Herb-Crusted Pork & Rice Skillet
Contributed by: News Canada
Summer Kitchen: Instant rice is nutritious for picky kids
(NC) - Familiarity is a friend when it comes to feeding kids. The little ones dig in easily to a plate of food they recognize - and are just as quick to push the more exotic foods away.
Simplicity is a relief for time-strapped schedules when most us count on all the shortcuts we can get. Serving simpler foods is far less demanding, say Canadian homemakers, as long as all the kid-approved favourites, like instant rice, are nutritious enough.
"Rice is the staple food for half the world's population," says Karen Scicluna at Ronzoni Foods Canada. "Those numbers make it pretty convincing that rice is indeed, wholesome and nutritious.
"Other than mixes, most rice, including instant is fat-free, cholesterol-free, gluten-free, and sodium-free," Scicluna explained. "Minute Rice, for example, is also a source of complex carbohydrates, as well as thiamin, niacin, and iron.
"Perhaps better still, you can serve a potful very quickly," she continued, "and it's a fluffy rice that everyone loves, every time."
Rice is also highly versatile - a taste you can mix and match with countless foods and flavours. Take a look at the recipes for example, at www.minuterice.ca. And, to make rice even more appealing for fussy eaters, says Scicluna, here are the foods that kids tell us they also like best:
- Corn
- Cheese
- Chicken
- Tuna
- Hamburger
- Peanut Butter
- Applesauce
- Turkey
- Peas & Carrots
- Grapes
Ingredients:
- 2 cups (500ml) MINUTE RICE, uncooked
- 4 bone-in pork chops 3/4 inch thick
- 2 Tsp. (10ml) Italian seasoning
- 1 Tbsp. (15ml) oil
- 1 (10-1/2oz) can (298 ml) condensed chicken broth
- 2 cups (500ml) frozen green beans
Directions:
Coat both sides of chops with Italian seasoning; set aside. Heat oil in large skillet on medium heat. Add pork chops; cover. Cook 4 to 5 minutes on each side or until lightly browned on both sides and cooked through. Remove from skillet; cover to keep warm.
Add chicken broth, beans and 1/2 cup (125ml) water to skillet; stir. Bring to boil.
Stir in MINUTE RICE. Top with chops; cover. Reduce heat to low; cook 5 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes.
Serving Size: Makes 4 Servings
