It’s whole grain month and I can’t think of a better way to kick it off than with one of my favourites – black rice! Paired with my mixed vegetable stew, it is truly delicious and satisfying!
Learn more about black rice HERE.
Nutritional Highlights of Black Rice with Mixed Vegetable Stew
With an estimated glycaemic load (GL) of 16.5, this meal is considered high GL. This means that it won’t spike your insulin or blood sugar levels and instead increases your blood sugar levels slowly and steadily.
The medium GL attribute of this meal makes it a good option if you want to control your blood sugar levels, balance your hormones, and alleviate (or reverse) inflammatory conditions like type 2 diabetes, PCOS, acne, fibroids etc.
Copper: helps your body make haemoglobin, the protein that carries oxygen all over your body. Copper is a part of many enzymes and supports energy production. This recipe contains. 0.4mg of copper, providing 40% of the recommended daily intake (RDI).
Folates: helps control homocysteine levels. High homocysteine levels increase the risk of cardiovascular disease. It also works with vitamin B12 to form haemoglobin in red blood cells. The recommended folate intake is 200µg per day for adults. However, if you are a woman in her reproductive years intending to become pregnant or pregnant, you need at least 400µg per day. This recipe contains 219mcg of folates providing 54% of the RDI.
Iron: You need iron to make haemoglobin, the protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen from your lungs to the rest of your body. Iron is also crucial to make myoglobin, another protein that provides oxygen to muscles. This meal is a rich source of iron, providing 4.2mg or 30% RDI. Although this recipe is rich in non-heme iron which the body doesn’t readily absorb, it is rich in vitamin C, which will aid iron absorption.
Vitamin C: Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant that boosts immunity and maintains skin and dental health. It also helps your body to absorb iron and folic acid effectively. Vitamin C deficiencies can cause bleeding gums, frequent colds and infections, and poor wound healing. This recipe is an excellent vitamin C source, providing 134mg or 168% of the daily RDI.
How to Cook Black Rice with Mixed Vegetable Stew
Ingredients
- 2 x 400g can borlotti beans, rinsed and drained
- 2 large courgettes, sliced
- 1 large red pepper, chopped
- 1 large aubergine, chopped
- 300g mushrooms, quartered
- 1 large green pepper, chopped
- 1 red chilli, finely chopped
- 2 large shallot, finely chopped
- 1 large garlic clove, finely chopped
- 300g cherry tomatoes, finely chopped
- 2 tablespoon tomato puree
- 1 teaspoon thyme
- 2 tablespoons sweet chilli sauce
- 1 vegetable stock cube
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- Salt and black pepper to taste
To serve
- 200g black rice
- 4 teaspoons freshly chopped parsley
Directions
- Heat olive oil in a large non-stick pan over medium heat. Fry onions until softened then add garlic, cherry tomatoes, tomato puree and thyme. Fry for 10 minutes then add the remaining vegetables, sweet chilli sauce, stock cube, beans and a small splash of water. Bring to the boil then allow to cook on a medium heat for 10-15 minutes or until vegetables are tender and sauce is thickened. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- In the meantime, cook black rice according to the instructions on the package. Avoid soaking black rice before cooking to prevent beneficial nutrients from leaching into the water.
- Divide rice between four bowls and serve with vegetable stew. Garnish with fresh parsley if you wish.
Black Rice with Mixed Vegetable Stew
- Prep Time: 5mins
- Cook Time: 30mins
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: Serves 4
Description
Black ‘forbidden rice with mixed vegetable stew
Ingredients
- 2 x 400g can borlotti beans, rinsed and drained
- 2 large courgettes, sliced
- 1 large red pepper, chopped
- 1 large aubergine, chopped
- 300g mushrooms, quartered
- 1 large green pepper, chopped
- 1 red chilli, finely chopped
- 2 large shallot, finely chopped
- 1 large garlic clove, finely chopped
- 300g cherry tomatoes, finely chopped
- 2 tablespoon tomato puree
- 1 teaspoon thyme
- 2 tablespoons sweet chilli sauce
- 1 vegetable stock cube
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- Salt and black pepper to taste
To serve
- 200g black rice
- 4 teaspoons freshly chopped parsley
Instructions
Directions
- Heat olive oil in a large non-stick pan over medium heat. Fry onions until softened then add garlic, cherry tomatoes, tomato puree and thyme. Fry for 10 minutes then add the remaining vegetables, sweet chilli sauce, stock cube, beans and a small splash of water. Bring to the boil then allow to cook on medium heat for 10-15 minutes or until vegetables are tender and sauce is thickened. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- In the meantime, cook black rice according to the instructions on the package. Avoid soaking black rice before cooking to prevent beneficial nutrients from leaching into the water.
- Divide rice between four bowls and serve with vegetable stew. Garnish with fresh parsley if you wish.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: Per serving
- Calories: 287
- Sugar: 9.4g
- Sodium: 648mg
- Fat: 4.6g
- Saturated Fat: 0.81
- Carbohydrates: 48g
- Fiber: 14.3g
- Protein: 13.5g
- Cholesterol: 0mg
