Mandarin and Brown Rice Salad
By Julie Cader
As a child growing up in Alaska, I looked forward to the November arrival of well-constructed wooden crates filled with paper-wrapped Japanese mandarins. It always became a race with my brothers to see who would be first to unwrap the small treasures and enjoy the juicy sweet citrus. Mandarins were an enduring treat that eased us into the dark winter months ahead. And after the oranges were devoured, we had fun converting the wooden crates into myriad useful items. For me, doll houses.
Today, I am fortunate to live in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada, where the warm days and cool nights make this area a perfect place to grow seedless, yummy mandarins. In this recipe, I combined our local mandarin oranges, the nutty flavor of brown rice, the tanginess of Greek yogurt and the bite of red onion, to name a few of the ingredients. A tasty way to signal the beginning of the holiday season!
Ingredients
For the rice:
1 cup California short grain brown rice
2 cups water
2 teaspoons butter
Dash of cinnamon
¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
Combine rice, water, butter, cinnamon and vanilla extract in a pot and bring to a boil Cover with tight-fitting lid and simmer for 45 minutes. Remove pot from heat and let rice steam (covered) for another 10 minutes. Fluff with fork and let cool.
For the salad:
4 mandarins, peeled and pulled into segments
½ cup chopped red onion
1 cup shelled, roasted salted pistachios, chopped
½ cup orange-flavored dried cranberries
½ cup Greek yogurt with honey
½ cup mayonnaise
Salt and pepper to taste
In a bowl, combine the cooled brown rice with the other ingredients, add salt and pepper to taste; mix well. Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour. Top with fresh mint leaves for decoration, if desired.
Julie is Finance & Administration Manager for the California Rice Commission, and a big proponent of trying new recipes- especially if they feature California rice.
