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Rice Salads - Surprise for the Taste Buds!
Rice salads are easy, inexpensive, delicious and infinitely versatile. They travel and hold well and are an appealing feature if you are the kind of person who hates showing up with the same dish every year at a family gathering or worse, the same dish someone else brings!
You may use any type of rice for salad making, including the quick cooking, boil-in-the-bag types. However, the best results come from a fresh pot of rice. Allow it to partially cool rather than using cold, leftover rice. When rice has been in the refrigerator its starch cells collapse and squeeze out moisture. This makes the grains harder. You can offset the hardening effect somewhat by adding about two tablespoons of water per cup of cooked rice and placing it in the microwave until it is just warm.
Many cooks prefer long-grained rice for salads because it cooks up lighter, drier and fluffier. If you plan to chill the salad, try the short or medium-grained varieties, which cook up softer and moister. Rice salads taste best at room temperature, but follow normal food handling guidelines: do not leave them out more than a couple of hours, especially if they contain highly perishable proteins such as meats, seafood, eggs and dairy products.
Vinaigrettes are nice in rice salads. Add them and toss about 20 minutes before serving to let the flavors mingle. Taste before serving and add more to adjust the seasonings if necessary. Do not be shy when making rice salads. Use whatever ingredients you have on hand. A simple dressing, your favorite herbs and seasonings, a few fresh vegetables and maybe some bits of seafood or meat can turn plain rice into creative, colorful and delicious main courses or side dishes.
Recipes:
Fruited Wild Rice Salad
Ingredients:
Dressing:
1/3 cup orange juice
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons honey
Salad:
1 cup uncooked wild rice
Two medium apples, chopped
Juice of one lemon
1 cup golden raisins
1 cup seedless red grapes, halved
2 tablespoons each minced fresh mint, parsley and chives
Salt and pepper to taste
1-cup pecan halves
Directions
Combine dressing ingredients, set aside. Cook rice according to package directions, drain and set aside to cool. In a large bowl, toss apples with lemon juice. Add raisins, grapes, mint, parsley, chives and rice. Add dressing and toss. Season with salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate several hours or overnight. Just before serving, add pecans and toss lightly.
Recipe makes ten servings.
Nutritional information per per one-tenth of salad:
Calories: 261
Protein: 4g
Carbohydrates: 36g
Fat: 13g
Fiber: 2g
Sodium: 4mg
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Spinach, Rice and Bell Pepper Salad
Ingredients:
2 cups cooked brown or white rice, cooled
1 pound fresh spinach, chopped or 16-ounce package frozen leaf spinach, thawed and well drained
1/2 red bell pepper, thin strips (2/3 cup)
1/4 cup currants or raisins
1/4 cup green onions, sliced
2 tablespoons shelled sunflower seeds
1/2 cup prepared light olive oil
Vinaigrette dressing of choice
Directions
In a medium bowl, combine all ingredients; toss lightly. Cover and refrigerate until serving time.
Recipe makes eight servings.
Nutrition information per serving:
Calories: 290
Protein: 6g
Carbohydrates: 48g
Fat: 8g
Sodium: 109mg
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Mexican Rice Salad with Roasted Peppers
Ingredients:
Three large sweet red peppers, seeded and halved
One jalapeno pepper, seeded and halved
Three cups cooked (without butter or salt) brown rice
1/2 cup minced fresh parsley
1/3 cup olive oil
1/2 cup diced yellow squash
3 tablespoons lemon or lime juice
1 tablespoon safflower oil
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
One clove garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon ground red pepper (or to taste)
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
Directions
Preheat the broiler. Cover a baking sheet with aluminum foil; place the red peppers and jalapeno peppers on the foil, cut side down. Broil about three inches from the heat for about 15 minutes, or until the skins blacken. Transfer to a brown paper bag. Close the bag and let the peppers steam (in their own heat) for 20 minutes so the skins will slip off easily. Remove the skins, pat the peppers dry with paper towels, then slice into thin strips.
Place the peppers in a large bowl. Add the brown rice, parsley, olive oil, squash, lemon or lime juice, safflower oil, cumin, garlic, red pepper, black pepper and oregano. Toss well to combine.
Recipe makes six servings.
Nutrition information per serving:
Calories: 257
Fat: 15g
Cholesterol: 0mg
Sodium: 12mg
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Cold Wild Rice Salad
Ingredients:
One 6-ounce pkg. long grain and wild rice mix
One 8-ounce can sliced water chestnuts, drained
1/2 cup chopped celery (1 stalk)
1/2 cup sliced green onions (4 medium)
1/2 cup seedless red grapes, halved
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon pepper
One, 11-ounce can of mandarin orange sections, drained
2/3 cup toasted chopped pecans
Directions
Prepare rice mix according to package directions, except do not add oil or butter. Cool.
In a large bowl, stir together rice mixture, water chestnuts, celery, green onions, and grapes. In a screw-top jar, combine olive oil, lemon juice, and pepper. Cover; shake well. Pour lemon juice mixture over rice mixture; toss to coat.
Cover and chill in the refrigerator for at least four hours or up to 24 hours. To serve, gently stir in mandarin oranges and pecans.
Recipe makes eight to ten side-dish servings.
Nutrition information per serving (one-eighth recipe):
Calories: 219
Total Fat: 12g
Saturated Fat: 1g
Cholesterol: 0g
Sodium: 302mg
Carbohydrates: 28g
Fiber: 3g
Protein: 3g
Dietary Exchanges: 1-1/2 starch, 1/2 fruit, 2 fat
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