Yes, it's another riff on rice...yesterday it was oranges, almonds and brown rice; today it's raisins, almonds, balsamic vinaigrette and brown rice - clearly there's a theme in Modern Girls Kitchen this week! But you know what they say...when you've got it, eat it.

So, finding myself with extra rice from yesterday's orange and almond brown rice salad, I decided to take the sweet-sour-savory theme one step further by employing my favourite fall-back vinaigrette, a generous handful of raisins and sliced almonds and a bowl of cooled whole grain Wehani brown rice blended with a little white basmati rice (just because it needed using up).

I have to say the results of today's experimental kitchen were better than yesterday's - the flavors clarified, the contrasts brighter, the overall effect a definite make-again. This is the kind of thing I can imagine taking to work for a refreshing summer lunch, or serving alongside honey-grilled chicken at an outdoor barbecue...with spring making its first appearance, possibilities abound.

What You Need

• 2-3 cups whole grain brown rice (I love Lundberg's Wehani brown rice for its nutty flavor and meaty texture)
• 1/4-1/2 cup sliced almonds
  
• 1/4-1/2 cup raisins
• 1/8 cup chopped scallions (optional)
• 8 tbsps olive oil
  
• 2-4 tbsps balsamic vinegar to taste
  
• 2 tsps mustard powder

What You Do

1. Cook the rice (preferably in a rice steamer) and let it cool for 2-3 hours.
2. While rice is cooling, combine olive oil, balsamic vinegar and mustard powder in a lidded bottle or jar and shake vigorously to blend. Start by adding 2 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar, then increase quantity to taste - depending on the type and quality of the vinegar you're using, you may need to use more or less.
   
3. Place cooled rice in mixing bowl and pour over the vinaigrette.
   
4. Stir in almonds, raisins and scallions (if using).
   
5. Serve as an entree or as a side dish for pork or poultry.
   

There's an addictively good rice salad my mother makes with white rice, almonds, mandarin oranges and mayo - not quite the typical line-up of rice salad ingredients, for sure, but after one bite you're hooked. So in the spirit of my latest read - Super Natural Cooking by Heidi Swanson - I thought I'd put a fresh, organic twist on this salad with whole grain brown rice (I actually used a blend this time of Lundberg Wehani whole grain brown rice and white basmati rice), fresh honeysweet oranges and almonds.

It's one of the easiest - dare I say most foolproof - recipes you can make, and it's great as a healthful, filling entree or as a side dish. Best of all, the combination of fresh sweet orange segments, meaty brown rice and crunchy almonds create multi-layered texture and a lovely savory-sweet contrast.

• 2 cups whole organic grain brown rice (or 1 cup brown rice and 1 cup white/basmati rice)
• 1/2 cup sliced almonds
• 2-3 Honeysweet organic oranges (or other small, sweet oranges - if you can't find small sweet fresh organic oranges, mandarin oranges are okay - just try to find some that aren't packed in sugar water!) 

• 3 tablespoons canola mayonaise 
• handful or two of chopped green onions 
  

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You can't be a skinny bitch all the time (I'll get off this topic soon, I promise) so to drive the point home - and because we had several birthdays to celebrate - I got a gorgeous cake from The Cake Gallery in Chattanooga for book club this week.

Too bad it was devoured before I got chance to take a photo....which means you'll have to make do with this stock shot...and imagine in its place a beautiful double-chocolate round covered in chocolate icing and big, playful pink and green polka-dots! Perfect with glasses of champagne...

Fortunately, the "meal" was "balanced" by the fact that in classic book club style, most people arrived with wine (or champagne) and food was otherwise limited to an absolutely addictive quinoa tabouleh (quinoa is pronounced 'keen-wah') from Greenlife Grocery, along with humous, artichoke and crab dips with various baked pita and organic chili-lime corn chips. 

What could possibly be more fitting...
 

Quinoa Tabouleh

Diet Types: Dairy Free, Vegan, Vegetarian

Ingredients: 1 cup Quinoa 1 1/2 cups water 2 tablespoons freshlife veggie broth powder 3 tablespoons fresh squeezed lemon juice 2 tablespoons extra virgin oliv oil 1/3 cup scallions, finely sliced with green tops included 2 medium tomatoes, seeded, diced 2 tablespoons fresh mint, chopped fine 2/3 cup fresh parsley, chopped fine

Serves: 6

Cooking Time: Under 30 minutes

Instructions:

Rinse Quinoa in fine mesh sieve. Bring water to boil in medium saucepan. Add broth powder and stir. Reduce heat, simmer until liquid is absorbed (about 15 min). Fluff with fork and allow to cool. Combine all remaining ingredients with Quinoa, tossing to blend. Cover; chill several hours or overnight. Allow to warm slightly before serving to liquify the olive oil.