Green tea and rice, baked? At first glance, that may seem more like a ceramic project you’d put into a kiln and pray it comes out right. But look a little closer, and you’ll see the insight of my brilliant colleague Catherine McConkie. We fiddled with this dish forever, and then Catherine suggested we bake it. That might seem strange, but baking rice is common in restaurants where large batches are made, and it guarantees perfect texture. It’s a slightly longer process, but the baking completely neutralizes the green tea’s sometimes astringent flavor, while allowing all of its wonderful nutrients to permeate the rice.

　　

Ingredients

serves 4

　　1 cup brown basmati rice

　　Juice of 1/2 lemon

　　1 cup green tea (brewed for 10 minutes)

　　1 cup Magic Mineral Broth (page 54)

　　1/2 teaspoon sea salt

　　1/4 cup sliced scallions, green part only, cut thinly on a diagonal

　　

Step 1

Place the rice in a pan or bowl with the lemon juice and water to cover and soak overnight, or for at least 8 hours.

　　

Step 2

Preheat the oven to 375°F.

　　

Step 3

Drain the rice in a fine-mesh sieve and rinse well under running cold water. Put the rice in a 2-quart casserole dish or other baking dish with a fitted lid. Pour the tea and broth over the rice, add the salt, and carefully stir. Cover and bake for 40 to 60 minutes, until the rice is tender and has absorbed all of the moisture. Fluff with a fork, then add the scallions and fluff again.

　　

variation

Step 4

If you’d rather cook this dish on the stovetop, here’s how: Bring the tea and broth to a boil in a saucepan, then stir in the rice and salt. Lower the heat, cover, and simmer for 25 minutes. Check the rice, and if there are steam holes in the top, it’s ready; if not, cook for about 5 minutes more. Remove from the heat, fluff with a fork, then add the scallions and fluff again. This recipe also works well in a rice cooker; just add all of the ingredients and press the cook button.

　　

storage

Step 5

Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 5 days, or in the freezer for 1 month.

　　

nutrition information

Step 6

(per serving)

　　

Step 7

Calories: 175

　　

Step 8

Total Fat: 1.1g (0g saturated, 0g monounsaturated)

　　

Step 9

Carbohydrates: 36g

　　

Step 10

Protein: 3g

　　

Step 11

Fiber: 2g

　　

Step 12

Sodium: 330mg

　　

WHO KNEW? Copper Calamaties

Step 13

When a well runs dry, it only makes sense to dig a new well if you’re looking for life-sustaining water. Similarly, cancer tricks the body into constantly growing new blood vessels so it can have a continuous supply of energy. This process, called angiogenesis, is driven by enzymes that have one nutrient in common: copper. Drive copper levels down, says Dr. Jeanne Wallace, who specializes in cancer and nutrition, and you may slow cancer growth. Her advice? “You don’t want to be cooking your food in copper kettles, wearing copper jewelry, taking supplements high in copper, or eating the foods that are elevated in copper, such as organ meats and shellfish.” Don’t worry about copper pennies; if they were made after 1982, they’re really 97.5 percent zinc.

　　Excerpted from The Cancer Fighting Kitchen, copyright 2017 by Rebecca Katz and Met Edelson. Published with permission by Ten Speed Press.