Lentil and Brown Rice Salad

Serves 8

Recipe from The Ultimate Rice Cooker Cookbook

Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen

I love my rice cooker and use it almost every day.  I keep cooked brown rice and French lentils in the fridge all the time so that we can make quick healthy salads or wraps anytime.  If you do the same, this meatless salad will be a cinch to make.  Perfect for a Meatless Monday lunch!

Vinaigrette:

¾ cup olive oil

1/3 cup red wine vinegar

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

Place the vinaigrette ingredients in a jar.  Cover the jar with a lid and shake until the vinaigrette is well blended. Set aside.

Salad

1 cup dried French lentils, rinsed and picked over

1 ½ teaspoons dried thyme or 2 sprigs fresh thyme

In a small saucepan, cover lentils with water by 1 inch. Add the thyme.  Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, partially covered, until lentils are tender but still holding their shape, 20 to 25 minutes. Drain well.  Place in a large salad bowl and add the following ingredients:

2 cups cooked brown jasmine rice, room temperature *

3 scallions, chopped or ¼ cup minced fresh chives

½ cup finely chopped celery

1/3 cup finely chopped red onion

3 Tablespoons fresh Italian parsley, chopped

3 Tablespoons chopped golden raisins

3 Tablespoons chopped walnuts

5 oz. goat cheese, crumbled (to be tossed in just before serving)

Toss the salad with enough vinaigrette to coat lightly.  (You will have some vinaigrette left to use for something else.) Let the salad stand at room temperature for 1 hour before serving or cover tightly and chill overnight in the fridge.  Serve the salad at room temperature, adding the goat cheese right before serving.

*To make the brown jasmine rice in the rice cooker:

1 cup brown jasmine rice (rinse well and drain)

2 cups water

1 Tablespoon unsalted butter

Spray the rice cooker bowl with oil or lightly coat the bowl with oil.  Add the above ingredients.  Set the cooker to the brown rice setting, press start and there you are!