What are some quick-cook alternatives to rice for dinner? Explore healthy and fast options like quinoa, daliya, and millets for your meals.
1 Answer
Quinoa, couscous, and cauliflower rice are excellent quick-cook alternatives to rice for dinner, offering similar versatility and cooking in under 20 minutes.
Detailed Explanation:
When you're short on time but still want a satisfying and healthy dinner, rice can sometimes feel like it takes too long to prepare. Fortunately, several grains and grain-like options cook much faster.
Quinoa: This complete protein cooks in about 15 minutes. Simply rinse the quinoa, combine it with water or broth (usually a 2:1 ratio of liquid to quinoa), bring it to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer until the liquid is absorbed.
Couscous: This tiny pasta cooks almost instantly. Just pour boiling water or broth over the couscous, cover it, and let it sit for about 5 minutes. Fluff it with a fork, and it's ready to go.
Cauliflower Rice: Made from finely chopped cauliflower, this low-carb option cooks in just a few minutes. You can sauté it in a pan with a little oil or steam it in the microwave. It's a great way to add vegetables to your meal.
Other options include bulgur wheat (which cooks in about 12 minutes) and even pre-cooked rice pouches, which can be heated in the microwave in just a couple of minutes.
Pro Tip:
To save even more time, pre-cook a batch of quinoa or couscous on the weekend and store it in the refrigerator. Then, you can simply reheat it when you're ready to eat. This works especially well for meal prepping.