If you haven’t tried black rice yet, I highly urge you to. The recipe to follow is a quick, easy and healthy dish that is nutritious, versatile and delicious. 
I came across black rice several months ago while I was shopping at Costco. I keep my eyes open for new foods- especially grains. While so many of our Farmingdale Boot Camp clients have no problem finding healthy proteins and vegetables, they struggle with finding that healthy carbohydrate portion of their meals, and this rice fits that bill! It is being hailed as a “superfood”. It is loaded with antioxidants, vitamin E and fiber. Like many dark fruits, it is loaded with anthocyanins or antioxidants which are thought to fight heart disease, cancer and other diseases. Oh and did I mention that it’s delicious? It is back on the shelves at Costco, which makes it inexpensive and easy to find. You can also purchase this incredible grain online through various retailers.
Although this recipe is a “salad”, I enjoyed it warm as a side dish. It was equally enjoyable room temperature as a salad. As I said earlier, it is versatile.
Ingredients:
1 cup black rice, cooked with some salt
1 cup thinly sliced assorted bell peppers
½ cup corn
4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
6 basil leaves, cut into thin strips
2 Tbs. chopped nuts (I’ve used cashews and peanuts- like them both equally. Original recipe called for pine nuts.)
1 tsp. olive oil
Vinaigrette:
2 Tbs. balsamic vinegar
1 Tbs. orange juice
1 Tbs. honey
Hot sauce or sriracha to taste (I would start with ½ to 1 tsp. and adjust from there)
4 Tbs. olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
Blend all ingredients for the dressing and set aside.
Directions:
1. In a sauté pan, add olive oil. Add the corn, garlic and sauté for a minute on low heat.
2. Add the bell peppers, sauté for a minute and add the cooked rice.
3. Heat through, turn of the heat and add the basil.
4. Add the vinaigrette little by little until the desired taste has achieved. Reserve the rest to add later if needed, as rice tends to absorb liquid.
5. Top with nuts.
For some more recipe ideas, check out this previously posted Black Rice and Garlic Chicken Salad.
You can also visit : http://www.feastie.com/recipes-ingredients/black-rice.
If you give any of these recipes a try and like them please comment!