Mandarin Orange and Brown Rice Salad

Mandarin Orange and Brown Rice Salad

Have you started cooking your grains in bulk yet? You should; It makes meal planning a breeze.

The above brown rice salad was inspired by a recipe we teach through Cooking Matters program. It’s healthy and delicious. Plus, even if you’re not a “good cook,” no worries. This creation is as easy as it can be!

Ingredients for Mandarin Orange and Brown Rice Salad

• 2C cooked brown rice
• 1C mandarain oranges
• Juice from mandarin oranges
• -1C frozen peas
• 1C dried cranberries
• Dressing: 1T EVOO, 3T mandarain orange juice, 1T honey, 1/2t salt, 1/2t pepper

Method
Mix all ingredients together in a medium sized bowl. To make the dressing, whisk together olive oil, mandarin orange juice, honey, and spices. Then, poor over the brown rice mixture and refrigerate for at least an hour before serving, or until chilled. (you can serve it at room temperature, but I prefer cold.)

10 Facts about Brown Rice sauce

1. Only the outermost layer of the rice kernel, the hull, is removed to produce brown rice, where white rice is further processed, removing the bran and the germ layer (and most of the nutrients!)
2. When brown rice is milled into white rice- 67% of vitamin D, 80% vitamin B, 90% of vitamin B6, 60% iron, and ALL dietary fiber and essential fatty acids are LOST. 
3. Brown rice can stay good in the refrigerator for up to 7 days!
4. Rice supplies as much of half of the daily calories for half of the world’s population; making it one of the most important foods in the world.
5. Brown rice is an excellent source of Fiber and Selenium along with many other antioxidants. 
6. Because brown rice is a whole grain, it has been known to help reduce the risk of Type 2 Diabetes, Childhood Asthma, High Cholesterol,  Cardiovascular Disease, Metabolic Syndrome and Heart Disease.
7. 1 serving of brown rice is equivalent to 1 cup cooked or 1/2 cup uncooked.
8. Rice is often categorized by size: short grain, medium grain, and long grain. Short grain has the highest starch content, making it the stickiest, where long grain remains separated when cooked because it is lighter.
9. Rice is believed to have first been cultivated 6,000 years ago in China. Recently, archeologists discovered that rice could actually be as old as 9,000 years old.
10. There are over 8,000 different varieties of rice, for example: Basmati, Sweet Rice, Jasmine, Bhutanese Red Rice, and Arborio.

Nutritional Profile

What is your favorite way to eat brown rice?

I love pairing brown rice with black beans or with a veggie stir fry.

Do you like leftovers? or does it gross you out?

In general, I am not a big leftover fan, but when it comes to left over grains it’s a different story!

See more healthy recipes