Brown Rice and Orange Salad

Ingredients

• 1 cup brown rice
• 4 small clementines, or 1 cup mandarin oranges, canned in juice
• 3 green onions
• 1 large lemon
• 1 cup almonds
• 1 cup frozen shelled edamame beans
• 1 cup dried cranberries
• 1 Tablespoon honey
• 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
• ¼ cup canola oil

Optional Ingredients

• ½ cup feta or farmer’s cheese

Materials

• 2 small bowls
• Baking sheet
• Colander
• Cutting board
• Fork
• Large bowl
• Measuring cups
• Measuring spoons
• Medium pot with lid
• Sharp knife
• Small pot

Instructions

1. Cook rice following package instructions. Remove from heat. Let stand covered for 10 minutes. Scoop out into a large bowl to cool. While rice is cooking, prepare rest of salad.
2. Preheat oven to 350°F.
3. Peel clementines and tear into segments. Or, if using canned oranges, rinse and drain.
4. Rinse and chop green onions.
5. Rinse lemon and cut in half. In a small bowl, squeeze juice from both halves. Discard seeds.
6. Slice almonds. On a baking sheet, spread slivered almonds. Bake until golden brown, about 8–10 minutes. Watch closely so they do not burn.
7. Fill a small pot with about 2 inches of water. Bring to a boil. Add edamame. Cook for 3 minutes, or until tender. Drain and set aside.
8. Add clementines or mandarin oranges, edamame, green onions, almonds, and dried cranberries to bowl with rice. Mix together.
9. In a second small bowl, use a fork to whisk together lemon juice, honey, and ground black pepper. While still whisking, slowly drizzle in the oil until a dressing forms.
10. Pour the dressing over the salad. Mix well. Let salad rest at room temperature for 10 minutes so flavors can combine.
11. If using, top with crumbled feta or farmer’s cheese.

Chef’s Notes

• Edamame are sold in both pod and shelled form. Look for them in the frozen food aisle. If you can only find them in pod form, remove beans from the shells after cooking. You will need about 1 (10-ounce) bag frozen pods to yield 1 cup shelled beans.
• If edamame are not found in your store, use any seasonal or frozen veggies like green peas, lima beans, or asparagus.
• Try different types of toasted nuts, like peanuts or walnuts. Or, try different dried fruit.
• Use leftover green onions in Mango Salsa, Tabbouleh, Hearty Egg Burritos, or Tuna Boats.
• Serve over a bed of lettuce or raw spinach for a light entree or serve a smaller portion as a side dish.