15 Thirty-Second Ways to Jazz Up Plain Rice

As you can imagine, these can be combined; use your judgment

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The simplest way to prepare rice and grains is to boil them. I prefer using only the amount of water they will fully absorb while they become tender, but you can also cook them pasta-style in plenty of boiling water and drain them. Toasting in a dry skillet or sauteing in a skillet with a little oil or other fat can enhance the flavor and texture of the grains, and of course you’ll probably want to add other ingredients at least some of the times, but there’s rarely anything more complicated than that.

Once cooked, you can keep rice and grains warm and fluffy for up to 30 minutes or so. After fluffing, leave the lid on and set the pot over the lowest heat possible or wrap the pot in a towel. Leftover rice and grains will keep in the fridge for days, and grains store well in the freezer for months. So make a double or even triple batches whenever possible. As for those additions, here they are:

1. Stir in a tablespoon or more of butter.
2. Stir in a tablespoon or more of olive oil.
3. Drizzle with soy sauce.
4. Add lots of pepper.
5. Stir in a couple of tablespoons minced fresh herbs, ideally warmed first in melted butter.