FROM THE RECIPE BOOK "POSH RICE" BY EMILY KYDD

Perfect Brown Rice

The fool proof way to cook brown rice. Comes out perfect every time!

Bring water to a boil. Once water is boiling, add brown rice, cover, and reduce to simmer. Simmer for 45 minutes, without opening pot. After 45 minutes, turn off heat and let sit for 15 minutes. DO NOT OPEN POT UNTIL 15 MINUTES ARE OVER. Open pot and fluff perfect rice.

OPTIONAL: Add 1 tbsp butter and fresh herbs.

Serves 3 • Takes 65 minutes

• 2 1⁄4 cups water
• 1 cup brown rice

Chicken & Mango Rice Slaw

Make a slaw more of a meal by adding rice. Mango chutney is an underrated ingredient, and here it is used to brighten the dressing and add depth of flavour.

• 150g (3/4 cup plus 1 tbsp) brown rice
• 25g (1/2 cup) coconut flakes
• 1 tsp nigella seeds
• 1 large carrot
• 200g (7oz) red cabbage, shredded
• 1 small red onion, finely sliced
• 1 small mango, sliced
• 2 ready-roasted chicken legs, shredded
• handful chives, finely chopped
• salt & freshly ground pepper

For the dressing
• 3-4 tbsp mango chutney
• 100g (4oz) Greek yoghurt
• zest & juice 1 lime

       Cook the rice in salted water according to the instructions. Drain, then spread it out on a tray and leave to cool.    
       Heat a small frying pan and toast coconut flakes until golden brown. Then tip into a bowl. Spoon nigella seeds into the pan and lightly toast, then add to the coconut flakes. Combine the dressing ingredients in a small bowl.
       In a large bowl, mix together the carrot, cabbage, onion, mango, chicken and cooled rice. Stir through the dressing, taste and season, then transfer to a serving dish. Scatter over the coconut flakes, nigella seeds and chives.

TIP: To roast your own chicken legs, preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/gas 6. Rub two chicken legs with olive oil, season and roast for 40-45 minutes, or until cooked through.

Serves 4 • Takes about 50 minutes

Mexican Brown Rice

With its firm texture, brown rice is a great salad base. Add sweet tomatoes and sweetcorn, salty feta and a tangy lime dressing for a dish that’s bursting with sunshine.

• 250g (1 1/4 cups) brown rice
• 2 sweetcorn cobs
• 250g (9oz) mixed baby tomatoes
• 1 large red onion, finely chopped
• 1/2 small bunch mint, roughly chopped
• 1/2 small bunch coriander (cilantro), roughly chopped
• 1/2 small bunch flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped
• 150g (5 1/2oz) feta, broken into chunks
• salt & freshly ground pepper

For the dressing
• 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• zest & juice 2 limes
• 1 green chili, deseeded & finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed

       Cook the rice in salted water according to the instructions. Drain, then spread it out on a tray and leave to cool.
       Meanwhile, bring a pan of water to the boil and cook the corn cobs for 10-15 minutes until tender. Drain and leave to cool. Mix all the dressing ingredients together in a bowl and season.   
       Slice the kernels from the cobs and tip them into a large bowl. Add the rice and remaining ingredients, except for the feta. Pour over the dressing and toss everything together. Divide between plates and crumble over the feta.

Serves 4-6 • Takes 35 minutes        

Roasted Vegetable Pesto Rice

The pesto dressing doesn't include cheese, so if you want to make the salad vegan, just leave out the Parmison shavings at the end.

• 1 large courgette (zucchini), sliced into 5mm (1/4in) rounds
• 1 red onion, cut into wedges
• 1 aubergine (eggplant), cut into 1.5cm (1/2in) cubes
• 2 (bell) peppers (red or yellow, or a mix), cut into chunks
• 2 1/2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 250g (1 1/3 cups) brown rice
• 100g (3 1/2oz) spinach, roughly sliced
• 25g (1oz) Parmesan shavings
• salt & freshly ground pepper

For the pesto
• 50g (2oz) almonds
• 50g (2oz) basil leaves
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• zest 1/2 lemon & a squeeze of juice

       Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/gas 6. Toss the courgette, onion, aubergine and red and yellow peppers in 2 1/2 tbsp oil with some seasoning. Tip onto parchment-lined baking trays, spreading out to a single layer. Roast for 35-45 minutes until golden and beginning to caramelize.
       Meanwhile cook the rice according to the instructions. Drain, then spread it out on a tray and leave to cool.
       To make the pesto, toast the almonds in the oven for 5-8 minutes until golden, then tip them into the small bowl of a food processor. Add the basil, garlic, 3 tbsp  oil, plenty of seasoning and 4-5 tbsp  water, and the lemon zest and juice. Blitz until smooth. Stir 5 tbsp of the dressing through the rice, along with the spinach. Taste and season, then arrange on a serving plate. Spoon over the vegetables and drizzle over the remaining dressing. Top with Parmesan shavings and grind over some black pepper.

Serves 6 • Takes about 50 minutes

Rice Stuffed Peppers

A classic recipe, these peppers are  proper comfort food. Any leftovers are great served cold the next day.

• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
• 1 onion finely chopped
• 2 large garlic cloves, crushed
• 150g (3/4 cup) brown rice
• 600ml (1 1/4 pints) hot lamb or beef stock
• 6 mixed color (bell) peppers
• 2 tsp allspice
• 250g (9oz) lamb mince
• 50g (2oz) pine nuts, toasted
• 2 tbsp tomato purée
• 50g (2oz) raisins
• 1 small bunch parsley, finely chopped
• 2 tsp salt
• freshly ground pepper

For the yoghurt
• 250g (9oz) Greek yoghurt
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• handful dill, finely chopped

       Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/gas 6. Heat the oil in a frying pan and cook the onion for about 8 minutes until softened. Add the garlic and rice and stir. Turn the heat down and pour in 150ml (5fl oz) of the stock. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes until all the water has been absorbed. Tip into a large bowl and leave too cool.
       Slice the tops from the peppers, reserving the lids, and scoop out the seeds and core. Place in a casserole dish – trim the bottoms without making any holes to make them stand, if needed.
        Add the allspice, lamb mince, pinenuts, tomato purée, raisins and parsley to the cooled rice, along with 150ml (5fl oz) of the stock, the salt and some black pepper. Spoon into the peppers, packing the mixture down. Pour over a little of the stock, then pop the pepper lid back on. Drizzle generously with oil and pour the remaining stock into the bottom of the dish. Cover with foil and bake for 45 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for a further 20 minutes.
       Meanwhile, mix together the yoghurt, garlic, dill and some seasoning and serve alongside the peppers.

Serves 6 • Takes about 30 minutes

Smoky Spanish Rice

This dish can be thrown together with whatever vegetables you have to hand. Try using aubergine (eggplant), courgette (zucchini) or butternut squash. Make sure you use a sweet smoked paprika, otherwise it may be too bitter.

• 1 large bulb fennel, cut into 2.5 cm (1 in) chunks
• 2 romano peppers, thickly sliced
• 400g (14oz) can artichoke's, drained and halved
• 3 large garlic clothes, thickly sliced
• 1 tsp fennel seeds, lightly crushed
• 2 tsp sweet smoked paprika
• 3–4 tbsp olive oil • 25g (1oz) butter
• 1 large onion, thinly sliced
• 200g (1 cup plus 1 tbsp) brown rice
• peeled zest 1/2 lemon, plus lemon wedges to serve
• 400ml (14fl oz) hot vegetable stock
• 3 tbsp capers, drained
• 1 small bunch parsley, roughly chopped
• salt and freshly ground black pepper

       Preheat the oven to 200*C/400*F/gas 6. Tip the fennel, peppers, artichokes, garlic, fennel seeds, paprika and seasonings into a large tray lined with baking parchment. Drizzle over 2 tbsp of the oil, toss together and spread out in a single layer. Roast for 20 minutes.
       Meanwhile, heat the butter and the remaining oil in a large lidded frying pan. Add the onion and cook for 5 minutes until softened. Tip in the rice, lemon zest and seasoning and stir for 2 minutes. Pour over the stock, bring to the boil, then turn the heat down. Cover and simmer gently for 20 minutes, or until al dente.
       After the vegetables have been roasting for 20 minutes, stir through the capers in roast for a further 20 minutes.
       Once the rice is al dente, increase the heat and cook for a further 5 minutes to crisp the base. Remove from the heat and set aside for5 minutes. Top the rice with roasted vegetables, sprinkle over the parsley and serve with lemon wedges.

Serves 3–4 • Takes about 1 hour

Caramelized Bananas & Brown Rice Pudding

Commonly served for breakfast in parts of Southeast Asia, this also makes a wonderful dessert. Once cooked, the brown rice retains some bite and has a nutty taste that goes perfectly with the caramelized banana and cool coconut yoghurt.

• 100g (1/2 cup) brown rice
• 400ml (14fl oz) coconut milk from a carton (not full–fat from a can)
• 4 1/2–5 tbsp soft palm or coconut sugar
• 3 tbsp coconut flakes
• 2 ripe bananas, sickly sliced coconut milk yoghurt, to serve salt

       Soak the rice in warm water for at least 30 minutes, then drain. Bring 300ml (10fl oz) of the coconut milk to a simmer. Add the rice and a pinch of salt, cover and simmer for 25–30 minutes, or until the rice is cooked. Stir through 1 1/2–2 tbsp of the sugar, depending on taste, and the remaining coconut milk. Cover and set aside.
       Toast the coconut flakes in a frying pan until golden, then transfer to a bowl. Heat the remaining sugar with a pinch of salt in the frying pan over a medium–high heat. Once melted and bubbly, add the banana slices and cook for about 1–2 minutes on each side until caramelized.
       Serve the warm pudding in bowls with a dollop of cold coconut yoghurt, the caramelized bananas and coconut flakes.

Serves 2 • Takes 40 minutes, plus soaking