Coconut Cashew Basmati Rice Salad

All summer long I had these visions of all of the fun stuff I was going to get caught up with when the kids were back in school. I was going to get my butt in gear exercising, cook up all these fun new recipes, and best of all I was going to blog like crazy.

Well, school has been in session for a week now and I am having a major reality check! With five kids in four different schools (including high school for the first time), not only am I up to my eyeballs in filling out emergency care forms, packing lunches, waking up an hour and a half earlier than we're used to, but I'm SO dog tired exhausted that I haven't made a new recipe all week. Seven days in, and I'm already beginning to long for the lazy days of hanging out at the pool again.

This recipe was one I made during the summer and LOVED. It's a little more time consuming than my normal fare (especially for a side dish), but it was so yummy I ended up eating it cold for a tasty, but super healthy lunch for the next few days. The recipe says that you can substitute the unsweetened coconut with cilantro or mint, but I have to say that the flavor of the coconut would be really hard to beat.

The ingredients:

Click for printable recipe.

4 Tbs. oil
1 medium onion, diced
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 Tbs. fresh ginger, peeled and grated
2 cups Basmati rice, dry
1 can (13.5-oz.) unsweetened coconut milk
2-1/4 cups water
salt, pepper
1/2 cup raw cashews, chopped
8-12 scallions, thinly sliced (~1 cup)
1/2 cup shredded UNsweetened dried coconut (or freshly grated coconut--I found some already grated at Whole Foods)

Heat 3 tablespoons of the oil in a medium, heavy saucepan with a tight fitting lid over medium-high heat. Add the onion, garlic, and ginger, sprinkle with salt, and cook stirring, until soft for 4-5 minutes. Do not brown. Add the rice and cook, stirring for 2-3 minutes.

Meanwhile add the coconut milk and water in a medium saucepan and bring to a simmer. Add the hot liquid to the rice and onion mixture; season with salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to very low; cover tightly and let cook undisturbed for about 20 minutes, or until the rice is soft and has absorbed all of the liquid.

While the rice is cooking, heat the remaining tablespoon of oil in a small pan over medium heat. Add the cashews and cook, stirring, until light golden brown. Drain on paper towels and season with salt. When the rice is cooked, transfer it to a large serving bowl and fold in the scallions and coconut, fluffing the rice and breaking up any clumps. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Garnish with cashews and serve hot or at room temperature. Serves 6-8.

Enjoy!