Rice, Quinoa and Edamame Salad

By Kay MacInnis

Try this salad, which is a great way to get some edamame – tender, shelled soybeans – into your diet.

I love to keep edamame in the freezer. They can quickly be thawed as an ingredient in a salad, or sometimes I prepare them in a more traditional manner with low-sodium chicken broth. They’re also great in succotash!

You can add them to most salads – they add great taste as well as protein, iron, calcium and omega 3’s. This salad makes me happy as the main dish, although my family is happier if I have some chicken, fish or lean pork to go with it.

Salads are a great way to increase your intake of vegetables, and you can add so much variety by simply changing the combination. Try your own combo with a homemade dressing. It’s easier than it sounds!

Ingredients:

• 2 cups water
• 1 cup shelled edamame, thawed
• 1/3 cup uncooked instant brown rice
• 1 medium English cucumber, diced
• 1/3 cup uncooked quinoa, rinsed and drained
• ½ red bell pepper, chopped
• 2 tbsp. fresh lime juice
• 8 dried apricots, halved and thinly sliced
• 2 tbsp. rice vinegar
• ½ cup fresh cilantro, chopped
• 2 tsp ginger, peeled and minced
• 1/3 cup red onion, chopped
• 2 tsp olive oil
• 1/3 cup almonds, slivered
• 1 tsp sugar
• ½ tsp Kosher salt
• 1/8 tsp red pepper flakes

Preparation:

• In a large sauce pan, bring water, rice and quinoa to a boil over high heat.
• Reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes, or until rice is tender.
• Drain and rinse with cold water. Fluff with fork.
• Meanwhile, mix the lime juice, rice vinegar, ginger, olive oil, sugar, salt and pepper flakes together for dressing.
• In large bowl, combine the remaining salad ingredients and toss with dressing.

Yield: 4 servings

Nutrition information: 243 Calories, 10 grams fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 30 grams carbohydrate, 10 grams protein and 301 mg sodium.

This is another in a weekly series of healthy recipes from Kay MacInnis, registered dietitian at Providence Hospitals in Columbia.

Kay works in Health and Wellness at Providence, helping cardiac and diabetes patients eat their way to healthier lives. She’s not a chef herself, but in consultation with the actual chefs at Providence, she’s learned a lot over the years as she has worked to help patients help themselves after they leave the hospital.

She also conducts a number of health and wellness events for the public, including the monthly Providence Cooks! classes. There will be no class in July

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