How to Cook Starches: Rice, Potatoes and Pasta
No fancy recipes here. These are basic starter tips for cooking some common starches and grains.
- Long Grain White Rice: Use 1 part rice to 1 ½ parts water. Add both to a pot; bring to a boil over high heat with lid on. Do not remove the lid – reduce heat to low. Simmer for 20 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand, with lid on, for 5 minutes.
- Boiled Potatoes: Peel potatoes and place in pot. Cover with just enough water to cover the potatoes. Place lid on the pot and bring to boil on high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 20 minutes. Strain water and serve.
- Baked Potato with Foil: Clean your potatoes with brush and water. Poke each potato with a fork several times. Wrap with foil and place in a 350 F oven for about 75 minutes.
- Baked Potato without Foil: You don’t actually need foil to bake a potato, but because the skins tend to dry in the baking process, you can brush them with oil. To start, scrub your potatoes with a brush and water. Poke each potato with a fork several times. Brush lightly with olive oil and place them directly on the middle rack at 350F. Make sure you place a pan or something under them to catch the oil drippings. Bake for about 75 minutes.
- Pasta: Fill a large pot with water, add a few drops of olive oil to prevent sticking. You can also add salt for flavoring. Bring to a boil over high heat and add uncooked pasta once it reaches a boil. Once the water reaches a boil again, turn the heat down to medium low and boil according the manufacturer’s cooking times. Once cooked, rinse with water to remove starch and strain completely.
There you go…print it out for your teenagers and college-bound kids, so they don’t keep asking. 🙂
