Power Rice Blend with Quinoa

I love finding ways to take an ordinary ingredient or dish and hiding a more nutritious ingredient without even noticing it. In this case, I take plain short grain white rice (Calrose rice), perfect for Asian dishes, and add the superfood quinoa to turn it into a power rice blend.

Quinoa is one of the few grains that has complete protein, meaning it contains all nine essential amino acids that your body can't produce on its own. But on its own, it can have a flavor and texture that isn't quite right as a perfect substitute for other grains. By blending it with rice, you now have a dish that is indistinguishable from plain rice, but the nutrition profile is exponentially better.

Note, I prefer white rice but this recipe would work just as well with brown rice. Just change the ratios and cooking time to match brown rice.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups short gain white rice
• 1/2 cup quinoa
• 2 cups water
• 1 1/2 tsp salt or 1 tbsp chicken or vegetable bullion (optional)

Directions

• Rinse rice and quinoa by soaking it in water then pouring through a colander.
• Add rice and quinoa to an 2 quart pot with the water and salt or bullion if using.
• Bring the water to a boil while stirring. Then reduce heat to low simmer and cover.
• Cook for 15 minutes then turn off heat and let sit for another 15 minutes. Do not open the lid until all 30 minutes have passed.
• Open the lid, fluff the rice and quinoa, and enjoy.