Green tea and rice, baked? At first glance, that may seem more like a ceramic project you’d put into a kiln and pray it comes out right. But look a little closer, and you’ll see the insight of my brilliant colleague Catherine McConkie. We fiddled with this dish forever, and then Catherine suggested we bake it. That might seem strange, but baking rice is common in restaurants where large batches are made, and it guarantees perfect texture. It’s a slightly longer process, but the baking completely neutralizes the green tea’s sometimes astringent flavor, while allowing all of its wonderful nutrients to permeate the rice.
Recipe information
Yield
serves 4
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Place the rice in a pan or bowl with the lemon juice and water to cover and soak overnight, or for at least 8 hours.
Step 2
Preheat the oven to 375°F.
Step 3
Drain the rice in a fine-mesh sieve and rinse well under running cold water. Put the rice in a 2-quart casserole dish or other baking dish with a fitted lid. Pour the tea and broth over the rice, add the salt, and carefully stir. Cover and bake for 40 to 60 minutes, until the rice is tender and has absorbed all of the moisture. Fluff with a fork, then add the scallions and fluff again.
variation
Step 4
If you’d rather cook this dish on the stovetop, here’s how: Bring the tea and broth to a boil in a saucepan, then stir in the rice and salt. Lower the heat, cover, and simmer for 25 minutes. Check the rice, and if there are steam holes in the top, it’s ready; if not, cook for about 5 minutes more. Remove from the heat, fluff with a fork, then add the scallions and fluff again. This recipe also works well in a rice cooker; just add all of the ingredients and press the cook button.
storage
Step 5
Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 5 days, or in the freezer for 1 month.
nutrition information
Step 6
(per serving)
Step 7
Calories: 175
Step 8
Total Fat: 1.1g (0g saturated, 0g monounsaturated)
Step 9
Carbohydrates: 36g
Step 10
Protein: 3g
Step 11
Fiber: 2g
Step 12
Sodium: 330mg
WHO KNEW? Copper Calamaties
Step 13
When a well runs dry, it only makes sense to dig a new well if you’re looking for life-sustaining water. Similarly, cancer tricks the body into constantly growing new blood vessels so it can have a continuous supply of energy. This process, called angiogenesis, is driven by enzymes that have one nutrient in common: copper. Drive copper levels down, says Dr. Jeanne Wallace, who specializes in cancer and nutrition, and you may slow cancer growth. Her advice? “You don’t want to be cooking your food in copper kettles, wearing copper jewelry, taking supplements high in copper, or eating the foods that are elevated in copper, such as organ meats and shellfish.” Don’t worry about copper pennies; if they were made after 1982, they’re really 97.5 percent zinc.
