Black Rice

Black Rice

            Black rice is also called forbidden rice or purple rice.  I first had this rice on my cruise through the Panama Canal.  It is very unique and more delicate than brown rice.  It is an interesting and elegant addition to a meal.  Black rice is higher in protein, antioxidants and fiber than other rice, including brown rice. It is lower in iron than red rice. 

Wild rice is not a true rice, but I am including it here since it is black.  Wild rice is a grass and a close cousin to rice.  It is gluten free and high in fiber and protein.  It has tough outer shell that resists water in the cooking and a softer inner kernel.  It takes a long time to cook wild rice and it is recommended that it should be parboiled or soaked for a long time before cooking.

Wild rice is on the left and forbidden rice on the right

Rice is used in main dishes, side dishes, salads, soups, desserts, appetizers and beverages.  It is one of our most versatile foods.  It is eaten at all meals and is a breakfast staple in the majority of the world.

This Week’s Challenge – Serve rice for breakfast

            In many cultures leftover rice is served for breakfast the next day.  It can be served warm or cold with milk, sugar, spices and fruit like breakfast cereal.  It can be made into porridge or pudding.  Keep in mind that brown, red and black rice are high in protein.  Be creative.

Tip for this Week – Leftover rice

            Rice will dry out in the refrigerator.  It is important to store leftover rice in an air tight container or wrapped with plastic wrap.  I usually sprinkle a little water over the rice before closing up the container.  If you reheat the rice in a microwave, add a little water to kind of resteam the rice.   If I serve steamed rice for dinner, I often make the leftover rice into a different dish, like fried rice or added to a soup.

This Week in Punkin’s Kitchen

Black Rice Ball

The ingredients leftover black rice and teriyaki salmon

2 C      Rice, cooked or leftover

6 oz.    Meat or fish, cooked and cubed, leftovers

1.    Dice the fish or leftover meat into one inch cubes.  It is easy to make this vegetarian by using diced cooked vegetable like eggplant of squash or pickled fruit or vegetable like plum pickles or olives.

Make sure your hands are wet with water.

2.    With wet hand take a table spoon of the rice and flatten it in your hand.

3.    Place a cube of filling on the rice and top with another tablespoon of rice.

The trick is to use enough rice to just cover

the fish and shape into a ball.

4.    Mold the rice around the cube, into al ball and set aside.

Cover the cube with more rice and roll into a ball.

Check to make sure all the fish is covered.

5.    Continue until all the rice or cubes are used up.

6.    Serve cold or at room temperature.

This is a great summer lunch or picnic item.  In Japan, this is a common summer lunch or bagged lunch item.  It is a great way to repurpose leftovers.  It can be used as an appetizer, breakfast or snack.  This is a nice lunch with cucumber salad.

Cornish Game Hens with Wild Rice Stuffing

2          Cornish Game Hens, thawed and cleaned (I like to debone them)

2 t        Olive oil

½ C     Onion, finely chopped

2          Celery stalks, diced

1 lg.     Garlic clove, minced

3-4      Mushrooms, diced

¼ C     Wild rice

1 C      Broth, chicken or Cornish game hen

½ C     White rice, cooked

¼ t       Tarragon flakes

¼ t       Sage, ground

            Salt and pepper to taste

            Olive oil

            Garlic powder

The ingredients

1.    Prepare the Cornish game hens.  If you debone them, simmer the bones to make the broth to be used for gravy.

The Cornish game hens deboned.  I leave the wing,

thigh and leg bones in to keep the hens in shape.

2.    Heat the oil in a skillet with a lid.

3.    Sauté the onions, celery, mushrooms and garlic until soft.

Saute the veggies until soft.

4.    Add the wild rice and sauté three minutes.

Add the wild rice.  The rice will double in size when cooked.

5.    Add the broth and cover.  Turn down the heat and simmer until the liquid is absorbed.

Add broth or water and cook until the 

liquid is absorbed

6.    In a small bowl add the leftover white rice and the seasonings.

Add the seasonings and mix into the leftover rice.

7.    When the wild rice mixture id done, add it to the white rice mixture and stir to blend.

The stuffing mixed and cooling

8.    Set aside to cool.

9.    Stuff the Cornish game hens with the stuffing and truss the birds.

10. Place the prepared hens in a baking dish.

11. Rug with olive oil and sprinkle with salt, pepper and garlic powder.

12. Bake at 350 degrees for one hour.

Out of the oven and resting

I sometimes make gravy from the drippings from the Cornish game hens and any leftover broth.  I like to debone Cornish game hens so that I can easily cut the bird in half lengthwise.  When deboning a bird, always use the bone to make broth.

This a reduction gravy made from the broth of the

bones and drippings from the roasting.  I repeated the

seasoning add to the white rice.

The deboned hen can easily be cut in half

Fish of the Week

Shrimp Creole with Black Rice

The Creole garnished with parsley and

serve with a homemade roll.

1 T       Olive oil

1 C      Bell peppers, diced

½ C     Celery, sliced

½ C     Onion, chopped

2          Garlic cloves, crushed

1 C      Black Rice, soaked for one hour and drained

1 can  Tomatoes, diced

1C       Water

1 t        Oregano, ground

½ t       Thyme, dried leaves

1 T       Sirracha hot pepper sauce

            Salt and pepper to taste

1 lb.     Shrimp, raw medium or large cleaned with tail on

            Parsley, chopped for garnish (optional)

The ingredients

1.    In an oven proof skillet with a lid, heat the oil.

2.    Sauté the bell pepper, celery and onion until soft.

Saute the veggies

3.    Add the garlic and cook a minute or two.

4.    Add the black rice and sauté, stirring, for two minutes.

Make sure the rice is well drained.

Remember the rice will double in size.

5.    Add the tomatoes and water and bring to a boil.

Tomatoes and seasoning added.

Water and juice from the tomatoes added

6.    Add the seasonings and reduce the heat to low.  Cook for 20 minutes

7.    Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.

Shrimp added and placed in the oven.

8.    Check the amount of liquid and the doneness of the rice.  Add more water if necessary.

9.    Place the shrimp on top of the rice mixture, cover with the lid and set in the oven.

10. Bake 20-30 minutes until the liquid is mostly absorbed and the rice is tender.

11. Remove from the oven and allow to set 3 minutes.

12. Garnish with the parsley.

White rice can be used instead of the black rice.

Happy Cooking!