Brown Rice Breakfast Porridge

This yummy warm brown rice breakfast porridge is a great way to use leftover brown rice, or what I like to do is make a batch of brown rice in my multipot to last a few days and store it in the fridge. That way I can just grab my rice and go first thing in the morning. It’s a great spin on, and nice change from traditional oatmeal.

Brown rice with its outermost layer, the hull intact, is loaded with nutrients like B vitamins, magnesium, potassium, and manganese. There are 5 grams of protein per cup of rice, and the dietary fiber keeps you nice and full. It’s a very satisfying and healthy way to start your day!

I am partial to the crunchy and somewhat sticky texture of short grain brown rice, but if you like your rice less sticky just use long grain, either one works well. It’s important to remember to soak your brown rice before cooking it so it’s more digestible, and also to get rid of the phytic acid that naturally occurs and can block the absorption of certain minerals in the body. It also prevents a mushy texture.

Soaking is easy: There are two methods you can choose from. Depending on how much rice you’re preparing, you can place it in a bowl or container like a mason jar that can be covered. Add twice the amount of warm water (You can eyeball doesn’t need to be exact) then add 1 tsp apple cider vinegar per 2 cups water, or so. Cover and let soak on kitchen counter for at least 8 hours, overnight to 24 hours is best.

Alternatively, or if you are short on time just place your rice in the container you’re cooking it in and rinse with water while sifting your hand around. Drain water and repeat this process until the water runs clear.

Brown Rice Breakfast Porridge

INGREDIENTS 

• 2 cups leftover brown rice
• 1/4 cup water OR almond milk OR coconut milk
• 1 Tbsp honey
• 1 tsp maple syrup
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• pinch of sea salt
• berries or fruit of choice

DIRECTIONS

1. Add rice, liquid, sweeteners, cinnamon, and salt to a pan over medium low heat
2. If using firm fruit like apple, dice and add now
3. Stir to mix everything well
4. Bring to a boil, then simmer on low heat
5. Continue cooking about 5-10 minutes until desired consistency
6. If using softer fruit like berries, turn off heat and mix in now
7. Enjoy hot!

Note: This will serve 3 so to make an individual serving just cut the ingredients in half. Once it’s in the bowl I like to top it off with things like coconut oil, chia seeds, pecans, and walnuts. To experiment with different types of fruit, just keep the firmness in mind when cooking, Add firmer fruit at the beginning of cooking and softer fruit at the end of cooking, or after finished cooking.

Also you can substitute your sweetener of choice for the maple syrup, and honey. If I’m in the mood for less sugar I will adjust the amount of sweetener, or sometimes use none at all. That’s the great thing about this recipe, it’s both simple and versatile. I hope you enjoy!