Nutted Rice with Apricots and Ginger Carrot Dressing

Nutted Rice Salad with Apricots and Ginger Carrot Dressing

2 cups cooked white long grain rice (I used Jasmine)

1 Tablespoon butter

½ cup slivered almonds

½ dried apricots, chopped

Salt to taste*

Grilled fresh pineapple

Serves 2-3

Heat skillet on med-high heat, add butter. Add rice, stir to brown and warm, add almonds and apricots. Remove to a serving dish and stir in dressing.

Notes: If you made a fresh batch of rice, you can skip this step and stir in the almonds and apricots after fluffing the rice. You’ll need to increase the amount of almonds and apricots because 1 cup of dried rice yields 3 cups of cooked rice (about 6 servings). You may substitute brown rice and can also dice the grilled pineapple and add it to the rice if you like 🙂

Ginger Carrot Salad Dressing

Yield: ½ cup

2 Tablespoons canola oil

1 Tablespoon sesame oil

2 Tablespoons rice vinegar

1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger

1 teaspoon honey or agave syrup

1 Tablespoon lime juice

1 Tablespoon carrot juice

Combine all ingredients in a small canning jar and shake. Or, in a glass bowl and whisk to blend.

This made only enough for the rice dish. I concocted this dressing after being wowed by a sample that I picked up at the Natural Products Expo a couple of weeks ago. It was happy dance time when I tasted it – the flavors were clean and bright –  so good I’m going to triple the recipe to have some on hand for salads this week.

For the shrimp: Rinse and remove the shells, leaving the tail intact. In a glass bowl, sprinkle with seasoning – I used Melissa’s Chili Seasoning. Measure out about one tablespoon of coconut oil in a ceramic prep bowl and liquify by putting in the microwave for about 20 seconds. Pour over the shrimp and toss to coat. Grill the shrimp over medium heat on a veggie grill rack for about 5 minutes, depending on size. Simple as that!

Enjoy 🙂