Nutty Forbidden Rice, Roasted Beet & Kale Salad

Forbidden Rice, an ancient grain that was once exclusively eaten by Chinese Emperors, has long been praised for its health and longevity benefits. This recipe features this nutty-flavored rice that is also packed with antioxidants known as anthocyanins.

This recipe comes to us from Eve of The Garden of Eating.

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Serves 4

Ingredients:

For the salad:

• 1 lb beets
• ⅔ cup uncooked black rice
• 1 ⅓ cup water
• ½ cup pecans, roughly chopped
• 1 bunch kale, washed and dried, ribs removed, chopped or shredded

For the dressing:

• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon whole grain mustard
• 1 clove garlic, pressed or minced
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 2 teaspoons sea salt
• Several grinds of black pepper and more to taste

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Rinse the beets (no need to peel them) and position them on a sheet or two of tinfoil (you want a tight package so they end up kind of steaming in there), drizzle with olive oil and wrap them up well. Roast them for at least an hour and 15 minutes – depending on how large they are, it may take closer to two hours for them to cook all the way through – you can test by removing them and poking with a fork – they’re done when the fork sinks easily all the way into the middle of the largest beet. Remove and let cool until you can handle them without burning yourself. Remove the skins – they should slip off with ease and cut off the top and tail. Cut them into bite-sized chunks and set aside.

Add the rice and water to a medium-sized pot with a tight-fitting lid, bring to a boil then reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer for 40 or so minutes. Fluff the rice.

While the rice is cooking, make the dressing, mixing all the ingredients together well with a fork or a whisk. If you have a jar with a tight-fitting lid, you can also just cover it and shake well.

Place the chopped kale, diced beets and rice in a pretty bowl that’s large enough to mix them all together in comfortably, drizzle the dressing over all and stir well to coat everything. Cover and put in the fridge to “stew” for a while – at least an hour and more is better.

Toast the pecans for a few minutes until they’re nicely browned and crunchy. I toast mine on a sheet of recycled tinfoil in the toaster oven at 300 for about 5-6 minutes, shaking once to toast them evenly.

When you’re ready to serve, top the salad with the pecans and toss well.