Keep warm this winter, with some one pot meal solutions.  This classic MCC recipe has helped many patients enjoy a hearty meal while still restricting their calories.

what you need

1 can of plum tomatoes (28 oz.) , 1 tbsp olive oil, 1 lb ground lean beef or veal, ½ cup each (onion, celery, carrots – diced), 1 cup brown rice (raw), 3 cups chicken broth

what to do

Sauté the onions celery and carrots in the olive oil for 5 minutes.  Add the ground meat and brown (5 minutes).  Blend the plum tomatoes in a blender and pour on top of the meat, cook for 20 minutes and turn off the heat.  In another pot add the rice and the chicken broth and boil for 30 minutes (until rice is fully cooked).  Then add the rice to the meat sauce, and cook the total combination for 5 minutes.

Quick tip

Why brown and not white?  A grain of rice has many layers, to produce brown rice , only the outer layer “the hull” is removed.  With white rice several layers are removed, leaving the grain with very little nutrients, fibre, and a higer GI.