Save time by cooking, freezing brown rice

In a quest to get the recommended three servings a day of whole grains in our diets, we've been eating more brown rice. There's only one problem when you're desperate: Brown rice takes twice as long to cook as its white counterpart. Our solution is to cook a bunch all at once and freeze the extra for future meals.

Other than the extra cooking time, the basic process for preparing brown rice is exactly the same as for white rice. Just follow the instructions on the package, as some brands of brown rice require a little extra water and some don't.

We like to cook 2 cups of brown rice at a time, which yields 6 cups of cooked rice. Since we typically use 2 cups per meal to serve four as a side dish, we freeze the leftovers in 2-cup portions in zipper-top freezer bags. Just toss the cooked rice with a teaspoon of vegetable oil first.

When you're ready to use your frozen cooked rice, simply defrost it in the refrigerator overnight or in the microwave according to the manufacturer's defrost instructions.

If you're preparing your big batch of brown rice tonight, you can save time on today's recipe for Confetti Brown Rice Pilaf by cooking the pilaf vegetables in a small skillet while the rice is cooking. Next week, we'll share a recipe for one of our favorite brown-rice salads.

Menu suggestion: Purchased roasted chicken

Confetti Brown Rice Pilaf

Steamed broccoli spears

CONFETTI BROWN RICE PILAF

Start to finish: 12 minutes active preparation, plus about 30 minutes to cook the rice

2 teaspoons vegetable oil

1 large onion (for about 1 cup chopped)

2 teaspoons bottled minced garlic

1/4 cup pine nuts (see Cook's notes)

1 chicken bouillon cube

1/3 cup frozen yellow-corn kernels

1/3 cup frozen peas

2 cups cooked brown rice, defrosted if frozen (see Cook's notes)

Cook's notes: You can substitute slivered almonds, chopped walnuts or pecan pieces for the pine nuts.