Brown rice, but better

Sprouts are hardly news — I was learning to cook around the time that alfalfa sprouts began to appear in green salads and veggie sandwiches. But until recently I’d never heard of sprouted brown rice. These sprouts aren’t like the ones you put on a sandwich. Sprouted brown rice looks and feels like regular brown rice, and it must cooked for the same amount of time. But once cooked, it’s sweeter and more delicate than ordinary brown rice, and a little less chewy. Sprouting any grain increases its nutritional value by making its nutrients more bio-available, among them calcium. But it’s the flavor and texture of this new sprout that have gotten me hooked. If you’ve been hard pressed to get your family to embrace brown rice, this may be the way to go. Sprouted Brown Rice Bowl With Carrot and Hijiki Julienne carrots with hijiki seaweed is a traditional Japanese combination. Here I’ve added some tofu to bulk up the protein. Hijiki is an excellent source of iodine, vitamin K, folate and magnesium; the seaweed is soaked and simmered before cooking with the carrot and aromatics. 1/2 ounce (about 1/2 cup) dried hijiki 1 tablespoon soy sauce, preferably tamari (more to taste) 2 teaspoons mirin 1 tablespoon peanut oil or canola oil 1/2 pound firm tofu, cut in 1/2-by-1-inch dominoes 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon shredded or minced ginger 1/2 pound (2 large) carrots, cut in 2- or 3-inch long julienne Salt to taste (optional) 1 1/2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds 3 cups cooked sprouted brown rice 1 tablespoon dark sesame oil Sprouted brown rice is a packaged product that you can find in natural foods stores with other packaged grains. The grains are sprouted, then dried. It looks and cooks like regular brown rice. 1. Place the hijiki in a medium bowl, and cover with water. Soak 15 minutes, and drain. Place in a medium saucepan, and add just enough water to cover, along with 2 teaspoons of the soy sauce. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer 15 minutes. Drain. 2. Combine the remaining soy sauce and mirin in a small bowl, and place within reach of your wok or pan. Heat a 14-inch flat-bottomed wok or 12-inch steel skillet over high heat until a drop of water quickly evaporates from the pan. Swirl in the peanut or canola oil by adding it to the sides of the pan and then tilting the pan side to side. Add the tofu and stir-fry until lightly colored, one to two minutes. Add the ginger, and stir-fry for no more than 10 seconds. 3. Add the carrots, and stir-fry for one minute until they begin to soften. Add the hijiki, soy sauce and mirin. Continue to stir-fry for another two to three minutes until the carrots are crisp-tender. Stir in the sesame oil and rice, and toss together for a minute or two, pressing the rice into the sides of the wok before scooping and stirring. Transfer to a platter, sprinkle with sesame seeds and serve. Yield: Serves three to four. Advance preparation: This is a last minute stir-fry; however, you can prepare the hijiki through Step 1 several hours or even a day before you make the dish. Cooked sprouted brown rice will keep for three or four days in the refrigerator. Nutritional information per serving (three servings): 444 calories; 2 grams saturated fat; 7 grams polyunsaturated fat; 6 grams monounsaturated fat; 0 milligrams cholesterol; 61 grams carbohydrates; 9 grams dietary fiber; 447 milligrams sodium (does not include salt to taste); 13 grams protein Nutritional information per serving (four servings): 333 calories; 2 grams saturated fat; 5 grams polyunsaturated fat; 4 grams monounsaturated fat; 0 milligrams cholesterol; 46 grams carbohydrates; 7 grams dietary fiber; 335 milligrams sodium (does not include salt to taste); 10 grams protein