Stock Your Pantry: Rice

Today, I want to give you a quick tip on something to keep in your pantry at all times - rice!

Rice is like a super food - it is super healthy, super cheap, super delicious and super easy to make. The average price you can expect to pay in the store for long grain white rice is usually around $1.50 for 2 lbs - sometimes less, depending on where you go.

If you use a lot of rice, go somewhere where you can buy it wholesale and you will pay practically nothing for a whole lot of rice (although I wouldn't suggest this if you live in a dorm - you wouldn't have anywhere to store it all!)

It is not just the price you pay at the counter that makes rice the budget cook's best friend. Rice is so versatile it can be used for almost anything. I have used rice for soups, stews, side dishes, main entrees, you name it! It is also very filling, which is a huge plus if you are pinching pennies.

 If you don't have large amounts of any one ingredient, you can throw them all together and fry it in a pan with some cooked rice, and it makes for a delicious and easy entree. When you are using rice, it doesn't take many ingredients at all to make a great meal or snack.

White rice is usually the best option because it has a very short cooking time - around 20 minutes. Brown rice - which is the healthier choice - actually takes between 45-50 minutes. So, if you often find yourself in a hurry, go with the white rice.

 If you are willing to wait, take the healthy road and go with the brown rice. Also, if you do decide to go with brown rice, you can cook lots of it on a day when you have some extra time on your hands and store it all in the fridge once it's cooked. This is actually a great idea for any kind of rice you are using, especially if you plan to make dishes like fried rice.

Additionally, rice is a great option for college life, considering rice cookers are allowed in most dorms.

Comment and share what you use rice to make!