Jesse and I cancelled cable TV this past week. As much as I adore getting lost in a captivating drama (ie. Homeland) or binge watching an adorable comedy (Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt), it was time to test out having no cable. For the summer, at least! Jesse and I want to get outside and enjoy the nice weather this summer – especially since our summers are so short here in Winnipeg! We want to spend our evenings sitting on the patio reading or going for long walks. There’s something to be said for spending time outside within nature. Or well…until mosquito season hits…*haha* In addition to spending more time outside, we also want to be more productive (ie. no more marathons of Income Property or House Hunters International). It’s just so easy to put things off when you can just park your butt down after a long day of work and get lost in an Office marathon.
This was our first weekend without cable television. Yesterday, we attended a fabulous craft sale (Third + Bird) that showcased some of the best artisans in the city! It was incredible seeing almost 2500 people supporting local, small businesses yesterday. I bought a few items myself and could have bought a lot more! After the show, we overhauled the condo and now it is sparkling clean! So nice! And we did all this plus the grocery shopping by 1PM yesterday! It’s funny – by not zoning out in front of the TV, I actually accomplished all of my weekend tasks and was bored by 1PM. *hah* That never happens! So, then I got into the kitchen and I started testing out a number of recipes I’ve been dreaming up. It was great to see them finally come to fruition. And I don’t think Jesse minded being my guinea pig today!
One recipe I’ve been developing is this Thai Rice Salad with Coconut Curry Dressing. Last year, I discovered that rice in salads is magical. It adds a very satisfying element to a salad without making it too heavy. I adore making Thai food, so I wanted to create a Thai-inspired Jasmine rice salad infused with ginger, coconut and lime. To keep things refreshing for spring, I added in fresh, chopped cilantro, basil and mint. To boost the protein of the dish, I added some shelled edamame and some toasted cashews. And for a little colour and some veggie power, I added a yellow and a red bell pepper. This salad is packed with bright flavours and is incredibly easy to throw together. In my opinion, it is the perfect dish to bring to your next spring or summer gathering. It can also be served as a light lunch or a delicious side dish alongside your favourite thai dishes.
A delicious Thai-inspired jasmine rice salad with a creamy, coconut curry dressing and lots of refreshing herbs. This is the perfect salad to bring to your next spring/summer gathering. It's light yet filling and has tons of flavour!
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup of canned coconut milk (can be low-fat)
- 2 tablespoons of water
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoons of green curry paste (such as Thai Kitchen)
- 1 teaspoon of tamari or soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon of agave syrup
- 1/4 teaspoon of sriracha
- Juice of one small lime
- 1 cup of uncooked Jasmine rice, rinsed
- 2 cups of water
- 1 tablespoon of coconut oil
- 1/2 teaspoon of fine sea salt
- 1 cup of cooked, shelled edamame
- 1 yellow pepper, diced
- 1 red pepper, diced
- 1/4 cup of fresh chopped mint
- 1/4 cup of fresh chopped basil
- 2 tablespoons of fresh chopped cilantro
- 2 tablespoons of fresh chopped chives
- 1/2 cup of cashews
- Lime wedges for garnish
Method
- Bring two cups of water to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer then add the rinsed jasmine rice followed by the coconut oil and salt. Stir and cover. Allow the rice to simmer on low for 18 minutes. Remove from heat.
- Spread the cooked rice on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Refrigerate rice for 30 minutes or until completely chilled.
- Meanwhile, combine the dressing ingredients in a mason jar and shake well to combine.
- In a large bowl, combine the cooled Jasmine rice, shelled edamame, yellow pepper, red pepper and cashews. Drizzle with the salad dressing. Stir to combine.
- Fold in the fresh herbs. Allow salad to sit for at least 30 minutes to allow the flavours to meld together nicely.
- Serve with lime wedges to squeeze over top of salad.
Source: dressing adapted from Love and Lemons; Salad by The Fig Tree
Wow- this looks spectacular!!!!! I don’t know about as a side- can I just have a double portion of this instead?!?!?
This definitely can be enjoyed as a meal – it’s very filling! And loaded with veggies and protein. Thanks for the lovely comment! xo
We’ve never had cable and I love it – we hardly ever turn on the TV! We do have Netflix so if we want to watch something but it’s not tempting to just sit and browse, which is nice…especially during the summer. I’m loving this rice salad – so many fun flavors!
We decided to keep Netflix as well. It was nice to sit down together and watch a movie late on Saturday, but we’ve not had the TV on otherwise. I cannot believe how much more productive I’ve been! It’s great! :) Hope the novelty doesn’t wear off! hehe!
Thanks for your recipe…. At last, I can eat Thai Culinary. :)