This Forbidden Rice Salad is full of antioxidants and beautiful colors. I love Forbidden Rice. Not only is its color intriguing, but it is incredibly healthy as well. Black rice is rich in anti-oxidants, giving it much more nutritional value than regular white rice. You can find Lotus Foods brand Forbidden Rice in the organic section of supermarkets. Its color asks to be paired with anything bright, which is why I chose papaya. Since I am in Florida, I found some local Key West wild caught shrimp.

1 cup Forbidden Rice (we will use leftovers soon)
1 1/3 cup water
1 clove garlic, finely minced
6 Key West wild caught shrimp, peeled and rinsed
1 scallion, outer layer removed, and finely chopped from top to bottom
1 lime
Small handful cilantro
About ¼ cup ripe papaya, peeled and seeded
¼ Hass avocado
Salt and pepper
Sesame oil or Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Cook the rice by placing in a pot covered with the water. Add a pinch of salt and bring to a boil. Once it boils, lower the heat to a simmer and cover. It should take about 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, season the shrimp and then sauté in some olive oil. Add the minced garlic when the shrimp has almost cooked through and stir. The shrimp should cook in about 3 minutes. They will turn pink and curl up slightly.
Separately, mix together the juice of the lime and a little bit of olive oil, and stir in the scallions. Mix this dressing with about half the rice. Save the rest of the rice for an upcoming recipe.
Cube the papaya and avocado to about roughly the same size and toss into the rice mixture. Season with some salt and add a drizzle of sesame oil if you have it.
You can use cabbage leaves or any other large veg leaf to hold the salad on the plate. Top with the cooked shrimp.
Serves 2.