With Spring officially here, (it is isn’t it?) we’re all craving lighter, fresher dishes full of vibrant colors and the flavors of the season. Although it was cooler here in SoCal this past weekend, we still enjoyed a sunny, breezy weekend for the most part and pulled out the grill on both days. Other places are still having snow in April – so sorry, I don’t mean to rub it in 🙁
Our hulking, not-so-shiny, gas behemoth is uncovered with a flourish as often as possible – it’s one of the biggest perks to living here, and, regrettably, a couple million other people would probably agree with me. Plus, if The Don is at home, he insists on manning the grill which saves me from being in two different places at one time AND Grilling= Less Pans in the sink to wash later! #Winning! Oops, that may constitute copyright infringement if Charlie Sheen’s attempt to copyright “Duh, Winning” and 21 of his other “signature” phrases is successful – meanwhile, we can have fun with it 🙂 Hope ya’ll have a Winning week!
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 🙂
Yum what a great dish to bring on the spring…looks great!
That looks so so good.
Priscilla…I’m thrilled to announce that we are finally experiencing beautiful warm Spring days…well at least in the last 2 days ;o)
I love shrimp and this dressing, especially with ginger and honey is very appealing to my tastebuds ;o)
Btw…your photos are looking real sharp lately.
Ciao for now,
Claudia
you are so cute! I haven’t been brave enough to unveil the grill yet. soon soon, so dirty!
Apricots in rice! Sounds exciting and delicious..the rice look lovely.
What a beauty! I love that grilled pineapples and ginger carrot dressing is the keeper.
Priscilla, this sounds incredible!! That dressing needs to be made in my kitchen asap!
Amazing flavors with apricots and pineapple and the Ginger Carrot Salad Dressing sounds fantastic! A very creative rice dish!
Funny, I love your “Winning” recipe. I need to throw my man out there to go fire up the grill. I need to shed some of the winter fluffiness.
-Gina-
Great photos babe 😉 What a fantastic dish, love it!