Another quick and easy side dish made in 5 minutes. Mushroom Rice. It was this Sunday afternoon when I needed a quick side dish to go with my Chicken Provencal quick-in-a-pan in 30 min recipe.
Rice goes perfectly well with meat and I love these microwavable pouches. They are so convenient sometimes! Since I had half a Portobello mushroom in the fridge, it was crystal clear: Mushroom rice!
I only needed for two people and one of this pouches is just perfect for that. I am all about fresh ingredients and from-scratch cooking so not a fan of ‘packed’ stuff. However, I also think perfection is in ‘balance’. Check out this article further down where I write about the healthiness of these pouches.
Ingredients for 2 people – Quick Mushroom Rice side dish
- Packet of Wholegrain Microwaveable Rice
- Half a Portobello Mushroom (or a handful of other mushrooms)
- Half an onion
- 1 garlic clove
- 1/3 of a Chicken Stock Cube
- 2 Tbsp of water
- Salt, pepper, Olive Oil
How to Make this Quick and Easy Mushroom Rice:
Watch the video here below:
Step 1
Chop the onion and mushroom really small.
Step 2
Mix the Stock cube and the water ready.
Step 3
Heat a splash of Olive oil in a pan and add onion and mushrooms. Season with salt and pepper at taste.
Step 4
Add the rice and the stock. Distribute evenly and mix it up.
Step 5
Literally wait 2 min and it is done and ready to serve.
Are Microwavable Rice Pouches Healthy?
I did wonder this myself so I did a bit of research. The first thing to look at are ingredients list and look to see what exactly is in the pouch. If the list is mostly made up of healthy ingredients like brown rice, vegetables, and spices, then the pouch is likely a healthier option than one made with white rice, processed meats or artificial flavoring.
The one I used in this recipe comes from Lidl. It has 98% Cooked wholegrain rice and (I assume) 2% Rapeseed Oil… oh well, red flag for me. I try to avoid these oils at all cost. Now… how often do I eat one of these pouches? Believe me, less than once a month.
So, for me, the punctual convenience outranks that little amount of oil.
There is a second consideration is how the rice is cooked. Microwaving rice can lead to the formation of acrylamide, a carcinogen, so it is important to make sure that the rice is cooked properly to minimize this risk. And therefore, I like to heat it up in a pan instead.
Third, you must consider what else you are eating with the rice pouch. If it is part of a balanced meal with lean protein and vegetables, then it is a healthy choice.
In this case, as you can see I ate it with a delicious cooked-from-scratch Chicken Provencal in a pan… so the verdict is: OK for a quick and easy occasional side dish.
What Can You add to a Microwavable Rice pouch?
Well, this is the greatness of it, in my opinion. I tend not to buy the pouches already mixed with other stuff in case of nasty additives are there. So getting plain rice will give you the chance to create amazing side dishes.
Spices are your best friend for this and, as I usually do, any leftovers you find in your fridge.
For example, you could add some sauteed vegetables, like onions, peppers… Or, you could add some cooked chicken or shrimp. You could also add some cheese, like mozzarella or cheddar (kids love this!).
Finally, you could garnish it with some chopped green onions or parsley. Basically, the possibilities are endless!
So, get creative and see what you can come up with to make your microwavable rice pouch more exciting.
Check out my GLUTEN FREE CRUSTY ARTISAN BREAD [No Kneading!] recipe here.
