Coconut Rice
This main dish recipe is slightly sweet with a hint of lime. It's unique and flavorful, containing a nice amount of protein from the beans and nutritious carbohydrates from the sweet potatoes.
- 1 cup dry brown rice
- 1 cup dry wild rice
- 2 cups water
- 1 14- ounce can unsweetened coconut milk (about 2 cups)
- Pinch of salt
- 1 large sweet potato, peeled, diced and cooked (about 3 cups)
- 1 cup sweet peas, cooked
- 1 cup canned black beans, rinsed and drained
- 1/4 cup chopped green onion
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- 1/2 teaspoon ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon pepper
- Chopped macadamia nuts, optional
Rinse rice in a fine mesh sieve to remove the surface starches (it's what makes your rice sticky). Mix water, coconut milk, rice, and salt in a large saucepan. Heat to boiling. Reduce heat to simmer, stirring occasionally. Cook, uncovered, until liquid evaporates, about 40-45 minutes.
While rice is cooking prepare the rest of the ingredients. Keep vegetables and beans warm. When rice is finished, add remaining ingredients. Stir well, and serve immediately.
Yield: 8 servings (serving size: about 1 cup)
- Mix in chopped macadamia nuts before serving.
- You can use all brown rice instead of half wild rice.
- Substitute carrots or butternut squash for the sweet potato.
- Coconut milk is a highly nutritional food with many health benefits. All you have to do is a quick search online, and you will find of long list of reasons why it's good for your body: 1) The saturated fat in coconut is made up of short-chain and medium-chain fatty acids that the body quickly turns into energy instead of storing as fat., 2) It contains many vitamins, minerals and electrolytes such as potassium, calcium and chloride, 3) Coconut milk is a dairy-free alternative to those who are lactose intolerant or allergic to animal milk, and 4) It's known to relieve the symptoms of sore throats and ulcers.