Fruitilicious Rice Salad

A salad chock full of chicken, vegetables and fruit certain to delight your taste buds. Cook once and serve twice by doubling up on the chicken and rice at one meal, and converting the leftovers into this dish.

• Ready In: 26 mins
• Serves: 2-3

Ingredients

• 2  cups  cooked brown and wild rice mix
• 1  cup  cooked chicken, diced into 1/2 inch cubes
• 1⁄2 cup water
• 1⁄2 cup  baby carrots, sliced in half lengthwise
• 1  cup green beans, cut into 1 inch lengths
• 1  tablespoon brown sugar
• 1⁄2 cup pineapple chunks in juice (reserve 1/4 cup juice)
• 1⁄3 cup golden raisin
• 1⁄2 cup water chestnut
• 1⁄2 cup cherry tomatoes, halved

• Dressing

• 1  tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 1⁄2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 1⁄4 teaspoon garlic powder or 1  garlic clove, minced
• 1  teaspoon thyme
• 1  tablespoon olive oil
• 1⁄4 teaspoon black pepper

Directions

1. Place 1/2 cup of water into a shallow skillet over medium heat. Bring to a simmer and add the baby carrots and cook for 4 minutes. (I like my vegetables rather toothy, if you prefer softer cook an additional minute.) If the water fully evaporates, add just 1 or 2 tablespoons more.
2. Add the green beans and brown sugar to the carrots and cook an additional 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from heat.
3. Mix together all of the salad ingredients except the tomatoes.
4. Mix the dressing together in a small bowl. Pour on salad and toss.
5. Add tomatoes and toss a bit more. (Tomatoes are tossed later as they can become a little bruised and mushed).
6. Chill the salad at least 1 hour, but you can make this a day (24 hours) ahead. It ages quite well.