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Brown rice is an excellent choice for any diet, but with such a long cooking time, most people avoid using it.  A few months ago I found a fully cooked brown rice in the frozen section of the grocery store and was very happy.  The package contained four individual packets of rice.  Wow!  Brown rice, no work, you have to love that!  So, now you can find the brown rice, what should you do with it?

I found I really love a rice dish that Ina Garten made over at Food TV.  I did change the recipe slightly, Ina calls for champagne or rice wine vinegar in this recipe, I went for the sweeter balsamic.  I found the balsamic really highlighted the flavors of the tomatoes and basil well.  It’s a very simple recipe and great as a side dish.  So here’s the recipe. 

Brown Rice, Tomatoes, and Basil

1 cup Texmati brown rice (You can use frozen)
2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
1/4 cup Champagne or rice wine vinegar (I used balsamic vinegar, instead)
2 teaspoons sugar
1 tablespoon good olive oil
Freshly ground black pepper
1 pound ripe tomatoes, large-diced
1 cup packed basil leaves (1 large bunch), chopped

Bring 2 1/4 cups water to a boil and add the rice and 1 teaspoon of the salt. Return to a boil, cover, and simmer for 30 to 40 minutes, until the rice is tender and all the water is absorbed. Transfer the rice to a bowl. ***(Or you can skip this step and use already prepared frozen brown rice in the grocery store)***

Whisk together the vinegar, sugar, olive oil, remaining teaspoon of salt, and a pinch of pepper. Pour over the rice. Add the tomatoes and basil. Mix well and check the seasonings. Serve at room temperature.