Asian Twisted Rice Salad

A refreshing crisp and crunchy vegetable and rice salad, with a delightfully fragrant lemon, soy sauce and sesame salad dressing. A terrific way to entice the children to eat their vegetables, and a keen way to use up leftovers. It's wonderful alongside some your favorite BBQ meat, or grilled teriyaki chicken. With the addition of some leftover turkey, or some pressed seasoned tofu, it's a great main dish salad! You can change out the nuts (try pine nuts!), add your favorite and freshest garden vegetables and make this salad your own. If you like your dressing a little more lemony, add 1/2 tsp. of finely grated fresh lemon zest. I'd love to hear your new combinations.

• Ready In: 10 mins
• Serves: 4-6

Ingredients

• 3  cups rice, cooked use brown or white or any mixture you like
• 1⁄2 cup carrot, finely chopped or shredded
• 1⁄4 cup green onions or 1⁄4 cup scallion, finely chopped
• 1⁄2 cup celery, finely chopped
• 1  chopped apple, skin on, cored
• 1⁄2 cup peanuts or 1⁄2 cup  other  nuts or 1⁄2 cup water chestnut, coarsely chopped

• Optionals

• 1⁄2 cup  chinese peas or 1⁄2 cup snow peas, cut horizontally and in 1/2-inch pcs
• 1⁄2 cup  raw spinach, juiliened

• Dressing

• 1⁄2 cup  mild  salad oil, of your choice
• 2  tablespoons soya sauce or 2  tablespoons  shoyu or 2  tablespoons tamari
• 3  tablespoons lemon juice or 3  tablespoons lime juice or 3  tablespoons grapefruit juice
• 1  teaspoon  dark sesame oil, in Asian food section
• 1  small garlic clove, pressed finely or garlic puree

Directions

1. Place all the prepared vegetables and fruit in a large salad bowl. Toss with the cooled rice. Sprinkle with 1/2 the nuts, reserving the rest for garnish.
2. Combine the dressing ingredients in a jar with a screw top, shake until combined. Taste for balance. If it needs a little more lemon drizzle in another teaspoon at a time, and retaste. Add a little more soy sauce if you prefer too.
3. Drizzle 1/2 the dressing on the salad, toss. Sample the salad - depending on what kind of rice you use, you may require more dressing. Add more as necessary. Top the salad with the remaining chunky nuts, and serve.