CARIBBEAN RED RICE SALAD WITH CHILI- APRICOT DRESSING

I stumbled upon some red rice while shopping at whole foods, and since I love trying new food items, I had to give this a try. To me, that's the fun part about cooking... trying something new.  Wouldn't that be nice if we could discover something new every week?

So here's what the deal is with red rice... Just like brown rice, it has a nutty flavor and a denser texture. The rice is actually red in color because it contains pigments called anthocyanins.  It's also very high in nutrients due to the fact that the germ of the rice is left intact.  But don't sweat it... If you cannot get your hands on red rice, you can easily use black or brown rice, as It will not change the recipe's taste much. 

This recipe is bursting with slightly spicy and sweet flavors, one of my favorite combos. You will most likely go for second servings!


CARIBBEAN RED RICE SALAD WITH CHILI- APRICOT DRESSING



Ingredients:


For the salad:

• 1 1/2 cups dried red rice
• 1 small red onion, chopped
• 1 yellow pepper, seeded and chopped
• 1 poblano chili pepper, seeded and chopped
• 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped small
• 1 carrot, grated
• 1 celery stalk, chopped
• 1 cup black beans, cooked (between 1/3 cup to 1/2 cup dried. Click here to learn how to cook beans)
• 1 mango, pitted, skin removed, and chopped into cubes
• 1 avocado, pitted, skin removed, and chopped into cubes
• 1/2 cup of sliced almonds
• 1/4 cup of unsweetened coconut flakes
• Sea salt and pepper to taste

Colorful ingredients! All we need  now, is to add he rice and the dressing :)

For the dressing:

• 1/3 cup of olive oil
• 1 cup of water
• 2 tablespoons of raw  apple cider vinegar
• 4 unsweetened, dried apricots, chopped (if they are hard, soften by soaking in warm water for 30 minutes)
• 1/2 tablespoon of sun-dried tomatoes, chopped (if they are hard, soften by soaking in  warm water for 30 minutes)
• 1 date, pitted and chopped (if the date is hard, soften by soaking in warm water for 30 minutes)
• 1/4 teaspoon of cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon of paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon of onion powder
• 1/8 teaspoon of chili powder
• 1/8 teaspoon of chipotle chili powder
• Sea salt and pepper to taste

Preparation:

1. Place all the ingredients for the dressing in a high speed blender and mix until very smooth
2. Cook the rice with water according to the manufacturer's instructions.  Once cooked, let it cool.
3. In a large salad bowl, put all of the salad ingredients together, including the rice.
4. Add the dressing and mix well.
5. Serve at room temperature or chilled

Bon appetit!

This will make 6 servings