Toasted Brown Rice Salad w/ Mango Dressing

 

One of my cooking tricks (as I have written about before), is to take ordinary food and find an easy way to take it to another level. This salad is an example of that. I love brown rice and like to have extra cooked rice on-hand for things like salads. Grain salads are so healthy and filling. Perfect for lunch!

Well I have been playing with toasting my grains ;-o    It is so easy, only takes a minute or two and added more depth of flavor to the grain. This refreshing, crunchy salad with a sweet mango dressing was a big hit with my hubby. I served it witha grilled steak, a fruity zin and rosemary crackers. Really you could add any veggie or dressing you like. Try toasting your brown rice (I am not sure if this would work with white rice) before you cook it and see what you think xoxo

 

Toasted Brown Rice Salad w/ Mango Dressing

1 cup brown rice, uncooked

half cucumber, diced

1 ripe tomatoes, diced

1/8 cup sliced green onions or chives (I used chives, including the flowers)

6 basil leaves, torn into small pieces

1/2 cup crumbled feta or goat cheese

mango dressing*

In a heavy dry pan, toasted uncooked rice by pouring the rice in pan and setting it on a med/high heat. Wait until you start to smell the rice brown, then stir every few seconds to brown all the rice and keep it from burning. When browned, cook the rice the way you like to. (I bake it in the oven, with 2 cups of water, covered @400°F for 1 hour.)

When rice is cooked, set it off to the side for 30 minutes, leave covered. Then toss rice with 3 TBL. olive oil, to help keep it moist.

Toss cooked rice with the rest of the ingedents. Enjoy!

 

Mango Dressing

1 mango, cubed and purred, including the flesh of the pit. I just do this with my hands, mashing it up and squeezing the juice and flesh off the pit.

1/4 cup olive oil

Juice of one lemon

2 cloves of garlic finely chopped or crushed

salt and pepper to taste

Mix all together and then adjust to your liking.

 

 

Comments

[Debbie]

This looks delicious. I'm not really into my summer cooking groove quite yet, and grain salads are definitely a favorite with BBQ here. I have toasted my brown rice and it really is a great way to zing up the fare!!

Blessings, Debbie

[Thimbleanna]

That looks delicious Clarice. My Aussie friends have introduced me to Mango -- and now I love it!

[Gumbo Lily]

This sounds really good. Do you remember Rice-a-Roni (from the 70's)? You browned the rice/pasta first before cooking it. I am definitely going to toast my brown rice next time I make it. Great idea.

jody

[Diana]

Yum! I think I'll try this tonight. I don't have any mangoes, but I have peaches from the farmers' market and I think one of those should work nicely.

[matty]

Yummmm... It has all the perfect foods in my world in it... especially the mango!

[Theresa]

Oh my goodness, Clarice! This sounds AMAZING! I am so going to try this. What do you use to cook the rice in the oven - a casserole dish? Do you serve it warm or cold - or both? YUM!!!! xoxo Theresa

[Emily Fay]

Yummy! I am going to have to try this! :)

[heather]

yum! this looks so amazing and just perfect for summer!~