Five Clever Ways to Use Leftover Rice--Including Brown Rice Pie Crust

My fridge always seems to be filled with a revolving collection of leftover rice. No sooner have I managed to incorporate the remains into a new meal, the shelf refills with more. My husband loves rice so much he sometimes begs for it, and all this leads to eternal remnants. Do you have this problem? Thought so! Let's chat about ways to use up that rice!

I have come to see that leftovers are a valuable commodity, since if I use them well they can be the basis of another meal, with minimal effort. Here are five ideas:

1. Brown Rice Pancakes--use up your leftovers the very next morning to make a hearty breakfast. These pancakes are easy, whole grained, and delicious.



2. Brown Rice Pie Crust--the recipe is below. You can use this pie crust for any of your favourite quiches. Or try my spinach version. The egg helps it stick together. Amazingly, it lifts right out of the pie dish and onto your plate with no little rice escapees.



3. Rice Salad--salads with whole grains are so satisfying since you stay fuller longer. A rice salad makes a good lunch box or a quick meal when you're at home. Just chop up a few veggies, and toss with a fair amount of dressing. You can be liberal with the dressing, since leftover rice can be a bit too dry without help.



4. Egg-Fried Rice--the mainstay of bachelors, egg-fried rice is an easy dinner. Chop up a bit of onion, carrot, add some peas, or whatever odd vegetables are lurking around. Fry with the rice. When it's all hot, clear a bit of the pan in the middle and pour in one or two whisked eggs. Let them set and then scramble them into the rice. Add soy sauce and you're ready for dinner. And Stacy at Little Blue Hen has posted an amazing kimchi fried rice that I can't wait to try.

5. Struan Bread--cooked rice makes a great add-in for bread. This clever recipe also includes oats, bran, and whole wheat flour; it's a favourite of mine. But you can also add cooked rice to any bread recipe--just add in up to 1/2 c (75 g) cooked rice when you are mixing.

Brown Rice Pie Crust
makes one 8" or 9" (20 cm or 23 cm) crust

1 1/2 c or 2 c (240 g or 300 g) cooked rice (depending on the size of the crust you want to make)
1 egg
salt and pepper

Mix all the ingredients in a bowl.
Press into an ungreased pie dish.
Bake (without filling) at 350 F (180 C) for 10 minutes.
Use for your favourite quiche recipe.

Now, tell us, what is your clever way of using up leftovers?

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