HOME COOK : Going With the Grain

Most Americans think of rice as something that is steamed, boiled or served in soups. A little imagination, however, can go a long way toward creating some imaginative dishes that highlight this universal staple.

Feathered rice comes from “The New California Cook Book” by Genevieve Callahan. Here the rice puffs up until it is light, fluffy and quite unlike ordinary rice. It has a delicious toasted flavor. You may make this with either white or brown long-grain rice.

Vegetable Paella is like a great minestrone when it is made right. In “The Foods & Wines of Spain,” author Penelope Casas decries the misuse of the word paella , which has come to mean rice cooked with shellfish and chicken. Basically, though, the word refers to the shallow oval pan with handles at both ends in which the rice is cooked, and thus to the technique of boiling rice with a large exposed surface, rather than to a specific recipe. Paella can include all sorts of ingredients; however, Casas says it is imperative to use a short-grain rice. The pearl rice grown in California works well.

The dessert that always comes to mind with rice dishes is a simple fresh fruit or this Baked Pineapple. Baking pineapple with a little brown sugar gives it a softer texture and a subtle caramel taste that smoothes out the starchiness of rice.

FEATHERED RICE

1 cup white long-grain rice or brown rice

1 teaspoon salt

2 1/2 cups water, boiling

Spread out rice in shallow baking pan. Bake at 400 degrees, stirring occasionally, until golden brown. Place rice in casserole. Add salt and boiling water, cover with tight-fitting lid and bake 20 minutes. If using brown rice, allow 30 to 40 minutes to cook. Serve hot. Makes 4 servings.

Each serving contains about:

168 calories; 592 mg sodium; 0 cholesterol; 0 fat; 37 grams carbohydrates; 3 grams protein; 0.14 gram fiber.

VEGETABLE PAELLA

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 onions, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 1/2 pound tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped

6 medium artichoke hearts, frozen or canned, drained and sliced

2 green peppers, sliced

2 cups green beans cut into 2-inch pieces

1 cup green peas

6 cups chicken broth

1 teaspoon ground turmeric

1/4 cup minced parsley

Salt

1 pound medium- or short-grain white rice (Calrose or arborio)

Parsley leaves for garnish

Heat olive oil in large wide flat-bottomed pan or paella pan. Add onions and garlic and cook until onions are tender. Add tomatoes and cook another 2 minutes. Add artichoke hearts, green peppers, green beans, peas and 2 cups chicken broth and simmer, covered, 10 minutes.

Add turmeric, minced parsley, salt to taste, rice and remainder of chicken broth. Mix well. Cook, covered, over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, about 20 minutes, or until rice is done and liquid has evaporated. Serve garnished with parsley leaves. Makes 6 servings.

Each serving contains about:

406 calories; 885 mg sodium; 1 mg cholesterol; 7 grams fat; 73 grams carbohydrates; 14 grams protein; 2.78 grams fiber.

BAKED PINEAPPLE

1 medium pineapple

1/2 cup light-brown sugar

Remove rind and eyes from pineapple. Cut fruit into quarters lengthwise and remove core from each wedge. Cut each quarter in half lengthwise. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon brown sugar over each slice. Place slices on baking sheet and bake at 325 degrees 30 minutes. Serve warm. Makes 8 servings.

Each serving contains about:

86 calories; 4 mg sodium; 0 cholesterol; 0 fat; 22 grams carbohydrates; 0 protein; 0.57 gram fiber.