My three adorable cats keep my home and yard vermin free, but just the thought of mouse droppings sends shivers up my spine. Luckily, Forbidden (also known as Emperor’s or Black) rice, which is readily available at Asian groceries, is delicious and can be used in dozens of rice dishes; in this case the grains of rice may just look a bit like mouse droppings (ick!!!). Keeping with my hard, fast rules for Halloween food, where the dish must be made of high quality, fresh, edible ingredients and be delicious, I’ve developed a new offering for my annual Halloween BOO-ffet, Mouse Droppings Merveilleux, which will look absolutely disgusting, but can be served other times of the year and named it Black Rice Stir Fry Bake at other times of the year.

This yummy dish consists of chewy black rice in an Asian stir-fry consisting of long, slimy (not really) vegetables and tender beef. It makes a delicious weeknight dinner and is easy to put together. I always cook my black rice in my Instant Pot, which is a no-brainer.

12 Servings


2 cups Black Rice, (also known as emperor's rice or forbidden rice)
2 cups water
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon butter, or vegetable oil

2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 pounds beef petite sirloin steak, trimmed of all fat and cut across the grain into very thin strips
1 large onion, quartered and sliced

1 large green bell pepper, seeded, quartered, and sliced
1 large red bell pepper, seeded, quartered, and sliced
1 16 oz. package coleslaw mix

2 1/2 cups All-Purpose Stir-Fry Sauce

1. Rice: Place the black rice in a fine strainer and rinse; drain well and transfer to a 6 or 8 quart instant pot. Add the water, salt, and butter or oil. Cover the pot, set the valve to sealing, and set the cycle to Manual for 18 minutes. When the cycle has finished, let sit for 10 minutes. Release the pressure and keep warm.
2. Stir-Fry: Meanwhile, pour the vegetable oil into a very large skillet heated over high heat. Add the beef strips and onion strips. Stir fry until the beef is just cooked through and the onions are softened. Add the peppers and coleslaw mix. Pour the stir-fry sauce over all and bring to a boil. Stir for a minute or two until the sauce thickens slightly. Make sure the vegetables are crisp tender and not cooked through.
3. Place the rice in a large shallow oven safe glass baking dish. Pour the stir-fry mixture over all. Cover with foil and bake 30 minutes. Serve.

Amount Per Serving
Calories 335 Calories from Fat 88
Percent Total Calories From: Fat 26% Protein 29% Carb. 45%

Nutrient Amount per Serving
Total Fat 10 g
Saturated Fat 3 g
Cholesterol 46 mg
Sodium 2550 mg
Total Carbohydrate 38 g
Dietary Fiber 2 g
Sugars 1 g
Protein 24 g

Vitamin A 27% Vitamin C 103% Calcium 0% Iron 16%