Breakfast Black Rice

Focusing on nutrition means I'm constantly looking for ideas, especially for breakfast.  I recently became addicted to black rice so making it for breakfast seemed like a great idea.  I make this and have it in the refrigerator for several days. I simply take out a portion, heat it up, and it's ready to eat.

Black rice contains magnesium, iron, potassium, and zinc.  It is packed with protein and is slow to release to help with energy.  It is also high in amino acids and antioxidants.  This is why it is thought to be helpful with fatigue.   

1 cup black rice 
1 can full fat coconut milk 
1 1/2 cups water 
1/4 tsp sea salt 
1/2 vanilla bean, split  
1 Tbsp maple syrup, or coconut palm sugar 
1/3 cup coconut flakes, toasted 
Almond milk to serve 
Fresh fruit 
Nuts

Rinse the rice well and drain. 

In a medium saucepan combine and water, coconut milk, salt, vanilla bean and rice.  Bring to a boil, then reduce to a very low simmer, with the lid ajar, and cook for 45 minutes or until the rice is fully cooked.  Remove the vanilla bean. Add the maple syrup to combine. You could use coconut palm sugar in place of maple syrup. 

Toast the coconut in the oven, or toaster oven, until only slightly brown.  Add a sprinkling of it over the bowl of rice, pour on a little almond milk.  I might also add some fresh fruit if I have it, like strawberries, and some nuts.  I especially like pumpkin seeds.  

If you want to bump it up some make some homemade almond milk for this. I recently tried it and gosh it was so good.