Last week I watched Food, Inc. and as if that wasn't enough I started Forks over Knives. I am now a vegetarian. Did that happen to you? My daughter is totally on board with me as she watched both documentaries with me. That is....until today when we were eating this salad. She had a revelation so to speak. A Chick-Fil-A revelation. "Mama! We can't eat Chick-Fil-A if we are vegetarians!" She obviously wasn't fond of the salad I served her for lunch! Over the weekend we ordered pizza. We had to get two pizza's a vege supreme for me and Nat and a pepperoni for the boys. But, last night I made dinner and did it include meat? No sir! Luke took one bite of the ravioli and peered inside getting a closer look. He then realized there was no meat. "Mama! You are NOT going to not feed me meat!" Oh yeah, little man! You watch! We will see how long it lasts but we are on a good spree so far.
I loved this salad! Since the cherries are apparently out of season now I bought canned pitted dark sweet cherries from Oregon and drained them. The dressing for this salad is so pretty and pink!
Whole Grain Rice Salad
by
Keywords: salad vegetarian
Ingredients (6 servings)
- 3 1/2 cups cooked wild and brown rice - prepared
- 4 handfuls baby spinach, stems trimmed
- 2/3 cup walnut halves - feel free to toast them.
- 1/ 1/2 cups sweet cherries, pitted - I used Oregon canned pitted dark sweet cherries
- 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/4 cup white wine vinegar
- Fine-grain sea salt
- A few small basil leaves
- A bit of goat cheese, crumbled (optional)
Instructions
Combine the hot rice, spinach, and most of the walnuts in a large bowl. Toss until the spinach wilts a bit.
Make the cherry vinaigrette by combining one-third of the cherries, the olive oil, white wine vinegar and 1/4 teaspoon salt and blending until smooth. Add a generous splash of the dressing to the salad.
Tear the remaining cherries in half and stir most of them into the rice. Taste and add more salt, if needed. Turn the salad onto a platter and finish with the last of the cherries, walnuts, basil, and goat cheese. Serve immediately.
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Servings: 1 bowl
Calories: 452
Total Fat: 17.8 g
Cholesterol: 0 mg.
Sodium: 18 mg.
Protein: 8.2 g.
I'll eat this salad any day! I love brown and wild rice mix and this a great and healthy use for it! Good luck on becoming a vegetarian AND in getting the family to go along with you!! Sounds like you will have some pretty amusing stories to tell in the days to come. :)
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