Southwestern Brown Rice Salad

This was HOT, HOT, HOT....as in spicy!  If you aren't a fan of spice - either don't put the jalapeno's in or take out the seeds!  It was really good, but had a KICK!  We had this with 3-2-1 RIBS....yummy!!!

Makes 6-8 servings

Ingredients:

1 recipe of brown rice (see below)
2 1/2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Juice of 1 lime (about 2 tablespoons)
Zest of 1 lime
2 teaspoons honey
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
10oz grape tomatoes, halved
1 medium avocado, diced
1 jalapeno, diced (seeded if you want; I pretty much always want)
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
5-7 green onions, chopped

Cook the rice according to the directions below. In a small bowl, combine the olive oil, lime juice, lime zest, honey, garlic, and cumin. Set aside.

In a large bowl, gently toss together the rice, tomatoes, avocado, and jalapeno. Add the cilantro and green onions and toss. Drizzle with the dressing, salt to taste, and serve immediately (or refrigerate…this will be good until the avocados start getting iffy, so about a day.)

How to Boil Brown Rice

1 1/2 cups long grain brown rice
3 quarts water
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons vinegar or citrus juice

Fill a large pot with the 3 quarts of water (not 3 cups–we’re living on the edge here) and add the salt. Bring to a boil. While the water is coming to a boil, line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

When the water is boiling, add the rice and cook uncovered for 22-25 minutes (or until the rice is tender), stirring occasionally. Drain in a fine-mesh strainer and spread evenly over the prepared baking sheet (this step isn’t necessary if you’re eating the rice right away and you feel like you got all the water out, but for things like salads and stir-fries, you’ll definitely want to spread the rice on a baking sheet).. Drizzle with the citrus juice or vinegar and toss to combine. Transfer to a serving dish to serve or cover and store in the refrigerator for later use in recipes.