If you love rice and worry about calories you should try this method of cooking rice. It is simple and easy…

Yes, you can lower the calories in rice by changing how you cook it!

For the longest time I wanted to share with you about a method used to lower rice calories…not long ago a team of scientists from Sri Lanka have developed a simple way to cook rice that could reduce the calories absorbed by the body by up to 60%.

A little background…rice contains two types of starch: digestible and resistant. The digestible starches can be quickly broken down by our bodies, turn into glucose and store as fat if we do not burn it (increase weight or obesity). The resistant starch cannot be digested, they just pass through the large intestine therefore not absorbed by our body. Resistant starch shares some of the benefits of soluble fibers. The scientist developed a method of cooking rice which changes the digestible starch to resistant starch.

Why lowering the caloric content in rice is so important? Rice is the staple food for more than half of the world’s population, contains a lot of starch and it is used to make all kind of dishes savory as well as sweet, but worldwide obesity is increasing dramatically, therefore to be able to enjoy rice dishes without guilt, a simple addition of coconut oil can change its caloric content.

The original paper recipe is the following…

Ingredients:

• ½ cup white rice
• 1 teaspoon coconut oil
• 1 ¾ cups water or enough to cook the rice

Method:

In a pot, bring water to a boil.

Add coconut oil to pot, followed by the rice.

Cover, lower heat, and cook for 20 to 25 minutes.

Let rice cool, then chill in the fridge for at least 12 hours.

Reheat as necessary before serving using.

As for me, I love using my rice cooker, therefore I added into the cooking bowl, well rinsed rice, coconut oil and the appropriate amount of water according to the instructions of the rice cooker.

If you enjoy this simple method of cooking rice to lower its calorie, you might want to check on some of rice dishes such as Egg Fried Rice with Chinese Sausage.

Want to know more about it? The reason that rice cooked with coconut oil contain less calories are explained by the scientists…coconut oil enter the starch granule during cooking and changes the structure of the starch so they are no longer affected by the digestive enzyme from our body. Refrigerating the rice is important because it expels the digestible part of the starch, and once the digestible part is outside of the rice granule, these molecules form strong bonds turning them into resistant starch.

Interestingly, the amount of resistant starch did not change when the rice was reheated later. The cooling turns some of the digestible starches into resistant starches via a process called retrogradation. In order to cook lower calorie rice refrigerating it before reheating is crucial.

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This pasta recipe calls for lots of spinach…it is so tasty and pretty to look at. The pasta can served topped with any sauce you and your family like or just with your favorite cheese.

Let me make a confession, this is not my first pasta…I made egg pasta once before I attempted to make this spinach pasta. It was so much fun playing with the dough, passing the dough over and over again through the pasta machine. Cutting it using different settings that I forgot to take pictures…

I want this spinach pasta to be the “star” of this post, therefore, after I cooked I just served with a drizzle of olive oil and lots of shaved pecorino cheese…nothing fancy…

Since I made enough pasta for a big crowd, I froze them into small “nests” and already used most of it with different sauces.

Making pasta seems overwhelming, but in reality it is very simple. I did not buy the pasta attachment for the mixer…I decided to go for a manual one, to me it seems that I have more control over it than the one electrically powered.

Anyway, I am happy that I did get this pasta maker as recently I see many recipes that use pasta maker to roll bread dough…this will be my next experiment…

Ingredients:

• 1 lb fresh spinach leaves
• 200 g bread flour
• 200 g semolina
• Pinch salt
• 2 eggs

Method:

Steam the spinach leaves for about 3 minutes, the leaves should still be bright green and softened. Let cool slightly. Squeeze out the liquid as much as you can. Puree spinach in a food processor.

Add the flours and salt and mix until well combined. Add the eggs in the food processor until the dough comes together.

Transfer dough to a well-floured surface. Knead until smooth and elastic, 5 to 10 minutes, adding little flour if dough is still too sticky. Cover the dough with plastic film and let it rest for 1 to 2 hours.

Cut dough into 4 pieces. Work with one piece at a time, keep the other pieces covered. Flatten the dough, dust lightly with flour and feed through the pasta machine at its widest setting. Fold lengthwise into thirds and pass through again. Repeat a couple of times.

Set the pasta machine to the thickness you desire and pass the dough a couple of times, dusting flour as needed. Plate the pasta sheet on the counter as you work with the other pieces.

Pass the pasta sheet on the machine using the cutting attachment. Dust with flour as needed to they strands do not stick.
At this point you can cook the pasta or let it dry slightly on the rack, about ½ hour. Or make small nest (portion) and freeze.

Once the little nest of pasta are frozen, store in a airtight container.

When cooking frozen pasta, just place it in a boiling water and proceed as usual.

If you like spinach, you might want to check on Spinach with Ponzu Sauce or Sautee Spinach recipes.

Did you know that spinach is very rich in iron? Moreover, spinach are a very good source of vitamin K, A and C.

Thank you for stopping by Color Your Recipes…have a colorful week!

This is a simple recipe for an Asian inspired stir-fry wheatberries with eggs and Chinese sausage. Just by substituting rice for wheatberries you will have a healthy version of fried rice.

This is a very simple and fast recipe considering that you have cooked wheatberries. The recipe is similar to the Egg Fried Rice with Chinese Sausage…and it is great as a main dish since it contains veggies and protein.

Wheatberries are wheat, I mean the whole wheat kernel except the hull. I personally like to wash and soak the wheatberries before cooking, usually overnight. Wheatberries are chewy and packed with nutrients and dietary fiber, therefore much healthier than plain rice. So if you like wheatberry it is good to cook a big batch and use throughout the week in salad, soup or stir-fry.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup wheatberries
• 3 to 4 cups water
• Pinch salt
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 2 green onions finely chopped
• 3 Chinese sausages sliced
• 2 cups frozen vegetables, boiled and drained
• 2 eggs lightly beaten
• 1 ½ tablespoons oil, preferably vegetable oil
• Salt and pepper to taste

Method:

Wash and soak the wheatberries overnight.

Place the wheatberries into a medium pan and add 3 to 4 cups of water and a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer, and cover the pan. Simmer for approximately 30 to 35 minutes and check the texture of the grains. If the grains still hard cook until they reach a chewy texture.

Once the wheatberries reach the desire consistency, drain the berries and transfer to a bowl. At this point you can use the wheatberries by following the recipe or store in the refrigerator for later use.

In a wok heat the ½ tablespoon of oil and add both onions, until slightly brown. Add the sliced sausage and sauté for a couple of minutes. Remove from the wok and set aside.

In the same wok add remaining oil, and the cooked wheatberries under medium heat. Stir fry until the wheatberries are hot. Pour in the beaten egg and gently stir until all the wheat grains are covered with a thin layer of egg.

Add back the sausage mixture and the vegetables. Stir until the wheatberry mixture is well combined with the sausage and vegetables. Add Salt and pepper to taste.

Serve hot.

I hope you enjoy this simple and easy recipe using wheatberries. You might want to check here for more Asian Inspired Recipes.

Did you know that most of the vitamins from the wheatberries are derived from the bran? Wheatberries are a good source of magnesium, potassium, B vitamins and vitamin E.

Thank you for stopping by Color Your Recipes…have a colorful week!

This is a very simple and versatile recipe for Asian inspired fried rice.  Instead of sausage you can use bacon, ham or just egg. It is tasty and great as a side dish.

I love rice dish, and this one is so easy and simple to make, particularly if you have leftover rice. I added some Chinese sausage to this rice, but you can add chicken, pork, shrimp or even bacon…whatever your palate calls for. The nice about this stir fried rice is that the rice grains are covered with a thin layer of egg…yum!

This is sure a very simple dish to put together especially during this holiday season, where life seems busier than usual with parties, baking and lots of shopping…so get your ingredients ready and make sure that you make extra for your next day lunch…simply delicious!

Ingredients:

• Approximately 2 cups of cooked rice, preferably long grain
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce (optional)
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 2 green onions finely chopped
• 3 links Chinese sausages sliced
• 2 cups frozen vegetables, boiled and drained
• 2 eggs lightly beaten
• 1 ½ tablespoons oil, preferably vegetable oil
• Salt and pepper to taste

Method:

In a wok heat the ½ tablespoon of oil and add both onions, until slightly brown and add the soy sauce. Add the sliced sausage and sauté for a couple of minutes. Remove from the wok and set aside.

In the same wok add remaining oil, and the rice under medium heat. Make sure that all the grains are well separated. Stir fry until the rice is hot. Stir in the beaten egg and gently stir until all the rice grains are covered with a thin layer of egg.

Add back the sausage mixture and the vegetables. Stir until the rice mixture is well combined with the sausage and vegetables. Add Salt and pepper to taste.

Serve hot.

If you enjoy this simple egg fried rice dish, you might want to check on Kimchi Fried Rice recipe.

Did you know that Chinese sausage are slightly sweeter than your usual sausage? They are cured and dried, therefore these sausage can last longer. The ingredients for the Chinese sausage can vary, from chicken, pork, liver, duck, glutinous rice…you name it…or the combination of many ingredients.

Thank you for stopping by Color Your Recipes…have a colorful week!

This is a very simple and easy recipe with red quinoa and vegetables topped with saute shrimp. The combination of nutty quinoa and shrimp is just amazing.

This is a very simple recipe packed with protein…delicious nutty quinoa loaded with veggies, topped with a gingery, lemony shrimp. It is gluten free and very healthy!

I used frozen ginger and frozen lemon…I just find it very easy to store and use. Just grate the frozen ginger or lemon (whole) using a microplane grater/zester on the shrimp…it is clean and totally trouble free. No need to use any chopping board…

Oh! Apparently there is no difference between the red and the white quinoa in terms of nutritional values…but you might need to cook the red one a little longer than the white one and it seems a little more crunchy than the white one. So be my guest and use whatever color of quinoa you wish…white, red or black.

Ingredients:

• ½ cup red quinoa
• 1 tablespoon butter
• ½ tablespoon chicken bouillon, skip is using chicken broth
• 1 cup water or substitute with chicken broth
• 1 cup frozen vegetables of your choice

• ½ lb shrimp, shell removed and deveined
• 1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
• 1 teaspoon grated lemon (frozen lemon)
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• Cilantro to taste, chopped

Method:

Rinse the quinoa and set aside. In a small bowl place the shrimp, ginger, lemon zest, salt and pepper. Mix gently and place in the refrigerator while preparing the quinoa.

Boil the frozen vegetable according to the instruction in the package, make sure to not overcook it. Drain well and set aside.

Place the water with chicken bouillon in a medium pan with butter (skip the chicken bouillon if using chicken broth). Add the quinoa and bring to boil. Reduce the heat to simmer. Cover and cook until all the water is absorbed, it takes approximately 15 minutes.

Add the vegetables to the cooked quinoa and mix.

In a fry pan, medium to high heat add the olive oil wait until smoking Add the shrimps in a single layer and cook until all the edges turn pink. Flip each shrimp, making sure that they turn pink. Once cooked toss the chopped cilantro and remove the pan from the heat.

Place the quinoa with vegetables in a bowl and top with the shrimp…serve hot…enjoy!

If you enjoy this simple recipe using quinoa, you might want to check Steel Cut Oatmeal with Quinoa (for breakfast), Citrus Kale Salad with Quinoa (for lunch) and Meatloaf with Quinoa (for dinner).

Did you know that quinoa has a higher content in fat as compared to the other cereal grasses? These fats are monounsaturated fat and small amounts of omega-3 fatty acid, which are heart friendly fats.
Moreover, quinoa contains all nine essential amino acids needed in your diet and is high in fiber as well.

Thank you for stopping by Color Your Recipes…have a colorful week!

This is a very healthy recipe for steel cut oatmeal loaded with all kind of grains such as quinoa, flaxseed, hemp seed, chia seed, millet… It is so nice to start the day with this hearty warm bowl of cereal.

This is my almost everyday breakfast…it is very versatile in regards to what I can add on the oatmeal in the morning. Not only that, I get a mix of various grain in one bowl. My husband likes with dry fruits, nuts and cinnamon. I sometimes beside the “conventional” toppings I even have with “Chinese” preserved stuff, food that you normally see when having breakfast in Taiwan.

Since steel cut oatmeal takes almost ”forever” to cook, I prepared the night before and let it sit until morning. When I get up the next morning I just add a little more water or milk, bring to boil and it is ready…very simple!

I always keep an air tight container with a mix of steel cut oatmeal, quinoa white and black, flaxseed (white, dark or mixed) and chia seed…any especial ratio between them? Not really, whatever you like. So when it is time to cook, I just scoop according to what I need.

As you can see…I do not have any details to share…just place the oatmeal mix in a small pan, add approximately 1 to 1 ½ inch of water above the oatmeal. Let it boil and turn the heat off. Cover the pan. Next morning, mix the oatmeal with water or milk according to your like. Bring to boil and it is ready to serve.

I hope you enjoy this simple and easy way to prepared steel cut oatmeal loaded with nutritious ingredients. If you are looking for more recipes using oat or quinoa, you might want to check on Oatmeal Molasses Sandwich Bread or Citrus Kale Salad with Quinoa.

Did you know that oats are a good source of soluble fiber. Therefore, oats can help reduce cholesterol and keep blood sugar levels steady. Apparently there is not much difference in terms of nutrition between steel cup oats and rolled oats.

Thank you for stopping by Color Your Recipes…have a colorful week!

In spite of many people already feeling Fall, we are still enjoying summer. As a matter of fact, part of July and August were so overcast here that we thought that this year we would not have summer at all…luckily, summer is finally here at the South Bay. We have been spending a lot of time walking at the beach and enjoying the weather…with that being said, I am still in the mood for salad.

This is the first time that I made salad with kale. I usually make kale chips or add to soup….after seeing so many kale salads,  I decided to  eat it raw, and I felt in love with it, although I must admit that my husband did not care much for it. He is a little biased because he never liked kale and after baking loads and loads of kale chips he finally started to accept them…maybe after more batches of kale salad, he will acquire the taste for it…

Since kale is kind of chewy, I decided to add quinoa so the texture of the  kale could be masked by the soft and nutty flavor of quinoa. And citrus dressing was a natural way to break the bitterness of the kale…

Ingredients:

1 bunch of kale, I used the curly ones
5 to 6 tablespoon orange champagne muscat vinegar, I used the one from Trade Joe’s
½ red quinoa (or regular quinoa)
2 tablespoons olive oil
Dry cranberry to taste
Salt and pepper to taste
1 can of Mandarin oranges
Roasted sliced almond

Method:

Cook the quinoa according to the instruction on the package. Once cooked, let it cool and place in the refrigerator for approximately 1 to 2 hours.

In the meantime, remove the kale leaves from the ribs and torn the leaves into small pieces (1/2 inch). Wash thoroughly and spin it dry.

In a bowl, add the orange champagne muscat vinegar and using your hands, gently squeeze the kale leaves until tilted. Place in the refrigerator for 15 to 30 minutes.

Remove the kale leaves from the refrigerator and add all the ingredients but the toasted sliced almond and Mandarin oranges.

Mix until all the ingredients are well mixed.

Place in serving bowl and sprinkle with the toasted almond and Mandarin oranges.

If you enjoy this simple and quick recipe of kale salad you might want to check on Kale Chip or Quinoa Salad with Mint recipe.

Did you know that kale is super rich in vitamin K? Vitamin K is crucial for the body function but one has to be cautious since too much vitamin K can interfere with some anticoagulant medications. Moreover, kale contains oxalate which affects the absorption of calcium, therefore avoid eating calcium rich food with kale.

Thank you for stopping by Simple Recipes [dot] Me and have a great week!

This recipe was inspired from the one that I saw on Sissi’s blog, With a Glass, Kimchi Fried Rice, since then I wanted to make this kimchi fried rice. Well, I got a big jar of kimchi from Costco and here I am, for the very first time cooking with kimchi.

What is kimchi? Kimchi is a fermented dish which uses cabbage or radish, made with a mix of garlic, salt, vinegar, chili pepper and other spices. Yes, it is true, you might need to acquire the taste of it…especially the smell. Can you believe the kimchi is used in almost everything from soups to pizza topping and hamburger…yes, you read it right!

Anyway, once you get acquainted with the smell and taste you might even crave for it.

I pretty much adapt my “regular” fried rice recipe and just added kimchi to it.

Ingredients:

2 eggs, scrambled
2 chicken breasts cut into small cubes
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
½ tablespoon soy sauce
2 ½ tablespoon olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
½ tablespoon corn starch
1 small onion chopped
2 cups of cooked left over rice
2 ½ cups of frozen Soycutash from Trader Joe’s (or any frozen mixed vegetables)
½ to ¾ cup kimchi cut into bite size

Method:

Marinate the chicken breast with the garlic, soy sauce, ½ tablespoon olive oil, salt, pepper and corn starch. Let it sit for 5~10 minutes.

Quickly bring water to boil and cook the frozen vegetable as directed in the package, do not overcook. Drain and set aside.

In a wok sauté the chicken in 1 tablespoon of olive oil, browning slightly. Once the chicken is cooked set aside. In the same pan add one more tablespoon of olive oil and add the onion until slightly golden. Add the kimchi and mix gently, then add the rice, stir until well mixed.

Once the rice and kimchi are well blended, add the scrambled egg, veggies and the chicken. Stir gently until uniform. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Serve hot.

Did you know that kimchi in Korea is considered in “super food”? Kimchi is loaded of fiber, vitamins A, B and C and the main claim is due to the “healthy bacteria”, lactobacilli the ones that are found in yogurt, therefore helps digestion.

Thank you for stopping by Simple Recipes [dot] Me and have a great week!