Wild Basmati Rice Summer Salad

Ok so I've tweaked a recipe that I found in a magazine a while ago. I found that by making it with rice that I bought at Whole Foods (out of the containers) instead of a package of boxed rice, it's a lot healthier and (I think) much tastier. It's got a lot of flavor and texture. You can eat it hot or cold, but I prefer to let it sit in the fridge until its nice and chilly and the flavors have all had a chance to meld together. So without further ado, here is the recipe! :) I hope you like it!

Ingredients:

1/2 cup wild rice
1/2 cup basmati rice
2 cups vegetable broth (or you could use water, but the veggies give this a lot of flavor)
oil (for cooking and for drizzling later)*
1 pint cherry tomatoes (I use the orange ones because they're really sweet, but the red ones would work, too)
garlic (2-3 cloves, minced)
4 green onions, thinly chopped (greens and whites)
1/2 English cucumber, diced
1/4 cup finely chopped walnuts
1/2 lemon, juiced
salt & pepper to taste

* I used avocado oil to cook with and flax seed oil to drizzle with after cooking, but I have made this with JUST olive oil before and it's still fantastic!

Directions:

In a saucepan, heat the vegetable broth (or water) and 1 tablespoon of oil until boiling, add both types of rice and stir. Leave uncovered until broth comes to a boil again, then cover and reduce the heat to low. Stir occasionally while the rice cooks (about 20-25 minutes). The rice will be done when most of the broth is absorbed.

While the rice is cooking, in a saute pan, heat oil (on medium heat) and add cherry tomatoes with a little salt and pepper to taste. Stir/toss the tomatoes occasionally as they cook. You will know that they are all done cooking when all the tomatoes have popped and the juice from them has started to thicken. Add in the minced garlic and cook for another 2-3 minutes.

So once the tomatoes and rice are all done cooking, stir the tomatoes into the rice. Add in the chopped green onions, cucumber, walnuts, lemon juice, oil, more salt and pepper (if needed) and stir until everything is mixed in well. Transfer to a serving bowl or store in the fridge to chill for an hour or so before eating.

soyabella.com

I drink TONS of soy, rice, hemp, and almond milks, seeing as I can't drink cow's milk. So apparently this website sells a machine you can use at home to make your own nut/soy milks. There is a way that I could make them at home, but it seems like so much work. I think this is going to be my next big purchase (once I save up some money for it). Anyway, if anyone else is interested you should take a look! It looks pretty cool, too. :)