Trader Joe's Brown Rice Medley

The product description is "A delicious blend of Long Grain Brown Rice, Black Barley & Dalkon Radish Seeds." Nutrition Info: (1/4 cup dry) Calories: 160, Cals from fat 5, Total Fat o.5%, Saturated Fat 0g, Trans fat 0g. Cholestrol 0mg, Sodium 0mg, Total Carbohydrate 33g, Dietary Fiber 5g, Sugars 0, Protein 6 g.

This product is a taste and texture sensation. Each mouthful has so much flavor and so much crunch it is unbelievable. I wouldn't even think of it as rice. It comes much closer to a grainy type experience like Tabuli or lentils and rice.

I used this product by itself and it was a great satisfying side dish. I also used it as a filling in my famous meatloaf. What I did was put a layer of meat down in the meatloaf pan and then I spread a layer of the long grain rice blend topped with some slivered almonds. I was trying to create a middle eastern type dish where they have rice covered in balls of meat. It came out delicious and added amazing texture. It took the meatloaf to a whole new level.

On another day I tried the rice product with a creamy mushroom soup and green beans striving for a risotto type dish. I didn't think that this worked out so well. This rice is not as absorbant as white or plain brown rice. The thick outer layers make it resistance for flavor to melt in. I think dry seasonings would work better.

I also think this rice medley would be fabulous as the base in a chilled summer salad. Add a few chopped vegetables such as red and green pepper, onion or green onion, and some extra olive virgin oil and a bit of balsamic vinegar, a dash of garlic powder, salt, pepper, and chopped parsley or cilantro. Chill. This would be a perfect grain to use in this kind of grain based salad.

Overall, I thought the product was great as a stand alone side, a wonderful addition to certain types of meat dishes, and as a base in salads. It is an amazing treat for anyone's tastebuds.