Elegant Almond Rice Salad Recipes

ALMOND RICE

Steps:

• In a large saucepan, bring the water, rice and butter to a boil. Remove from the heat. Cover and let stand for 5 minutes or until water is absorbed. Stir in the almonds, salt and pepper. Sprinkle with parsley.

CITRUS RICE SALAD

Steps:

• For the Rice Salad:
• Place an oven rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Arrange the almonds in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake for 5 to 6 minutes until lightly golden. Cool completely, about 15 minutes
• In a medium saucepan, bring the chicken stock, salt and oil to a boil over medium-high heat Stir in the rice. Cover the saucepan, reduce the heat, and simmer until all the liquid has been absorbed and the rice is tender, about 40 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and let sit for 5 minutes. Using a fork, fluff the rice and place in a large serving bowl. Add the parsley, orange zest, half of the lemon zest, green onions, and 1/4 cup of the almonds. Toss well.
• For the Vinaigrette:
• In a blender, combine the olive oil, orange juice, lemon juice, soy sauce, honey, and cumin. Blend until smooth. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
• Pour the vinaigrette over the rice mixture and stir well. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Garnish with the remaining lemon zest and almonds.

RICE SALAD WITH CURRANTS, ALMONDS AND PISTACHIOS

Steps:

• Bring 8 cups water to a boil in a large pot. Add the rice and 2 tablespoons salt. Boil rice as you would pasta, stirring occasionally, for about 15 minutes until done, but still al dente. Drain and spread out on a rimmed baking sheet to cool.
• Once cool, transfer rice to a large salad bowl. In a small bowl, stir together olive oil, tahini, lemon juice and lemon zest. Add salt and pepper to taste. Gently fold mixture into rice.
• Add currants, almonds, pistachios, chives, mint, savory and parsley. Toss to distribute. Taste and adjust seasoning, adding more lemon juice or salt as necessary. Serve at room temperature.

ELEGANT ALMOND RICE SALAD

Steps:

• In a large saucepan, heat water and rice to boiling. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 45 minutes. Drain excess liquid from rice.
• Drain artichoke hearts, reserving marinade. Halve artichoke hearts and add to rice with peas, green pepper, green onions, tomatoes, reserved marinade, and only HALF the dressing.
• Toss well. Cover and chill. Just before serving, toss again and taste. Add some of remaining dressing, if desired. Sprinkle with almonds and serve.
• DRESSING PREPARATION:
• In a blender, puree mustard, olive oil, lemon juice garlic and herbs. With motor running, drizzle in oil to create an emulsion. Pour in a lidded jar and shake well. Refrigerate until ready to use.