Black Forbidden Rice with Edamame

Black forbidden rice is one of my favorite types of rice. It is a whole grain (just like brown rice) that has a wonderfully nutty taste. Plus it looks great! Add some Edamame for a perfect grain-legume combination with excellent flavor and texture.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup black forbidden rice
• 2.5 - 3 cups of water or broth
• 1 cup of fresh of frozen edamame

Preparation:

1. Cook rice in water or broth for about 40 minutes until chewy. If you don't use broth, add salt to your cooking water.
2. Add edamame a couple of minutes before the rice is done, mix them in.

Enjoy as a side dish with veggies, fish or meat.

Serves 4

Try Something New for Breakfast: Balinese Coconut Rice

Balinese Coconut Rice

This is a delicious breakfast dish I learned how to make when I visited Bali many years ago. It is easy to make and liked by all! I changed the ingredients just a bit to make it really healthy. Instead of using coconut milk only, I use coconut water and just a bit of coconut milk. If you want more creaminess without the fat, use a bit of vanilla soymilk. Because it takes a bit of time to make it, (about 45 minutes) I recommend you plan to  make it on a leisurely weekend morning.

Ingredients:

• 1 Cup Black forbidden rice (in bulk at whole foods)
• 1/3 can light coconut milk (trader joe's)
• 1 cup coconut water trader joe's)
• Unsweetened vanilla soymilk (optional)
• Walnuts - handful
• 1 large banana - sliced
• Dried,shredded coconut - handful
• 1 cup Water

Preparation:

1. Put rice in medium size pan
2. Add coconut water and water
3. Put on full heat, almost bringing it to a boil ~ lower heat, just like you would if you made regular brown rice
4. Add coconut milk
5. Add more water as needed or vanilla soy milk (soy milk makes it creamier)
6. After about 30 minutes add walnuts, banana and coconut.
7. Continue to cook until rice is soft, about 10-15 more minutes

I don't add any sweetener to the dish, I don't like foods that are overly sweet, and the bananas give the dish a natural sweetness. If you need to, you can add a tad of maple syrup at the end.

The dish can be served warm or cold.

Enjoy!