Brown Rice and Edamame Salad with Lime Vinaigrette

Hello, friends, and I apologize for the 6-week hiatus! I will not bore you with the details of the exciting life I lead, which has repeatedly pulled me away from the kitchen (and, therefore, the blog). Suffice it to say that the final weeks of school have me on the run.

If you don’t live in my zip code, let me fill you in. We are probably the only town in the continental United States where SCHOOL IS STILL IN SESSION. God bless me, can’t they be done already? If the principal has to push the fireworks out of the way to get to his briefcase in the car, I think that’s a sign that we ought to be done. Don’t you? 

Now, about this  gorgeous and delish Brown Rice and Edamame Salad with Lime Vinaigrette. Let’s hashtag it all up, shall we? A little #wholegrain and a dash of #summersalad and my absolute fave — #realfoodrealfast.

What makes this deserving of those lofty labels?

#realfoodrealfast – A Trader Joe’s frozen brown rice medley and frozen edamame make this a snap to make, and store-bought grated carrots is clutch (and saves me you from bloody knuckles…)

#wholegrain — A mixture of brown rice and barley packs a good dose of protein and fiber along with B vitamins. Just one of hundreds of ways to enjoy healthy whole grains

#summersalad — My savior in this beautiful sunny weather. Who wants to come inside and cook when the sun’s out? Not this mama. Knowing I’ve got a cool salad in my fridge already makes dinner time WINNER TIME [You can groan, it's ok. I did a, too, though I'm still smiling :)]

I snagged a 6-pack of limes off the reduced produce rack and the juice of one of them was enough for this recipe. Shake it up with olive oil, mustard, and a couple of spices, and you are all set.

Brown Rice and Edamame Salad with Lime Vinaigrette
Serves 6

Prep time: 15 minutes     Cook time: zero

Salad:
2 cups cooked brown rice (like Trader Joe’s brown rice medley)
1 cup frozen edamame, thawed
1/2 cup chopped cucumber
1/2 cup grated carrot
3 tablespoons diced red onion

Lime Vinaigrette:
3 or 4 tablespoons olive oil
Juice of one lime (about 3 tablespoons)
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
Combine all salad ingredients in a bowl. In a small jar with a tight-fitting lid, or similar container, add the vinaigrette ingredients. Shake vigorously until well combined. Taste and adjust seasonings as desired. Add vinaigrette to the salad ingredients, toss gently, and serve.

~ENJOY~