There's so many different kinds of rice available, but black rice has to be the coolest. I saw it in Trader Joe's and knew I could do something with it, other than serve it with orange chicken. How weird would that look?
Maybe not weird at all if you're four and eight, like my two kids. They saw me rinse the rice after I had cooked it and asked me what it was. I explained that it was tiny insects, and after many Eeewwwwws! and Grosssssss!, they actually started to eat the fake bugs! Once I 'fessed up and told them it was rice, they looked at me all disappointed and bummed out. Maybe I should be buying more bugs for dinner?
Black rice is also known as forbidden rice because it was only available for the Emperor of China. Now, it's not so forbidden, so if you can find it go ahead and try it. The health benefits are plentiful. It's jam-packed with antioxidants, high in fiber and low in fat. I kind of negated that last part by adding one of the world's creamiest cheese - burrata , Italian for "buttered."
The creamy, rich cheese helps combine everything though...whew!Roasted grape tomatoes, edamame beans, red onion and cilantro are added, in part to empty my fridge and also for some great color. The Moroccan touch comes from the dressing. Cider vinegar, lots of cumin and garlic get funky in the blender, after which they're mixed with some olive oil to emulsify. Add some dressing and take this to your next party, everyone should try Moroccan black rice salad!
Black rice takes longer to cook than other types of rice. The best way to check is to taste it. It'll still be a little aldente but soft at the same time.
