My family loves rice.  There was definitely a time when I was making rice at least a couple of times each week.  I always had to time things just right though because it is a good 25-30 minutes from start to finish – and then there is the clean-up.  I hated when the rice would stick to the bottom of the pan…ugh!

Well – I was talking to my sister-in-law on the phone (who happens to be a food consultant) telling her about the rice I found at Trader Joes in the freezer section – and how easy it is to make – and how delicious it is.  In 3-4 minutes, I have a perfect batch of rice – with absolutely no clean-up.  Then she told me about the latest product she was working on – she said, if I liked the rice at Trader Joes – wait until I tried this.  So I did – and not only does it taste amazing, it is ridiculously healthy.  It is really the perfect rice – especially when using it in a recipe – when the recipe calls for a cup of rice – no problem, just measure it out, and put it in the microwave.  In minutes, it is done.  So – when I saw this recipe in Bon Appetit – I knew that the Brown, Red, Wild Rice Medley would be perfect.  I was right.  I served this to a bunch of moms at my daughter’s Book Club, and they loved it!  It was definitely a hit.  Half of them even thought their kids would love it.

Now, this new product is not available everywhere – so if you happen to live in an area where this rice is not available, go to their website and send them a message. 

Ingredients

• 1 cup Brown, Red and Wild Rice Medley
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• 4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 1 1/2 cups fresh corn kernels (cut from 2 ears) or frozen corn kernels, thawed
• 1 cup chopped fresh poblano chiles or green bell pepper
• 1 cup diced seeded red bell pepper
• 1 cup 1/2-inch cubes yellow zucchini
• 1 avocado, halved, peeled, diced
• 1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Preparation

Cook rice using package instructions. Drain and rinse in cold water. Drain again.

Meanwhile, whisk lemon juice and 3 tablespoons oil in small bowl. Season dressing to taste with salt and pepper.

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add corn, poblanos, yellow bell pepper, and zucchini. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Sauté until vegetables are just tender, 6 to 7 minutes; scrape into large bowl. Add rice, avocado, green onions, cilantro, and dressing; toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper.

For a printer-friendly version of this recipe, please click here:  Southwest Rice and Corn Salad with Lemon Dressing