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Low Calorie Rice Recipes Using Rice

Article by Sky Taylor, Diet Bites

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Rice, a Healthy Food in the Grain Group

At about 200 calories per cup for most varieties of rice, this whole grain food makes an excellent choice for the dieter.

And has Diet Bites got quite a recipe box filled with tasty, low calorie recipes that use rice as the base ingredient. With that said, let's look inside and see what delicious foods we can find....

Low Calorie Rice Recipes

Traditional Spanish Rice & Beans Recipe

This recipe takes mere moments to put together and the ingredients can be adjusted very easily to suit personal taste.

You will need the following ingredients for this recipe:

1 medium can of pinto, red or black beans (3 serving sizes)
2 cups of steamed white whole grain rice
1 Tablespoon of ground chili powder, 1 Teaspoon of ground cumin, chopped cilantro (all of these ingredients are optional)
1/2 cup of your favorite hot, medium or mild salsa
1/2 cup of chopped bell peppers plus 1/2 cup of chopped onions

Begin by sautéing the bell peppers and the onions. When they are tender, drain the beans and add to the pan. Next add the seasonings and the salsa. Finally, add the steamed rice. Stir to incorporate. Serve with whole grain tortilla shells.

Lower Calorie Cheesy Chicken & Rice Recipe

You will need the following ingredients for this recipe:

1 cup of cooked chicken breast, lean meat only with skin and any visible fat removed
2 cups of prepared white rice
1 Tablespoon of ground chili powder
1/2 cup of sauteed bell peppers, onions and celery
1 cup of reduced fat shredded cheese

Sautéed the tri-mix of vegetables then add the cooked chicken to the pan.  Add the chili powder and stir to coat ingredients. From here you can do any of the following for the completed dish:

- add the rice and cheese and stir to create a casserole type dish
- stir in the rice, transfer ingredients to a serving dish and top with the cheese
- or transfer the ingredients from the pan to a serving dish that is filled with the rice; spoon on top of the rice then top with cheese

Low Calorie Sauce Recipes for Rice

Brown rice tends to taste best when added to casseroles or served with light, reduced fat margarine rather than when topped with a sauce. Wild rice tends to be complimented where mushrooms are a recipe ingredient. A very quick and easy sauce recipe for wild rice is as follows.

Recipe for Mushroom Sauce, Reduced Calorie

Combine one small can of fat-reduced mushroom soup with only one-half the amount of recommended water - only substitute the water with skim milk. Add 1/3 cup of reduced fat sour cream.

Allow sauce to heat thoroughly and in a separate pan saute the following vegetables: 1/4 cup each of finely chopped celery, any variety of bell pepper and onion PLUS 1/2 cup of sliced fresh mushrooms. When clear, add this vegetable mixture to the mushroom soup along with 1 Tablespoonof Hormel Real Bacon Bits.

Spoon the mushroom sauce over wild rice or white whole grain rice.

Recipe for Orange Sauce Over Rice

This is so easy to prepare and takes white rice to another level. To prepare the sauce you will need the following ingredients:

2 oranges, fresh in raw state plus some grated rind
1 Tablespoon of Cornstarch or all-purpose flour (cornstarch works best with no lumping to fret about)
1 Tablespoon of Light, Reduced Fat Margarine
1 Teaspoon of Honey, local honey is your healthiest choice and may help to combat certain allergies you may experience
Shot of Vanilla Extract

Add the margarine to a non-stick pan and allow to melt on low heat. Too high - and it will scorch or burn, thus impacting the flavor of the dish in a negative way.

Squeeze the juice of the oranges through a strainer to catch any loose seeds - as you don't want to swallow these, or have your guests crunch into anything unexpected in your final dish. Add the honey and stir to incorporate.

In a tiny bowl add the cornstarch and a Tablespoon of water. Stir until the cornstarch is a smooth consistency. Add to the orange juice mixture and stir. After orange sauce thickens, add a bit of the orange rind and the vanilla extract. Spoon over white or wild rice. Continue

 

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