Rice Salads

Potluck Rice Salad

Fast to prepare if you have a food processor to grate and chop the vegetables.

Stores well, good to take to a picnic or potluck.

• 3 cups cooked rice
• 1 cup chopped green onions plus chopped white tails
• 1/2 cup grated carrots
• 1/2 cup finely chopped celery
• 1/2 cup finely chopped green pepper
• 1 tsp. celery seed

Dressing:

• 1 Tbsp. sugar
• 6 tsp. rice vinegar or white vinegar
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 6 tsp. soya sauce

Mix rice, onions, celery, carrots, green pepper, celery seed in a large bowl.

Combine ingredients for sauce in a small glass jar or plastic container with lid and shake well.

Pour sauce over rice mixture and mix well.

Refrigerate 1 hour before serving.

Mix again, well, after removing from fridge.

Georgian Bay Brown Rice Salad

A player from Norm's hockey team invited us to his Georgian Bay beach house.
The children were excited to be there because his wife was a famous children's book illustrator.

They soon forgot the books when they saw the view from the house, that was built on a cliff overlooking the choppy water. It was a long walk from the house down a steep sandy trail to the beach and the waves that day were high and cold.

We stayed close to the shore, jumping in the shallows, but were all pleasantly exhausted and excited when we got back to the house.

To my surprise, my kids, who were fans of mini pizzas and Kraft dinner, gobbled the curried rice at the buffet.

The illustrator was nice enough to write out the recipe and give it to me that day. Here it is.

Serves 6-8

• 1 cup cooked peas (use an 8 oz can of of green pigeon peas or black-eyed peas, or lightly steam frozen peas)
• 1-1/2 cups uncooked brown rice
• two 4-1/2 oz tins small shrimp OR dice the meat of 2 skinless, deboned chicken breasts OR omit shellfish/meat
• 1/2 cup finely chopped onion
• 1-1/2 cup chopped celery
• 1/2 cup slivered almonds
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley

Cook the brown rice, then toss the cooked rice with the peas, shrimp or chicken, onions, celery, almonds and parsley in a large bowl.

Chill in the fridge.

Make the dressing:

• 1/2 cup canola, sunflower or vegetable oil
• 2 tsp salt
• 3 tsp. curry powder
• 3 tbsps. lemon juice
• 3 tsp. soy sauce
• 3 tsp. honey

Whisk the dressing in a bowl or blend in a blender.
Chill in the fridge ten minutes, whisk again.
Combine with the rice mixture (use less dressing, to taste, if omitting the shrimp or meat.)
Serve immediately or chill until serving. 

Chinese Wild Rice Salad

• 1/3 cup wild rice
• 1/3 cup jasmine rice
• 2 mandarin oranges, peeled and segmented
• 1 lime, peeled and segmented
• ¼ cup sliced mint leaves
• ¼ cup coriander leaves
• 1-1/2 tbsp lime juice
• 1-1/2 tbsp fish sauce
• 1 tsp caster sugar
• ¼ tsp ground white pepper

Cook wild rice and jasmine rice in separate small saucepans of boiling water according to package directions.

Drain.

Rinse under cold water.
Drain again.
Place rice in a bowl with mandarin and lime segments, mint and coriander.
Combine lime juice, fish sauce, sugar and white pepper.
Add  to rice and toss to combine.

BBQ Sticky Flattened Chicken

• 1.6 kg whole fresh chicken
• ¼ cup fresh-squeezed mandarin orange juice
• 2 tbsp fish sauce
• 1 tbsp lime juice
• ½ tsp five-spice power
• ¼ cup hoisin sauce

Place chicken, breast-side up, on a chopping board.

Insert a large, sharp knife into cavity of chicken.

Firmly cut through either side of backbone.

Discard backbone.

Spread chicken out.

Using palm of your hand, firmly press down breast bone to flatten.

Lay flattened chicken in a shallow dish, breast-side up.

Conbine orange juice, fish sauce, lime juice and five-spice powder.

Pour over chicken.

Cover with plastic wrap.

Refrigerate for 3-6 hours, to marinate.

Preheat barbecue to medium.

Place chicken, skin-side down, directly on grill.

Close barbecue lid.  Cook chicken for 15 minutes till skin is crisp.

Turn chicken and cook, covered, 15 minutes more.

Brush chicken skin with hoisin sauce.

Cook, covered, a further 5-10 minutes until done, skin will be dark and sticky.

Transfer to a plate.

Cover with foil and rest for 10 minutes.

 Cut chicken into pieces to serve.

Sesame Bok Choy

• 2 tsp soy sauce
• 1 tsp granulated sugar
• 1 tsp rice vinegar
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 1 clove garlic, thinly sliced
• 1 tbsp thinly sliced fresh ginger
• 2 tsp sesame seeds
• 1 lb. (450 g) baby boy choy, quartered

Whisk together soy sauce, sugar and vinegar till sugar is dissolved.

In wok or skillet, heat sesame oil over medium-high heat.

Stir-fry garlic, ginger and sesame seeds till golden, about 2 minutes.

Add bok choy and soy mixture. Cover and cook till fork-tender, about 3 minutes.

Glazed Salmon in Rice Paper Bundles

• 4 rice paper rounds (8-1/2 inch21 cm)
• ¼ cup shredded carrot
• ¼ cup thinly sliced green onion
• 4 skinless salmon fillets (about 1-1/4 lb/565 g)
• 2 tsp vegetable or peanut oil
• 4 tsp hoisin sauce

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

In shallow dish of hot water, soak rice paper till soft and pliable, about 30 seconds each.

Remove and arrange in single layer on clean towel, thoroughly pat dry.

 Sprinkle 1 tbsp each of carrot and green onion in centre of each round.

Top with salmon.

One side at a time, tightly fold rice paper over salmon.

In ovenproof skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat.

Cook bundles until browned and crisp, 1 min. per side.

Brush top and sides with hoisin sauce.

Transfer to 400 degree F oven; bake till slightly firm to the touch, about 7 min.

Serve with Sesame Bok Choy.