Saffron & Nut Aromatic Brown Rice

Starting with ShaSha Co. sprouted brown rice (or regular brown rice), we added saffron threads and cooked the rice. Sprouted rice cooks significantly faster so it is a great healthy shortcut. While rice is cooking, have your kids shell some pistachios, break up some cashews and pecans and chop dates and chives. Put one to two tablespoons of olive oil in a saute pan. Cook on medium to low heat, adding cooked rice and nuts. Turn off heat, add dates and chives. Saffron, the dried stigma of the crocus flower, has been used to treat depression, cancer, baldness and insomnia. A-crocin, a carotenoid, gives saffron its color but it does contain other powerful antioxidants including xeaxanthin and lycopene, boosting the immune system and working against cancers and infections. Safranol, an oil in the saffron threads, is also a powerful antioxidant shown to be toxic to cancer cells and acts as an antidepressant. Saffron is a good source of a wide array of minerals as well. It should be purchased in whole threads from a specialty store or it can be found enclosed in some kind of airtight bag or container within a spice jar.