An American Cooking in Estonia- Recipe Neli (4)- Brown Rice Pilaf that kids love!

I have been a bit swamped the last few weeks, and most of my deep writing energy is being consumed by a Fiction Writing course I started in September!

But, here is a post dedicated to something I believe in- healthy eating that tastes good!

I made a vow to myself that my kids would grow up eating everything whole grain - wheat bread, whole grain pasta, and brown rice! This was easy when they were young and knew nothing else. But, once they entered the world of school lunches filled with the possibility of everything white, it has become more of a challenge.

I experimented, gleaned from the great Armenian recipes for expert rice pilaf, and finally found a brown rice that my kids actually cheer about when it's on the menu {and it is almost once or twice a week}.

And, as you can see from this recent family pic, Oliver is eating his brown rice and nearly growing as tall as I am at 10 years old. So something must be working. And, as always, I am listing stores and products that I use and can be found in Tallinn, Estonia! I am sure you can find an easy equivalent in your city's markets.

Take a moment and enjoy the beautiful Fall! This is a nice recipe for autumn that can give you the energy you need to endure days filled with school, work and homework.

Brown Rice Pilaf

1. Heat olive oil in medium sized sauce pan. Add 1 cup of brown rice. I like to use this rice that I find at Marks and Spencer in Tallinn. It's long grain, and tastes great.

2. Sautee the brown rice in oil for five minutes - stirring every minute or so. The rice should take on more of a golden brown color. Be careful to not let the rice burn.

3. Add 3 cups of chicken broth to rice/ oil mixture and bring to boil. Also add salt and pepper to taste.
Let's face it, we don't always have time to make our own homemade broth. I use this chicken broth from Marks and Spencer.

I also like it because it has no preservatives, and has only the ingredients I would use at home.

If you don't have the broth, I will sometimes use this organic chicken bouillon cubes I found at Rimi market in Tallinn.

4. Cover the sauce pan with the lid and reduce the heat to low. Let the rice simmer, covered for 30 to 40 minutes or until chicken broth is absorbed.

5. Fluff the rice with a spoon or fork and serve! Great taste with no guilt!