Although it’s chock full of nutrients, brown rice on it’s own can be a bit bland. Or I should really say, downright boring. However, if you opt for many of the store bought flavored rice you are also agreeing to an extraordinary amount of sodium and a guarantee to feel puffy and bloated. So, inspired by the lovely people at Chipotle, I decided to try my hand at making my own at home cilantro-lime brown rice!
First I rinsed the rice and toasted it to bring out more of the nutty flavor. Honestly, I didn’t even know that toasting rice was a thing! I always do this with my quinoa but trying it with rice was new to me. However, the internet said it was the way to go, and it’s never lied to me before, so I gave it a shot!
I chose to toast it in some butter because I have this delicious Spring Hill butter that I wanted to use. However, I actually think that coconut oil would have added a nice sweetness to the rice so I plan on giving that a try next time. I added the zest of one lime and toasted the rice until it was nice and brown and my whole house smelled amazing!
I threw the rice into my rice cooker with two parts water and cooked it until it was done. If you are cooking on the stove-top most brown rice cooks in about 40-50 minutes.
Finally, I took the cooked rice and added about 1/4 cup of chopped cilantro and the juice of one lime.
I mixed it up and it was done…and pretty beautiful if I do say so myself!
If you’re not a cilantro fan I think that the lime alone would add enough flavor. However, if you want even more flavor I would mix in a little cumin, garlic and oregano. Regardless, I can say that this is, hands-down, the best Mexican inspired brown rice made by a white girl from suburban Virginia! Enjoy!
Cilantro-Lime Brown Rice
- 1 cup brown rice
- 1 tbsp. butter or coconut oil
- 1 lime (zest and juice)
- 2 cups water
- 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
Toast the brown rice, butter/oil and lime zest in a skillet until golden brown and aromatic. Cook the rice and then combine it with the juice of 1 lime and 1/4 cup cilantro. Enjoy!
