A Basic Lemon-Flavored Brown Rice

• For a shortcut to lemon-flavored brown rice, stir butter, lemon zest and lemon juice into cooked brown rice. Add each ingredient in teaspoon increments to taste, stirring between each addition to gauge flavor. To cook brown rice from scratch, add one part brown rice to two-and-a-quarter parts water and a dash of salt to a saucepan. Bring the water and brown rice to a boil uncovered, stirring once or twice. Reduce the heat, cover and cook the rice for 45 to 50 minutes, or until the rice is tender and has absorbed all the water.

Lemon Brown Rice Pilaf

• Pilaf refers to any rice dish cooked in a flavored broth. In this case, lemon is the broth's predominant flavor, and it infuses the rice with bright citrus notes. Add brown rice to a saucepan over medium-high heat. Toast the rice grains until they begin to crackle, stirring constantly. Add some onions and cook them until they're translucent, about three minutes. Pour in some chicken broth and chopped lemons and bring liquid just to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover tightly and simmer for 20 minutes, adding more fluid if the rice appears to be drying out. Set the rice aside, covered, for 10 minutes. Fluff with a fork, leaving the chopped lemon in, and serve.

Brown Basmati With Lemon

• Lemon-flavored brown basmati cooks in about 40 minutes and adds a touch of something exotic to any table. Over medium-high heat, saute onions and shallots for one minute in a medium-sized pot with a lid. Add brown basmati, chicken or vegetable stock, lemon juice, lemon zest, a dash of sugar and some parsley. Season to taste with salt and pepper and stir well. Cover the pot and reduce the heat to medium-low. Cook for 30 to 40 minutes, stirring halfway through, until the basmati absorbs all of the liquid and is cooked. Serve with roasted or curried meat and caramelized vegetables

Indian-Style Lemon Brown Rice

• To duplicate an Indian-style lemon brown rice recipe, start with already cooked brown rice and flavor it with a lemon mixture that uses popular Indian spices. For example, whisk together lemon juice, turmeric, salt and chutney powder in a small bowl, and set aside. Add mustard seeds, coriander seeds, curry leaves and a little oil to a deep, heavy-bottomed pan over medium-high heat. Toast everything until the seeds begin to pop. In the same pot combine the seeds, curry leaves and oil with the lemon juice and chutney mixture, plus a little water. Simmer about one to two minutes. Add the brown rice to this spicy lemon mixture. Toss in some peanuts and a bit of cilantro, then mix to incorporate. Serve as a one-pot meal with a little naan bread on the side.