The return from the holidays, the jet lag that has not yet disappeared, or simply the worries of life and work that, in some cases, has started again at a pace to which one was no longer used: if all this does not let you sleep rest assured, the solution can come from small white grains. Rice, a food that nourishes lightly and accompanies serene in the arms of Morpheus.
Yes, because according to recent research conducted by the Japanese Kanazawa Medical University, published in the journal Plos One, the high glycemic index contained in rice would increase the levels of a protein that regulates the production of serotonin, a hormone of good humor, also involved in synchronization harmonic of the sleep-wake process .
Light recipes for the evening with rice
Among the nearly two thousand Japanese examined for the evaluation test, the scholars in question saw that those who habitually took rice in their diet slept better. Even more than those who consumed noodles or bread.
Certainly for the Japanese eating rice is natural, so much so that it represents as much as 70% of the cereals consumed, which leads to a consequent rise in the glycemic index, favored by the increase in tryptophan levels, a protein associated with the production of serotonin. So it seems that the Japanese can sleep well!
If for the Orientals in general it is therefore even more natural to accompany meals and dinners with simple plain white rice - not to mention the imaginative use of cereal in rolls, sushi and nigiri - in Italian cuisine we often speak of rice, associating it with dishes like risotto, timbales or soups . Then there are those who see rice eaten at dinner as a threat to the diet, and those who seem to be increasingly intrigued by the " rice diet ", one of the latest to lose weight.
Therefore, if for lunch there are not generally great difficulties of assimilation or digestion, we see some recipe on how to cook rice for the evening, in a simple and light way, to favor a good rest.
For the quantity of rice, the simplest thing is to deal with two handfuls of rice per person, the simple recipes proposed are designed for two people.
Here's how to overcome jet lag insomnia
Basmati rice with cumin and lemon
Ingredients for one person
> four or five handfuls of basmati rice
> about ten cumin seeds
> extra virgin olive oil
> lemon juice
Preparation : rinse the basmati rice in cold water to remove excess starch, place it in a pot covered with lightly salted water, measuring an extra finger, adding the cumin seeds. Boil for about twelve minutes over medium heat, then turn off the heat and leave to stand closed with the lid still for 8-10 minutes.
Uncover, add a little extra virgin olive oil and a splash of lemon juice . This boiled rice is light and ideal to accompany baked vegetables, legumes, main courses in general.
Rice and parsley soup
Ingrades for a person
> vegetable broth
> four handfuls of rice (Sant'Andrea, Originario, Padano or Roma, however small grain)
> fresh parsley
> garlic
> grated parmesan cheese
> extra virgin olive oil
Praparazione : a simple but tasty soup, which generally comes from the kitchen of the grandparents of the Po valley. Bring the vegetable stock to the boil and add the rice; Cook the rice for the indicated time and, a couple of minutes before turning off the heat, add finely chopped fresh parsley together with a little fresh garlic, always chopped.
Finish with grated Parmesan and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil . A potato can also be added to the soup.
Do you know all the varieties of rice?
Timbale of red rice
Ingredients for one person
> a red onion
> a zucchini
> five handfuls of wild red rice
> white wine
> vegetable broth
Preparation : prepare a sauté with red onion, zucchini cut into small thin strips and a pinch of salt. Pour the wild red rice and deglaze with a little white wine and cook, adding boiling vegetable broth, for about 40 minutes (cooking this rice is long!).
Put the rice in a mold for timbales, leave on for a few minutes and then flip it over the plate, accompanying with diced zucchini sautéed in a pan.
Brown rice in salad
Ingredients for one person
> five handfuls of brown rice> a stalk of celery> lentils> a leek
> 1/2 carrots
> chilli pepper
> extra virgin olive oil
Preparation : boil the brown rice in slightly salted boiling water and the celery stalk. Meanwhile, drain and sauté the lentils in a pan with a little extra virgin olive oil, boiled with thinly sliced leek and some diced carrots. Add salt, pepper and a pinch of pepper .
Once the rice is cooked for the indicated time (generally thirty minutes) drain it, remove the stalk of celery and season it with the sautéed lentils, serve warm.
