling that this ugly old photo gives me.
Now, after repeating the recipe several times, I have come to the conclusion that the final result of the recipe changes depending on the brown rice used. I have purchased it from various brands and stores, from supermarkets to natural food stores, and I must admit that – referring to what I explained in the introduction – in the end, the longer-cooking brown rice perhaps satisfies me more, despite the convenience of shorter cooking times that are so useful and often preferred by me.
The goodness of the recipe remains, and I continue to recommend it, but I owed you an explanation for the more separated grain outcome that the new photo demonstrates. Those who follow me know that I like to explain everything in detail. 😊
Enjoy!
Salt-Free Tips
If you’re interested in reducing or eliminating salt, always remember to:
▫ Decrease salt gradually, the palate must gradually get used to and not notice the progressive reduction.
▫ Use spices. Chili, pepper, curry, nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves, cumin…
▫ Use aromatic herbs. Basil, parsley, oregano, thyme, sage, marjoram, rosemary, mint…
▫ Use seeds. Sesame, pine nuts, almonds, walnuts…
▫ Use spicy vegetables or fruits. Garlic, onion, lemon, orange…
▫ Use my salt-free vegetable granules and gomasio.
▫ Prefer fresh foods.
▫ Avoid cooking in water, prefer cooking methods that do not disperse flavors (grill, foil, steam, microwave)
▫ Avoid bringing the salt shaker to the table!
▫ Occasionally allow yourself a break from the rule. It’s good for the mood and helps you persevere.
If you don’t want to, or cannot, give up salt:
▫ You can still try my recipes, seasoning to your taste.
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