If you are allergic to gluten, or simply prefer a healthy alternative to regular lasagna noodles, you might want to consider brown rice lasagna. There are a couple of ways you can achieve your goals while still creating a tasty dish everyone will love. You can purchase these gluten free noodles at many health food stores and some retailers, or in place of brown rice lasagna noodles you could simply use brown rice.
The first thing you want to choose is your sauce, do you want to create your own? Italian seasonings, tomato sauce, tomato paste, red onions, and garlic is a good start on a simmering pot of sauce. Of course, if time is an issue you can always pick up your favorite commercial spaghetti sauce.
Next you will want to determine whether you want to use brown rice or brown rice lasagna noodles. Either will make a great lasagna dish. Pre-cook your favorite, for lasagna noodles al dente is best and cook rice according to package instructions. Finally simply alternate your layers of ingredients, brown rice, sauce, cheese, rice, sauce etc…
Lasagna is much like a meatloaf in that practically anything goes! This traditional dish has even been made completely vegetarian by using a variety of vegetables, tofu, and other tasty ingredients.
What is Brown Rice?
Perhaps you are wondering how to make brown rice lasagna noodles or maybe you are simply curious about brown rice itself. Brown rice, which is also known as hulled rice, is partially milled or unmilled. It is a whole, natural grain. Brown rice has a subtle nutty flavor and is chewier than white rice. It is also more nutritious than white rice.
Brown rice contains the germ, the part removed to make white rice. For this reason, it does not store as long as white rice. Brown rice is associated with poverty or wartime shortages in much of Asia and was only eaten by the elderly and sick, as a cure for constipation. Today brown rice tends to cost more than white rice because it is in comparatively low supply and it does not keep for so long.
Brown versus White Rice
Brown and white rice have similar amounts of carbs, protein, and calories. The main difference is the nutritional content. When the husk is removed from a grain of rice, you get brown rice. If the next two layers, the bran and the germ, are also removed, you are left with white rice.
Removing these two layers also removes some of the vitamins and minerals. You can get “enriched white rice” which has some of the missing nutrients re-added, but you cannot re-add the magnesium. The oil in the removed bran layer is believed to lower cholesterol. Fiber and fatty acids are also lost when brown rice is converted to white.
If you want to know how to make brown rice lasagna noodles into a healthy meal but you only have white rice, ensure your lasagna also boasts plenty of fresh vegetables. That way you can be sure it will offer plenty of healthy nutrients whichever type of rice or pasta you are using.
