Brown rice is an unusual addition to a salad, but it works surprisingly well. The nutty flavor and chewy texture complement the tropical fruits in this recipe, and adding colorful fruits make this a pretty cold dish to serve at a summer buffet. This combination of brown rice, fruits and lettuce provides an excellent source of vitamin C, B vitamins, and fiber from the brown rice to aid in digestion and keep your stomach feeling full. Gradually introduce brown rice into your regular meals instead of refined white rice. The refining process strips white rice of the many nutrients and minerals found in brown rice, which is a very good source of soluble fiber to help keep cholesterol levels low.
Ingredients:
3/4 cup brown rice
2 cups boiling water
3/4 cup sliced celery
1 can (10 ounces) mandarin oranges, drained
1/2 cup pineapple chunks
12 black olives, pitted and sliced
2 tablespoons pumpkin seeds
romaine lettuce leaves, whole strawberries, sunflower seeds
Ingredients for Dressing:
1/4 cup low-fat mayonnaise
3 tbsp orange juice concentrate
3 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp liquid honey
1/4 tsp dry mustard
1/8 teaspoon Tabasco sauce
Method:
Place two cups of water in a large saucepan and bring to boil. Add the rice, reduce the heat to medium and cover. Cook rice for about 45 minutes or until cooked through and there is no more water remaining. Cool.
In a medium bowl, add the cooled cooked brown rice to the chopped celery, mandarin oranges, pineapple, black olives and pumpkin seeds. Set aside.
To prepare the dressing, combine mayonnaise, orange juice, oil, lemon juice, honey and seasonings. Pour over the salad and stir gently to mix the dressing in. Cover and chill in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour.
Use romaine lettuce leaves to line 6 plates. Portion the rice salad equally amongst the plates and garnish with strawberries and sunflower seeds.
This recipe makes 6 servings of 289 calories each. There are 2 grams of dietary fiber, 10 grams of fat, 42 grams of carbs and 4 grams of protein in each serving.