Black Rice Salad

This rice salad appears on my plate in the previous post. I used half black and mahogany rice and half brown mix. Both Lundberg brand. You could use whatever whole-grain rice you prefer.

Kari's Black Rice Salad

1/2 cup japonica black rice (or other)
1/2 cup brown rice (or other)
1 tsp Better Than Bouillon No Chicken flavor

1 sweet onion, chopped
1/2 tsp rubbed sage

1 stalk celery, chopped
2 Tbsp minced fresh parsley
1 cup dried cranberries (or other)
6 Tbsp Almond Accents original oven roasted sliced almonds

Dressing:
1/2 Tbsp Ponzu citrus seasoned soy sauce
2 Tbsp frozen pineapple-orange juice concentrate
2 Tbsp white zinfandel wine
1 Tbsp turbinado sugar (or other)
1/4 cup dried apricots, chopped (about 6)

Rinse rice. Cook rice as directed in water with bouillon paste (or you can use vegetable broth instead). Place cooked rice in colander and rinse under cool water. Drain well.

Spray nonstick skillet with cooking spray. Saute onion on med-low 15-20 minutes until caramelized. Add water as necessary to prevent sticking/burning. Stir in sage.

Meanwhile, in small bowl, whisk together dressing ingredients. Add to onion-sage in skillet and bring to simmer. Add apricots; simmer a minute, then remove from heat.

In a large bowl, combine cooked rice, celery, parsley, and cranberries. Add onion-apricot dressing mixture and toss together. Add almonds. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve warm or chilled. I like it chilled.