We recently replaced our 17 year-old Ducane grill (which Drake had rebuilt twice) with a beautiful new Weber S-450. We had been sans grill for a few months as we researched replacement options for the Ducane and were otherwise occupied with other things. So it was a bit of a celebration to have the S-450 set up and ready to go. But what should we make for our grill inauguration? We settled on fajitas and this refreshing rice and pineapple salad. What I love about this salad is that it's a lighter balance to Mexican entree--and alternative to rice and beans. It also contains jicama, which gives it a fantastic crunch.
You can go directly to the printable recipe, or I'll show you how to make it, step-by-step...
Here's what you'll need.
Tip: Start by getting setup for prep work.
Start by putting a medium saucepan over medium heat and add 1 tablespoon of olive oil.
Measure in 1 1/2 cups basmati rice.
Stir to coat the grains evenly with oil.
Add 2 1/2 cups water...
...and 1 teaspoon salt.
Bring to a boil, stirring once.
Cover and reduce heat to medium-low. Cook the rice covered for 12 minutes. Remove from heat let stand (still covered) 5-10 minutes...
...until the liquid is absorbed and the rice is tender, but not mushy.
Transfer the rice to a large bowl and let cool.
Finely grate a generous teaspoon of lime zest.
Juice the lime...
...and measure out about 1 tablespoon of lime juice.
Add 1 teaspoon of honey...
...2 garlic cloves, minced...
...and 2 tablespoons of olive oil.
Whisk the ingredients together and set the dressing aside.
Cut the top off the pineapple. Use the following procedure to quarter, core, and dice 1/2 of the pineapple:
Add the diced pineapple to the rice.
Cut the ends off of a jicama...
...and remove the peel with a sharp peeler or paring knife.
Cut in half lengthwise. Dice 1 cup of jicama as follows:
Add the diced jicama and dressing to the salad.
Thinly slice 1 small bunch green onions (white and small part of the green)...
...and 3 tablespoons minced cilantro.
Mix into the salad.
For the final touch, toast 1/3 cup raw pumpkin seeds in a small dry skillet over medium heat, just until they are fragrant (about a minute).
Serve the salad garnished with the pumpkin seeds.
Rice and Pineapple Salad
(Recipe adaptation from Cook's Illustrated)
Serves 6 to 8.
1 1/2 cups basmati rice (or long-grained white rice)
1 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon grated lime zest
1 tablespoon lime juice (from 1 lime)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon honey
1/2 pineapple peeled, cored, and diced
1 cup peeled diced jicama
1 small bunch green onions, sliced (white and small part of the green)
3 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro leaves
1/3 cup raw pumpkin seeds
Put a medium saucepan over medium heat; add 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Add the rice; stir to coat the grains evenly with oil. Add 2 1/2 cups water and the salt. Bring to a boil, stirring once. Cover and reduce heat to medium-low. Cook the rice for 12 minutes. Remove from heat let stand (still covered) 5-10 minutes, until the liquid is absorbed and the rice is tender, but not mushy. Transfer rice to a large bowl and let cool.
In a small bowl, whisk together remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil, lime zest, lime juice, garlic, and honey. To the rice, mix in the dressing, prepared pineapple, jicama, green onions and cilantro.
Toast pumpkin seeds in a small dry skillet over medium heat, just until they are fragrant (about a minute). Serve the salad garnished with the pumpkin seeds.
I hope you enjoyed this recipe! To view more step-by-step recipes, see the complete recipe index.
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