DIY rice mixes

[Farrar]

I'd like to eat more brown rice, but I'm also a fan of a cheap rice mix and none of them seem to employ brown rice. So things like yellow rice, "Spanish" rice, box rice pilaf, etc. I can do a pilaf without a mix and that's pretty simple. In fact, I do choose that pretty routinely. But my methods for yellow rice and Spanish rice are way too labor intensive for how I like to cook on the fly many nights. And I don't have recipes for many other box type rice mixes. I like the ease of pulling one out of the pantry and being like, okay, I can just add a bunch of veggies or a protein or some beans or whatever to this and have it be half decent without thinking much. I use them a lot with the last bits of things. Oh, I have a bit of sausage leftover or there are some peppers or some squash about to go off... That sort of thing. 

I'd love to make myself little packets of mix so I can do that just with the brown rice instead. Anyone have recipes for this sort of thing? I did some searches, but I'm not sure I'm turning up exactly what I want.

[Katy]

I figured out how to make a gluten-free version of those things during the years I was allergic to wheat.  I didn't really write down recipes and I tend to like things spicier than most people, but here's what I remember off the top of my head.  The real secret to all of those mixes is the MSG.  The easiest/tastiest way to achieve that IME is a big jar of Knorr powdered chicken bouillon.  In fact, just the buillion, some butter, and parsley is really good in a basic pilaf.  If you make it in the Instant pot, add extra water and the grain will puff up and be almost as soft was white rice.  My kids like this with Rao's sauce and some turkey sausage on top. Note you can cook diced sausage in it but if you add Rao's to the instant pot you will almost certainly get a burn warning before it finishes cooking, so add that last.  I often throw a bag of frozen chopped greens in to cook with the rice with this combination (spinach or kale).

Do be aware that brown rice has pretty high arsenic level.  I don't remember what the safety limit per week is, but I know Dr Gregor of Nutrition Facts has at least one video out on it and when I was eating a lot of rice I decided to do a white basmati most of the time instead.  This was before Fiber Fueled came out so IDK what I would choose now.

Yellow Rice- bouillon powder (or a really good broth if you want to avoid MSG), onion (saute in butter first if you want really good flavor), but dried diced onion or onion powder would work well for a packet, parsley, turmeric, and saffron if you want to afford some.

Spanish Rice - boullion powder, onion, garlic, cumin, chili powder, smoked paprika, a bag of frozen diced pepper and onion mix, a can of petite diced tomatoes, a bit of tomato paste, or maybe rotel or some salsa, depending on what you have on hand.

 

[Farrar]

Mmmm... MSG.

The bouillon powder is probably easier to find since Americans are so weird about MSG.

[*Jessica*]

Search Hillbilly Housewife rice mixes.