Minute Ready to Serve Rice

Ryan and I have been trying to stick to a Paleo Diet - although not religious, we have embraced eating a diet high in veggies, eggs, meats, nuts and fruits.  You can see my original post HERE for more info.  On Paleo the biggest challenge for me is not eating sugar or grains.  I thought that giving up Dairy would be the most difficult but it is the elimination of most carbs that I struggle with.

I knew that I could have some success on a carb free diet short term, but that long term this was unrealistic.   I did some research and although on Paleo grains in general are unacceptable, several people also believe that if one does opt to eat grains when on Paleo, white rice in moderation is best for a various of reasons.  Although a starch rice is digested differently than other grains such as wheat.

Eating rice for me is a smart choice.  Knowing that rice is an option will minimize me feeling deprived and then making poor non-Paleo choices like pasta, bread,  pastries, etc.

What do we eat on Paleo?  Every week I make a delicious dinner of roasted veggies.  We make this either with Olive Oil or Coconut Oil.  Once completely cooked we serve alone or over rice.

I usually make rice in the rice cooker, but we do not always have enough for left overs.  I tried the other day to purchase a side of rice from the Cafeteria at my work and was told that I could not buy the side only - I could purchase Rice with a meal but not the rice alone.  So frustrating!  There is an alternative for me moving forward though..... I am keeping a side of Minute Ready-to-Serve Rice in my lunch bag.

Minute Ready-to-Serve Rice is pre-made rice in small, individually proportion sized cups that is sealed for freshness.   It is fully cooked and there is nothing to add - simply open and heat!

We tried the Jasmine Rice.  This was not flavored - it was simply plain Jasmine Rice. The rice was not too sticky or too watered down.   The texture and the moisture were perfect.   Visit Minute Rice for nutritional information.

If I do not have enough left over rice, I do not need to make another batch for lunch- I can simply rely on Minute Ready-to-Serve Rice!   It fits nicely in my lunch bag and only takes one minute to heat up.  As a plus, it is already sized for one portion which helps with portion control.   I can mix the rice it in with my meal or simply eat it out of the cup.

 For more information, visit Minute Rice and look over the different varieties, get nutritional information, recipe ideas and more.   Need inspiration?  Check out the recipes below:

Lunch Ideas:

Provencal Rice Salad

Serves:  2 (about 1 cup each)         

Ingredients:         

1 container Minute® Ready to Serve Multi-Grain Medley or Minute® Ready to Serve Brown Rice
1 can (6 ounces) canned tuna, drained
4 cherry tomatoes, halved
4 black olives, sliced
2 tablespoons red wine vinaigrette
1 cup salad greens

Directions: Prepare rice according to package directions. In a medium bowl, combine rice, tuna, tomatoes, olives and vinaigrette; mix well. Serve over greens and/or with pita chips.

Hawaiian Rice
Serves:  2 (about 1 cup each)         

Ingredients:

1 container Minute® Ready to Serve White Rice or Minute® Ready to Serve Jasmine Rice
1/2 cup cooked low sodium ham, cubed
1/2 cup fresh or canned pineapple chunks
1/4 cup cooked green peas or sugar snap peas
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon soy sauce

Directions: Prepare rice according to package directions. In a medium bowl, combine rice, ham, pineapple, peas, sesame oil and soy sauce; mix well. Garnish with toasted sesame seeds and chopped cilantro, if desired.

Dinner Recipe Ideas:

Yummy Orange Chicken and Rice

Makes 4 Servings

Ingredients:
1 jar (12 ounces) orange marmalade
1/2 cup orange juice
1/2 cup water
2 cups cooked chicken, grilled or roasted (Alternative: try 2 cups of cooked turkey)
1 large orange, washed and thinly sliced
1 cup frozen sugar snap peas, thawed
2 cups cooked, Minute® White Rice or Minute® Whole Grain Brown Rice

Directions:
1. In a small sauce pan add in: marmalade, orange juice and water. Simmer until blended and reduced about 50 percent. It should be like syrup.

2. Add chicken, orange slices and peas until all are hot.

3. Serve over rice. If desired, sprinkle with slivered almonds.

30 minute Almond Chicken

Makes 4 Servings

Ingredients:

8 boneless skinless chicken thighs

¼ cup Italian Dressing

1 ½ cups chicken broth

2 cups green beans, trimmed, halved

1 cup Minute® White Rice or Minute® Whole Grain Brown Rice uncooked

¼ cup almonds, sliced

Directions
1.     Toss chicken with dressing in resealable plastic bag. Add chicken with dressing to large nonstick skillet                     on medium-high heat; cook 4 minutes on each side or until browned.2.  Stir in broth; bring to boil. Cover. Simmer 10 minutes. Add beans; cook 5 minutes or until chicken is cooked through (170 ºF)3.  Remove chicken from skillet. Add rice and almonds. Remove from heat; cover. Let stand 5 minutes. Serve chicken over rice mixture.

Disclosure:  the Samples were provided to me for review purposes and recipes were provided as well.  I did not receive monetary compensation for this post.