Delicious Dinner or A Great Lunch for a Week
Black rice is one of the healthiest grains you can eat. And it’s one of the most delicious! Packed with nutrients, black rice has an interesting back story. During the years when China was ruled by an emperor, black rice was called “Forbidden Rice” because it was cultivated in very small amounts. And it was only for the emperor’s consumption. Black rice is an anti-inflammatory food. Black rice contains anthocyanins, the purple and dark red pigments that color and add valuable nutrients to blueberries, grapes, blackberries, dark cherries, raspberries and acai berries. Anthocyanin antioxidants are associated with health benefits, such as memory improvement and decreased risk of heart disease and cancer.
Ingredients
(serves 4-6)
2 cups black rice (Lotus Foods Forbidden Rice)
1/2 cup raw walnuts
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 teaspoon cayenne (more if you like it spicy)
1 bunch herbs chopped (basil, parsley, mint, chives…your favorites)
1 half a red onion, sliced thinly
1 half a cucumber (organic), chopped
1 cup frozen shelled edamame, thawed
1 cup grape tomatoes, halved
1 cup rainbow carrots, diced
1 cup celery and celery greens, diced
1 avocado, halved and sliced into chunks
Sea salt, to taste
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Preparation
Cook rice in a medium saucepan of boiling salted water until tender, 25-35 minutes. Let cool.
Whisk lemon juice, vinegar, and cayenne in a small bowl. Whisking constantly, gradually drizzle in oil. Season vinaigrette with salt and black pepper.
Toss rice, walnuts, red onion, edamame, tomatoes, carrots, celery, cucumber and vinaigrette in a large bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Gently toss the chunks of avocado and herbs in the mixture.
Serve over dressed greens (use a little olive oil and freshly squeezed lemon juice, salt and pepper)
