No-fail Healthy Sushi with Rice Select’s Sushi Rice plus Texmati Pecan Rice Stuffing/Casserole recipe

Professional sushi chefs, obviously, use the perfect sushi rice to make amazing sushi rolls.  Me, a homecook, only knew one thing…short grain rice and not minute rice (am sure some tried with this as well…and found out it didn’t work!) make sushi rice.  Wrong!  There is really “real sushi rice” now in the market.  And that is certainly good news to me.  I’m not a sushi person.  Oh let me clarify that.  I love the sushi rice but not the seafoods (most times raw), the wasabi (that spicy green stuff), the  nori sheets and the pickled ginger.   When my hubby (who really loves sushi) makes me sit down with him in a sushi restaurant, I would only order and enjoy California rolls with avocado and imitation crab…and the sticky, sweet and tangy sushi rice.

Dana Ziebart for Rice Select Products sent me 2 rice varieties to try out — Sushi Rice and Texmati Rice.  Thanks Dana!

That’s a good start to making sushi indeed…having the right sushi rice to cook and then season with rice vinegar.  I wasted no time…I was excited to make my first-ever Sushi rice and I wanted it done right.  I have a number of sushi recipes in my files and the ratio of water to sushi rice from one recipe to another just made me panic a bit.  Most recipes use a 1:1 ratio, equal parts water and rice.   But I wasn’t too confident how it would turn out.  So I followed Rice Select instruction at the back of the container and used 3 cups water to 2 cups sushi rice…it turned out perfect consistency.

Basic Sushi Rice Making
1.  Wash 2 cups sushi rice several times in the rice cooker pot and drain well.   Add 3 cups water.  Turn on and let rice finish cooking.   Remove pot from the rice cooker base and let stand covered for 15 minutes.

2.  Mix your sushi vinegar: 3 tablespoons rice vinegar, 2 tablespoons sugar and 1 teaspoon salt.  Stir to dissolve well.

3.  Transfer hot rice to a large mixing bowl.  Drizzle 1/4 of the sushi vinegar and mix (using cutting through and gentle folding motions) in to the rice.  Repeat until all sushi vinegar is used.

4.  Big help to remove excess moisture and create that shine in the rice is fanning it (yes, a hand fan, a cardboard, or a magazine).

Beginners to sushi-making should be using your Rice Select Sushi…it’s a very reliable product.

My hubby loves brown rice (I don’t) so I made Rice Select Texmati brown rice to go with a tomato-based chicken dish.  And he simply adored the rice, he ate them all, no leftovers.

Here’s sharing the press release…and a wonderful Texmati Pecan Rice Stuffing, yummy!

Recent research studies showed that US consumers who eat rice have healthier diets than non-rice eaters. Rice eaters consume less sugar and saturated fat, have a lower risk of high blood pressure and obesity and may be less likely to develop heart disease and type II diabetes. With that said, one company, Rice Select, is doing its part to keep America healthy this holiday season. It’s Texmati and Jasmati varieties are produced by American family farmers, are 100% organically grown (non-GMO seeds are used), naturally highly nutritious, gluten free, low in fat, cholesterol and sodium and both are certified Kosher by Star K. Texmati, the most widely recognized brand of aromatic rice in the US is available in white, brown and light brown varieties.

Rice the Essential Secret Behind Healthy Lifestyles the World Over

RiceSelect Helping Americans Achieve Health Benefits of a Mediterranean Diet with Award-Winning U.S. Grown Rice

When it comes to life expectancy, the United States ranks a dismal 50 on the CIA World Factbook’s rankings. Outliving Americans are people in places like Macau, Japan, Singapore and Hong Kong, all which place in the top 10. And what do all of these countries share in common? Their traditional diets rely heavily on rice. Rice Select, the producer of U.S.- grown, milled, and packaged rice like their Texmati rice , aims to improve Americans’ overall health, and thereby their life spans, with a full line of award-winning healthy rice products.

According to the Mayo Clinic, the staples behind a Mediterranean diet, which has been shown to reduce the risk of heart disease, cancer, Parkinson’s disease and Alzheimer’s disease, “traditionally includes fruits, vegetables, pasta and rice.” Additionally, the USA Rice Federation estimates that “rice is the primary dietary staple for more than half of the world’s population.” Not surprisingly then, the residents of the countries in which rice is a dietary staple often boast the longest life spans.

Production of rice is geographically concentrated in Western and Eastern Asia, with more than 90% of world output coming from these regions of the world. According to one agricultural researcher, “96% of the world’s rice is eaten in the area in which it is grown” therefore, the majority of Americans are missing out on the health benefits of this dietary staple.

Rice Select is setting out to change that situation with a line of U.S.-grown, milled and packaged rice products. More than 35 years ago, the makers of Rice Select introduced Texmati, the first basmati rice to be successfully grown in America. Since then, the company has added organic, whole grain, Royal Blend, Jasmati, Kasmati, Sushi, Arborio, Texmati rice medleys as well a couscous and orzo to its product offerings.

A flavorful, all-natural, aromatic rice, Texmati has earned Rice Select numerous accolades. It combines the qualities of basmati with those of traditional American long grain rice. Its delightful popcorn aroma and delicious nutty flavor have made Texmati the most widely recognized brand of aromatic rice in the United States. Texmati is available in white, brown and light brown varieties.

It’s not just its taste and flavor, however, that sets Texmati apart. The product is also a versatile pantry staple. In a Fitness & Nutrition column last year, the “New York Times” gave the thumbs-up to basmati rice. “Brown basmati is lighter and more delicate, and has a nuttier flavor, than regular brown rice. It works as a side dish, but I prefer to put it at the center of the plate in salads, gratins, stir-fries and dirty rice (beans and rice).”

Rice Select’s product line retails at national retailers including Kroger, Publix, Target, Safeway, Food Emporium, Winn-Dixie, Kings and countless others. For more information on all the healthful U.S.-grown rice products Rice Select offers, visit the company online at www.RiceSelect.com.

About Rice Select

Rice Select is a leading developer, producer, miller and marketer of specialty food products.  Texmati is the first basmati-type rice to be successfully grown in America. Rice Select’s other products include Jasmati, Kasmati, Arborio and Sushi, as well as, Royal Blends, Couscous, Orzo and Texmati Medleys. RiceSelect’s products can be purchased in more than 30,000 grocery stores in North America. For more information, please visit www.riceselect.com.

TEXMATI PECAN RICE STUFFING/CASSEROLE

4 cups cooked Texmati rice (brown)
¼ cup margarine
¾ cup chopped onions
¾ cup chopped celery
½ cup chopped parsley
½ cup golden raisins
½ teaspoon salt, or to taste
¼ teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon poultry seasoning

In large skillet, sauté onion and celery in margarine until tender. Stir in remaining ingredients, mixing well. Spoon into casserole, cover tightly and bake at 375F degrees for 15-20 minutes. Recipe may be doubled and used to stuff a 10-12 lb. turkey.  Serves 6 people.

Read more at Celebr-eat-y By Sarah Lee