Brown Rice and Avocado Salad with Vietnamese Dressing

Everyday home cooking is often about using what you have on hand. Each evening when I look in the fridge and cupboards, I have to make something to eat with what I find.

Sometimes I plan a week's worth of meals and then each evening's job is easy. At other times I have no plan. But food must still be produced. And I refuse to eat (or serve) something boring. At least not more than once a week!

This super easy dinner is based on a Nigella Lawson recipe. She made it originally with black rice and prawns, but the headnotes suggested avocado as an option. I usually have leftover brown rice on hand, and I made a few substitutions in the dressing. That doesn't really matter, don't you think? As long as an interesting meal is produced and enjoyed from what is available, I am happy.

Avocado Tips

Try to buy avocados unripe, unless you plan to use them the same day. Unripe avocados should be stored at room temperature. They will ripen faster inside a paper bag or wrapped in newspaper. Once avocados are ripe, store them in the fridge until you are ready to eat them.

Brown Rice and Avocado Salad with Vietnamese Dressing
serves 1
adapted from Forever Summer by Nigella Lawson

Cut open the avocado just before serving this salad since otherwise the flesh will discolour.

for the dressing:
1/4 t red pepper flakes
1/4 t ground ginger (or 2 cm fresh ginger, minced)
2 T fish sauce
1 T lime juice

for the salad:
1 c (160 g) cooked brown rice
1 avocado

Mix all the dressing ingredients with 2 T water.

Put the rice in a mixing bowl and pour over the dressing.
Cut open the avocado. Remove the pit by spearing it with the length of a sharp knife and twisting to remove.
Score the flesh into cubes and use a teaspoon to scoop out into the rice.
Toss all the ingredients.

It's nice to try out a new Nigella recipe, and fortunately I can also submit it to the current Forever Nigella event.



Have a look at the other Forever Nigella entries this month.


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