Healthy Budget Rice Recipes

In this healthy chicken with red pepper cream sauce recipe, roasted red pepper and chipotle give this creamy sauce a beautiful red hue and give it a slightly sweet and smoky flavor. The sauce can be made ahead, then served with seared chicken, as we do in this recipe, or with grilled fish or ravioli. This recipe makes more Cream Sauce without the Cream than you'll need for the red pepper sauce. Refrigerate or freeze the extra sauce and use it in place of heavy cream in any sauce or soup that calls for cream.

Arroz con pollo, or chicken cooked with rice, is a common dish in Spain, Latin America and the Caribbean. We use quick-cooking brown rice here to help you get this on the table in just 40 minutes. Serve with a mixed green salad tossed with cilantro-lime vinaigrette.

In this healthy fried rice recipe, chicken, bok choy and carrots are tossed with Cantonese oyster sauce for a delicious one-bowl dinner. If you don't have leftover cooked rice on hand, be sure to thoroughly cool your rice before adding it to the wok--if it's too warm, it creates too much steam and sticks to the wok. To quickly cool warm rice, spread out on a large baking sheet and refrigerate while you prep the rest of your ingredients, about 15 minutes.

Start the day off right with a healthy combo of brown rice, beets, avocado, arugula and eggs in this delicious breakfast bowl recipe from Bobbi Brown's book Beauty from the Inside Out. Prep everything the evening before (minus the eggs) to make the morning a breeze. (Recipe developed by Lily Kunin for Bobbi Brown's Beauty from the Inside Out, Chronicle Books, copyright 2017.)

This Thai fried rice recipe is flavored with garlic, mushrooms and pork but feel free to use any vegetable, protein or rice you have on hand. If you have cooked rice already prepared, skip Step 1 and use 4 cups cold cooked rice in Step 3. Or for a vegetarian fried rice recipe, omit the pork and add more vegetables or tofu.

These chickpea burgers are similar to falafel, but with the added whole-grain goodness of brown rice and wheat germ. Serving them on pita breads with thick slices of tomato and a dab of plain yogurt continues the Middle Eastern theme, but if you want to take it even further, drizzle with a little sauce made with minced garlic and tahini thinned with water and lemon juice.

The slightly chewy texture of ruddy-red Wehani rice makes it perfect for salads. Serve it mounded on a bed of Boston lettuce or curly frisée.

The nutty goodness of slowly browned onions, spices and sweet potato are offset by a burst of fresh cilantro in this chickpea and rice stew. Serve this hearty dish with whole-wheat pita and a salad of sliced cucumbers tossed with yogurt and a pinch of salt.

This boldly flavored spin on Hoppin' John replaces salt pork or bacon with lean pork chops. Plus we've added greens--in this case kale--a traditional accompaniment with the dish. Serve with cornbread and a glass of Spanish rioja.

This soup recipe for two is inspired by the flavors and ingredients of paella, but unlike paella it's simple enough for a speedy weeknight dinner. If you can't find Spanish chorizo, use pepperoni (add a pinch of smoked paprika if you have it). Serve with warm whole-grain garlic bread.

Pop this fast and fragrant vegetarian dish into the oven and forget it till the timer rings. Serve as a main course on a bed of wilted spinach to add color and maximize iron absorption or serve as a side with Turkish Chicken Thighs.

These traditional Lebanese lamb-and-rice stuffed grape leaves are fragrant with mint, marjoram, cinnamon, cumin and allspice. Serve with lemon wedges and plain yogurt for dipping.

This quick version of red beans and rice gets its smoky goodness from super-lean Canadian bacon and a hit of ground chipotle pepper. It's delicious as a leftover but will thicken as it stands. To keep it properly syrupy, just thin with a little water and reheat.

This healthy, homemade macaroni and cheese recipe is topped with plenty of golden breadcrumbs. If you want to add a little flair to this healthy macaroni and cheese, use aged Gruyere instead of Cheddar and add extra ingredients like peas, chopped cooked mushrooms or chopped ham. This recipe makes more Cream Sauce without the Cream than you'll need for the macaroni and cheese. Refrigerate or freeze the extra sauce and use it in place of heavy cream in any sauce or soup that calls for cream.

Wild rice is intensely aromatic so it's a great match for the bold flavors of saffron and Madeira in this wild rice pilaf recipe. Roasted sweet potatoes and Brussels sprouts studded on top give it a festive look and help make it filling enough for a vegetarian main dish.

Wild rice bound with egg and cheese makes a lovely (and gluten-free) crust for this stunning, quiche-like pie stuffed with roasted garlic and fennel. Try it for brunch, as a vegetarian entree or as an impressive potluck offering.

Medium-grain brown rice has a toothsome texture and nutty flavor that complement creamy, earthy goat cheese in these elegant cakes. Serve over salad greens as a main course.

Sweet orange marmalade and salty pistachios make a delicious crust for lean pork tenderloin in this healthy dinner recipe. Easy to make, this pork recipe is also very versatile. Other jams, such as fig, raspberry or apricot, and other nuts, such as almonds, hazelnuts or pecans are great for the crust too.

This Alaskan-inspired salmon pie is pure comfort food. It doesn't slice neatly, so scoop it like a shepherd's pie.

Stuffed tomatoes are classic comfort food. Serve with a mixed green salad studded with garden-fresh vegetables. For vegetarians, omit the beef or turkey.

This convenient alternative to traditional stovetop risotto uses healthy, fiber-rich whole grains--either barley or brown rice--seasoned with Parmesan cheese, lemon zest and oil-cured olives. The gentle, uniform heat of a slow cooker allows you to cook a creamy risotto without the usual frequent stirring.

Leftovers make this chicken gumbo an absolute breeze. The only prep you'll need to do is to dice a bell pepper and slice some okra if you're using fresh. That's it! If you don't have leftover chicken and sauce from Wine & Tomato Braised Chicken, you can use 2 cups shredded cooked chicken and 2 cups canned diced tomatoes instead of the leftover sauce.

These meatballs are stuffed with plenty of rice, which, as it cooks, pokes out of the meatballs, making them look like prickly little porcupines. The little meatballs are cooked in a mildly tangy tomato sauce that's a sure crowd-pleaser.

This soup is inspired by the flavors and ingredients of paella, but unlike paella it's simple enough for a speedy weeknight dinner. If you can't find Spanish chorizo, use pepperoni (add a pinch of smoked paprika if you have it). Serve with warm whole-grain garlic bread.