How Giada De Laurentiis Turns Brown Rice Into A Simply Delicious Breakfast Bowl

Giada De Laurentiis isn't always the most austere eater, if her recipe oeuvre is anything to go by. Her breakfast recipes include such dishes as tiramisu pancakes, candied bacon bites, and eggs Benedict with red-eye gravy, as well as her famous sheet pan French toast. Her everyday go-to, however, is something quite a bit plainer: She uses brown rice to make a breakfast bowl. Unlike many breakfast bowls, De Laurentiis' isn't fancied up with fruit or yogurt, and nor is it a Disney World-style extravaganza complete with eggs, fried potatoes, and sausage gravy. Instead, this minimalist masterpiece consists of nothing more than cooked brown rice with salt and olive oil. There may be a slight hint of seasoning from a bay leaf added to the rice water, but apart from that, it's just slightly salty, oiled rice. 

De Laurentiis' brown rice bowl is certainly simple, and the TV personality seems to find it simply delicious, as well. She particularly enjoys what she refers to on her blog, Giadzy, as "the fat and decadence of the olive oil." Apart from its flavor, there's no denying that a bowl of brown rice is also a healthy way to start the day, because it's a good source of vitamins, minerals, and fiber. Nor is the olive oil really all that decadent, because it's the monounsaturated kind of "good fat" and may also have anti-inflammatory properties. 

Brown rice may be nutritious, but it takes ages to cook (although you can cut down the time by first soaking it overnight). Even when raw, it also has a much shorter shelf life than white rice. Despite these disadvantages, Giada De Laurentiis seems to be a dedicated fan since quite a few of her recipes call for either brown rice or brown rice derivatives.

One of the ways De Laurentiis likes to use brown rice is to stuff bell peppers. Her recipe, which includes Parmesan cheese with baby spinach and tomatoes, can serve as either a side dish or a meat-free main course. She also tosses brown rice with parsnips, squash, and kale for an autumnal salad and mixes it with wild rice, mushrooms, Brussels sprouts, and bacon to make a gluten-free stuffing for chicken or turkey. Even leftover brown rice has a use, as she repurposes it in an easy Chinese-style fried rice recipe.

De Laurentiis also favors brown rice pasta, using these in a fusilli salad made with mushrooms and cauliflower. Brown rice flour, too, is no stranger to her pantry. In fact, it features in a breakfast dish that's a far cry from her minimalist rice bowl — ham and cheese pancakes, perfect for anyone who enjoys starting their day with a gluten-free savory treat.