Brown Rice Pilaf Good Stuffing Alternative
In this Savory Brown Rice Pilaf, herbs, garlic and sauteed mushrooms combine with nutty brown rice to create a delicious, lean alternative to traditional Thanksgiving stuffing.
A half-cup of corn bread stuffing contains about 9 grams of fat and 170 calories, but this nutritious dish has just 2.6 grams of fat and 112 calories.
If you’re nervous about cooking everything for the big dinner in one day, this pilaf offers another advantage over stuffing: It can be made up to three days in advance. Refrigerate the pilaf in a microwave-safe dish and reheat it in a microwave oven just before serving. The flavors continue to deepen and improve with a few days’ aging.
And if you should happen to have leftovers, don’t worry; this pilaf also freezes well.
Savory Brown Rice Pilaf
2-1/2 cups water
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup uncooked long-grain brown rice
1 tablespoon olive oil
8 small mushrooms, sliced (about 1 cup)
3 cloves garlic, crushed through a press
1 medium yellow or red tomato, seeded and chopped (about 1 cup)
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 teaspoon dried basil leaves
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
In a medium saucepan, bring the water and salt to a boil. Stir in the rice and return to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover tightly and cook for 40 minutes without stirring. Turn off heat and allow rice to rest for about 5 minutes while you prepare the remaining ingredients.
Pour the oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet and heat over medium heat. When the oil is hot, stir in the mushrooms and saute until lightly brown. Stir in the garlic and chopped tomato and cook, stirring frequently for 3 to 4 minutes.
Stir in the cooked rice, parsley, basil and black pepper. Cook until all the ingredients are mixed and heated through. Serve hot or allow to cool and transfer to a microwave-safe dish.
Refrigerate up to three days before serving. Reheat on high (100 percent) power before serving.
Yield: 8 (1/2-cup) servings.
Nutrition information per serving: 112 calories, 3 grams protein, 20 grams carbohydrate, 3 grams fat (24 percent fat calories), no cholesterol, 252 milligrams sodium, 252 milligrams.
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