We all love a curry or rice pudding. Most towns have a zero waste shop where you could buy loose rice from refill stores. If so, then just take along your own reusable container. If you prefer to buy a ready-made brand, then Mr Organic has become one of the first to replace the plastic packaging with paper that is easy to recycle. These days you can recycle most plastic packaging at kerbside or at supermarket recycling bins, but this is obviously better. Try this burrito bowl recipe (Rainbow Plant Life).
Store rice in a cool dark place and only cook what you need. For leftovers, store them in the fridge in a covered container and use within 24 hours, as they are a food poisoning hazard after that. Before cooking, read up on food safety for people & pets (many human foods like onion, garlic, mushrooms, spices are unsafe around animal friends).
Miso mushroom risotto (Rainbow Plant Life)
Look for this brand in good health stores, farm shops and supermarket. It offers three versions:
- Long-grain brown rice is rich in nutrients with a subtle flavour. Use it in curries, stir-fries or soups.
- Basmati white rice is a long-grain nutty rice with an aromatic flavour. Its fluffy texture makes it ideal for stir-fries, pilafs and rice salads. Sushi rice is used for Japanese cuisines.
- Red lentil protein ‘rice’ is made from organic red lentil flour, and is a good alternative to rice or pasta for your favourite recipes. It’s high in protein and naturally colourful.
- Pudding rice is ideal for to make creamy rice pudding, a real comfort food favourite. Try it in recipes for Spiced rice pudding with baked plums or overnight rice pudding with strawberries.
Although brown rice has more nutrients, white rice is a good base to make a veggie curry, and organic rice is even better. A good eaten as the main food for 20% of the world’s population, it grows in paddy fields in Asia, where it is often combined as desserts (like mango with sticky rice).
M & S has also switched its plastic bags of basmati rice, red lentils and couscous to paper-based bags (the small plastic lining inside can be recycled with kerbside rice). Their Top-Tier Collection range (basmati, jasmine, paella and risotto rice) also have switched to paper boxes with measuring lids.
how to cook the perfect rice
Thai fried rice (Full of Plants)
Most of us usually end up ‘cooking rice for an army’ because we don’t measure it properly. The ideal way is simply to use a mug to avoid food waste. To cook, rinse cup of basmati rice in a sieve until the water runs clear (avoid for sticky rice) then cook in a saucepan (2 cups of cold water for each cup of rice), then bring to the boil and cook as instructions until water has absorbed. Use 1/2 cup more water for brown rice.
