Arlington, VA – The USA Rice Federation announced winners of its annual “Healthy Brown Rice on the Menu Contest” for K-12 school menu planners. This year’s contest included three recipe categories—rice bowl, breakfast and lunch to showcase use of whole grains in all meal parts. Contest entries demonstrated the versatility of brown rice and submissions included burritos, salads, stir-fries, hot entrées and casseroles.
These grand prize dishes combined nutrition with exciting flavors:
• Breakfast: Renee Swank, School Nutrition Manager, and Erin Thacker, Nutrition and Wellness Educator for Chesapeake Public Schools in Chesapeake, VA; for their Rice and Veggie Breakfast Burrito with brown rice, peas, peppers, tomatoes, broccoli, corn and carrots in a whole grain tortilla.
• Lunch: Angie Gaszak, Nutrition Specialist for St. Paul Public Schools in St. Paul, MN; for her Moroccan Rice recipe featuring Uncle Ben’s® parboiled brown rice, raisins, sweet potatoes and spinach.
• Rice Bowl: Dimitra Kostos from Chichester High School in Chichester, PA; for her Orange Glazed Brown Rice Salad with brown rice, garbanzo beans, celery, bell peppers, oranges, cranberries and mint.
USA Rice also selected two runners-up for their creative use of brown rice:
• Lunch: Pamela Sloan, Culinary Arts Teacher for Manchester High School in Midlothian, VA; for her Pineapple Macadamia Sticky Rice recipe with sweet and spicy garlic broccoli, sweet potatoes and pineapple-macadamia rice pilaf.
• Rice Bowl: Lisa Rock, Food Coordinator, Laraway Youth and Family Services in Johnson, VT; for her Rice Vegetable Salad featuring peppers, red onion and peas.
“USA Rice’s ‘Healthy Brown Rice on the Menu Contest’ provides a fun and unique way for K-12 menu planners to promote the creative ways they have incorporated whole grain brown rice into school meals,” said Anne Banville, Vice President of Domestic Promotion for USA Rice. “It’s also a great way to share ideas and support efforts to add more whole grains on the menu. We in the rice industry salute all school foodservice operators for their successful efforts to meet the whole grain requirements during this school year.”
Grand prize winners received paid 2013 SNA Conference registration, two Aroma rice cookers and a 50-lb. brown rice donation to their school from Uncle Ben’s, Riceland or Producers Rice Mill. Runners-up received a $75 Amex gift card and one Aroma rice cooker. For more information and recipe ideas featuring whole grain and colored rice, visit www.MenuRice.com.
Source: USA Rice Federation