by Diane Sagers

CORRESPONDENT

Rice is a staple. Much of the world relies on it as their primary grain food and has for millennia. The first recorded decree on planting rice was made in China in 2800 B.C. and archeological evidence points to the probability that rice has fed two-thirds of the earth's population for more than 5,000 years.

As exploration took Europeans east, they found foods they had never had before and they brought them home. From China, explorers brought rice to Greece, and from there it went through Persia to the Nile Delta.

When we think of rice, we tend to think of farm workers bent over and wading around in the rice paddies of the Orient. While it is true that rice paddies are a part of the Orient, rice farming is big business in the United States and much is exported to other countries from here. The U.S. is one of the largest exporters of rice in the world supplying about 7 percent of the rice that enters world trade. About 45 percent of the U.S. rice crop goes to other countries.

Rice was growing in the United States in the 1600s. By 1726, Carolina Gold Seed Rice was the world standard for high quality rice. As they moved into other areas, farmers discovered that rice also grew very well in southwest Louisiana, southeast Texas, Arkansas, Missouri, Mississippi, Florida and California.

Rice is an adaptable crop. It grows on every continent except Antarctica, although it does not grow everywhere on every continent. We do raise it in North America, but because Canada's climate will not support a rice crop, they import 71 percent of the rice they eat from the U.S.

Rice is the highest-yielding cereal grain -- yielding 3,000 grains for each rice seed.

Brown rice is naturally the most nutritious form since so much of the nutrient value is found in the brown hull. Enriched white rice loses most of those nutrients when the hull is ground away. The enrichment process puts most of them back in. Since the hull provides most of the fiber in this grain, brown rice has twice the fiber of white rice.

We often use rice as the starchy side dish with our meals. Of course it is a main part of oriental cuisine, but it can be an important addition to dishes of other kinds. It is a quick-cooking food, even when cooked from scratch, making it very convenient for most dishes. Use instant rice to shorten the whole process even further.

Frittata

(Serves 4)

1/2 cup sliced green onions

1 tablespoon butter or margarine

6 beaten eggs

1/2 cup milk

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon hot pepper sauce

2 cups cooked rice

1 medium tomato, chopped

1 can (4 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese

Cook onions in butter until tender in 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Beat eggs with milk, salt and pepper sauce. Stir in rice, tomato and chilies. Pour into skillet.

Reduce heat to medium low. Cover. Cook unto top is almost set, 12 to 15 minutes. Sprinkle with cheese. Cover, remove from heat and let stand about 10 minutes. Serve

Oven method: Combine eggs, milk, salt and pepper sauce in a large bowl and whisk to blend. Stir in rice, tomato, cheese, chilies and onions. Pour into a greased 10-inch baking dish. Bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes or until knife inserted in center comes out clean.

(Courtesy of the USA Rice Council)

Quarter-hour sweet-n-sour

(4 servings)

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 package (10 ounce) frozen breaded chicken breast chunks

1 package (16 ounce) frozen broccoli, red peppers, bamboo shoots and mushrooms mixture

2 cups cooked rice

1/2 cup sweet and sour sauce

1/2 teaspoon salt

Cook chicken in hot oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat 5 to 7 minutes, turning once. Remove from pan. Drain on paper towels. Stir in vegetables and cook two to three minutes. Stir in rice, chicken sauce and salt. Cook until thoroughly heated, about 2 to 3 minutes.

(Courtesy of the USA Rice Council)

Wild thing

(Serves 4)

1 pound top round or sirloin steak, sliced into 1/8-inch thick slices

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1/2 cup sliced green onions

1 package (4.3 to 6.25 ounces) long grain and wild rice mix, prepared according to package directions

1 can (7 ounce) whole kernel corn, drained

1 can (16 ounces stewed tomatoes undrained

Brown beef in oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions. Cook a minute longer. Add rice, corn and tomatoes. Cook until thoroughly heated -- about two to three minutes.

(Courtesy of the USA Rice Council)

French chicken

(Serves 4)

4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

Vegetable cooking spray

1 can (10 3/4 ounce) condensed cream of chicken soup

1/2 cup dry white wine or apple cider

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

1 package (6.2 ounces) Florentine rice mix, prepared according to package directions

Sprinkle chicken with pepper. Set aside. Heat large skillet coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat until hot.

Cook chicken in skillet until lightly browned, turning once.

Combine soups, wine and mustard. Pour over chicken. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 15 minutes.

Serve chicken and sauce over hot rice.

Microwave directions: Prepare chicken as directed. Combine soup, wine and mustard in 8x8x2-inch micro proof baking dish. Cover with plastic wrap, venting one corner to allow steam to escape. Cook on high 3 minutes or until bubbly. Add chicken, replace plastic wrap and continue to cook on high 5 to 6 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes. Serve chicken and sauce over hot rice.

(Courtesy of the USA Rice Council)

You gotta empanada

1 package (4.4 to 5.8 ounce) Spanish rice mix prepared according to package directions

1 can (6 3/4 ounce) chunk breast of chicken drained and flaked

1 cup (4 ounce) cheddar cheese shredded

1/2 cup chopped ripe olives

1 package (15-ounce) refrigerated pie crust (or homemade pie crust)

Combine rice, chicken, cheese, onions and olives. Spoon half of rice mixture on half of each pie crust. Fold crust over filling. Seal and crimp edges. Bake at 400 degrees for 20 to 22 minutes or until golden brown.

(Courtesy of the USA Rice Council)