Easy Rice Salad Food

COLD RICE SALAD

Steps:

• For the rice: Place the rice, 3 cups water, and a pinch of salt in a pot, cover and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and cook on low until tender, about 20 minutes. Turn the rice out onto a sheet tray and let it cool completely. Next, combine the rice, peas, red bell pepper and red onion. Toss gently.
• For the dressing: In a small bowl, add the rice wine vinegar, a small pinch salt and a few turns of freshly ground pepper. Mix together and slowly drizzle in the vegetable oil and then the sesame oil.
• Pour the dressing over the rice and mix until the rice is thinly coated. Taste, and re-season if necessary.

MIXED BEAN & WILD RICE SALAD

Steps:

• Cook rice following pack instructions. Once cooked, rinse under cold water to cool down. Once cold combine in a bowl with the beans, sweetcorn, onion and red peppers.
• Mix the lime zest and juice, honey and chilli. Pour over the rice mixture and mix well, then season to taste. Stir through the coriander leaves just before serving.

COLD RICE SALAD

Steps:

• Bring water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add rice and stir. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Remove from heat, and set aside to cool.
• Place eggs in a saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring water to a boil and immediately remove from heat. Cover and let eggs stand in hot water for 10 to 12 minutes. Cool, peel, and slice.
• Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Cook chicken, stirring occasionally, until no longer pink and juices run clear.
• Whisk remaining oil, vinegar, salt, and pepper together in a small bowl until lightly emulsified; set aside. Place tomatoes, broccoli, peas, and corn together in a large mixing bowl; toss to combine. Add chicken, eggs and rice, and toss again. Cover, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving. Toss with dressing to coat just before serving.

COWBOY RICE SALAD

Steps:

• Place Dressing ingredients in a jar, shake. Taste test, adjust to your taste.
• Place Salad ingredients and rice in a bowl. Drizzle with dressing. Toss, then serve. Fantastic served straight away and even the next day!

THE WORLD OF RICE SALADS

Steps:

• Put the rice and all the vegetables in a large bowl. Drizzle with vinaigrette and use two big forks to combine, fluffing the rice and tossing gently to separate the grains.
• Stir in the parsley, taste, and adjust the seasoning or moisten with a little more dressing. Serve at room temperature or refrigerate for up to a day, bringing the salad back to room temperature before serving.
• Variations:
• Rice Salad, Japanese Style: Use brown or white short-grain rice. Halve the amount of celery and carrot and finely chop them or shred them on a grater. Add 1 cup cubed firm tofu (preferably baked). Instead of the vinaigrette, toss with 1/4 cup or so of Simple Miso Dipping Sauce (made by whisking together 6 tablespoons miso paste, 3/4 cup warm water or sake, 1 teaspoon sugar, 1 tablespoon mirin or honey, 1 tablespoon rice vinegar plus more to taste, and salt to taste). Instead of the parsley, crumble 2 sheets of nori over the rice salad and sprinkle with 2 tablespoons black or white sesame seeds.
• Rice Salad, Mexican Style: Long-grain or medium-grain, white or brown, all work well here. When blending the vinaigrette, add 1 tablespoon chili powder and 2 tablespoons Mexican crema or mayonnaise. Instead of celery and carrot, add 1 cup chopped fresh tomato. Substitute chopped fresh cilantro for the parsley and, at the same time, add 2 chopped hard-cooked eggs and chopped jalapeño chiles if you like. Serve with lime wedges.
• Rice Salad, Indian Style: Use brown or white basmati rice. When making the vinaigrette, use rice wine vinegar, replace the oil with coconut milk, and add 1 tablespoon curry powder, or more to taste. Instead of the bell pepper, celery, and carrot, add 1/2 cup each cubed cooked potato, cooked cauliflower florets, and green peas (cooked frozen are fine). Substitute cilantro for the parsley.
• Citrus Rice Salad: Use any rice. Instead of red wine vinegar, make the vinaigrette with freshly squeezed citrus juice-choose from lemon, lime, orange, blood orange, tangerine, pink grapefruit, or a combination. Whatever you use, add 2 tablespoons of the grated zest and 1 tablespoon of sugar or honey to the blender. Do not include the scallion or the vegetables. (You might want to use a little less dressing.) Instead of the parsley, use mint if you like. A handful of chopped almonds or pecans make a nice addition.
• Tomato Rice Salad: Use any kind of brown or white rice. When making the vinaigrette, eliminate the vinegar and add 1 medium tomato to the blender. Instead of the scallion and other vegetables, add 2 cups chopped fresh tomato (a mixture of heirloom varieties is nice).Instead of the parsley, use chopped fresh basil or mint, or 1/4 cup chopped fresh chives, chervil, dill, or about a tablespoon of fresh thyme leaves.

WILD RICE AND BEAN SALAD

Steps:

• Cook the wild rice according to package directions.
• Rinse and drain the beans. Dice the vegetables and parsley.
• Mix together the lemon dressing ingredients. Whisk with a fork in a small container or shake together in a jar.
• Toss everything together. Adjust the seasoning to taste. Enjoy!

EASY TUNA RICE SALAD

Steps:

• Cook the rice according to the packet instructions, drain in a sieve and then cool by running cold water over the rice. Rest the sieve on the saucepan to drain the rice fully.
• While the rice is cooking and draining, make the dressing. Put the mustard, white wine vinegar, salt and pepper in an old jam jar (or similar) and stir to mix together. Add the olive oil and then screw on the lid of the jar and shake to combine.
• Chop up all the vegetables into small pieces and put in a large bowl, add the tuna and sweetcorn and the cooled drained rice and stir well to combine
• Add the dressing and stir well again.
• This can be served immediately or put in the fridge to serve later. I like to serve it with a little green salad - tossed in the remains of the dressing and with a big chunk of crusty white bread.

AUSSIE RICE SALAD

Steps:

• Combine rice, vegetables and bacon bits.
• Mix soy sauce, mayonnaise, allspice and cilantro.
• Stir sauce into rice mixture and serve.

ITALIAN STYLE RICE SALAD

Steps:

• Cook rice before to give time for it to cool off. Follow instructions in notes below to make sure you cook the rice correctly. If adding Pancetta, cook that off in the sundried tomato oil and allow time to cool.
• Make the dressing by mixing all the Italian Dressing ingredients together.
• Put cooked rice in a mixing bowl and add all the chopped Italian Salad ingredients. Pour the dressing over and mix all in together.
• Serve up in a large bowl or large plate with more fresh herbs.

EASY RICE SALSA SALAD

Steps:

• Mix all ingredients together and enjoy!