Commonly asked questions:
What is so special about forbidden rice?
Forbidden rice is incredible for a bunch of reasons. For one, orbidden rice has a lot of flavor that I feel white or brown rice is missing. When I ate it for the first time I said to myself "THIS is what rice should always taste like." It tastes every bit as good as a great plate of rice but 2x as flavorful! Another great thing about forbidden rice is that it doesn't undergo any processing or refining. That means all of its nutrients like antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, and fiber remain intact. One of my favorite brands of forbidden rice is Lotus Foods Forbidden Rice.
Are there any other vegetables that go well in this recipe if I don't like broccoli?
Broccoli is a great vegetable for this recipe because it can be chopped up very small, which allows it to cook fast. Asparagus, spinach, cauliflower, and zucchini are a few other vegetable substitutes if you don't love broccoli. The key is to put the vegetable into the food processor (or chop very small with a knife).
Is it ok to skip the cheese?
Yes, you can absolutely skip the cheese if you want. In this recipe, the cheese acts as an additional source of flavor. If you want to skip cow milk, I love using Mont Chevre goat cheddar in all of my recipes. It has a great taste and works well for people who don't process dairy from cows well.
If you like this recipe be sure to check out these other great recipes on my blog:
Skillet Broccoli with Forbidden Rice
Ingredients
- 2 large heads of broccoli with majority of stem in place
- 2 cups cooked forbidden rice optional to use instant
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 shallots chopped
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp paprika
- ¼ cup Parmesan cheese grated
- 2 tbsp vegetable stock
- ½ lemon juiced and zested
- 1 tbsp parsley chopped
- 1 tsp chili pepper flakes optional
- salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
- Chop broccoli heads into florets and cut stem into chunks. Add into a food processor and pulse until coarsely chopped (similar to size of cauliflower rice). Set aside.
- Heat a skillet to medium high heat and add in butter and olive oil.
- Add in shallots and garlic for 1 minute (careful not to burn). Next add in broccoli and forbidden rice and stir and cook for another minute.
- Stir in vegetable stock, parsley and lemon zest and continue cooking for another minute, then add in lemon juice, Italian seasoning, chili powder, paprika and Parmesan cheese. Stir and cook until juices have reduced.
- Finish off by stirring in optional chili pepper flakes and salt & pepper to taste.
- Optional to garnish with more chopped parsley and grated Parmesan.
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