Another “saved” Instagram recipe!
How many “saved” recipes do you have on either Instagram or Pinterest? I have hundreds. I’ve probably tried more from Pinterest than Instagram. This Crispy Rice Salad was sent to me by my daughter and it sounded so good I had to give it a try AND with only a few additions.
I just happened to have some English cucumber, and frozen edamame in the refrigerator/freezer and had leftover rice from making some chicken chow mein the night before so why not make this for dinner tonight because with a UT football game on my HUB wasn’t going anywhere.
My additions were to add some crispy pork belly to top to go with the crispy rice. The pork belly came from Trader Joes and even though it is around $6 for a small 12 oz. package, it was already cooked so I just had to cube it and brown in a skillet. This recipe was posted as a salad but I didn’t want to make a main dish so the pork belly saved the day. I also added some sliced avocado to the finished bowl of crispy/crunchy goodness and a little squeeze of lime never hurt anything.
I will be making this again with some other toppings. Since the salad is served immediately you can have everything prepped before baking the rice. Even the pork belly can be fried in advance and then you just pop it in the microwave a minute or two before adding to the salad.
Maybe my New Years resolution should be (made no resolutions this year) go through all those saved recipes and try one or two or three a week.
BLAST FROM THE PAST: If you haven’t tried Stephanie’s Magic Beans then you don’t know what you’re missing. The recipe belongs to Stephanie Izard from The Girl and The Goat restaurant in Chicago. Stephanie was an Iron Chef and Top Chef winner.
Ingredients for a yummy dinner.
I get all my chopping done early.
Fry your pork belly or thick bacon early, drain and set aside until ready to reheat.
I kept adding water until I got the consistency I wanted. I was looking for something similar to a thick salad dressing.
Mix rice with the soy mixture and bake in oven.
Follow directions below for baking rice.
Crispy rice.
Put all the vegetables and peanuts in a bowl.
Pour on some of the dressing and toss salad. You may not need all the dressing.
Add crispy rice right before serving and toss.
Top with pork belly (heat if you want) and garnish with green onions and a squeeze of lime juice.
Crispy Rice Salad with Pork Belly
Ingredients
- 2 c. cooked and cooled rice
- 2 tsp. soy sauce
- 2 Tbsp. chili crunch
- 1 tsp. sesame il
- 1 large English cucumber cut in chunks
- 1 c. frozen shelled edamame, thawed
- 2 stalks celery
- 1 bunch green onions sliced
- 1/2 c. roasted peanuts chopped
- 1/2 c. cilantro
- 1 avocado sliced for garnish
- pork belly* or other meat, cubed
- 1/8 tsp. five spice powder
- 1 lime, cut in wedges for garnish
- Dressing:
- 1/4 c. smooth peanut butter
- 2 tsp. soy sauce
- 2 tsp. sesame oil
- 1 clove garlic crushed
- 1/2 lemon juiced
- 1 tsp. maple syrup
Instructions
Preheat oven to 390° (or 400, mine would not go to 390). Line a sheet pan with parchment paper. Spoon the rice onto the pan. Mix together the soy sauce, chili crunch and sesame oil. Pour the mixture over the top of the rice and toss together. Spread the rice into one thin layer. Bake in preheated oven for 25-30 minutes and toss halfway through baking time.
- For pork belly, cut into small cubes and toss with the 1/8 tsp. five spice powder. Sauté pork belly pieces in a skillet until crisp then drain on paper towels.
- To make dressing combine all of the ingredients in a small bowl. Whisk until smooth. If your dressing is too thick add 1 teaspoon of water at a time until you have the consistency you want.
To make the salad, combine the cucumber, edamame, celery, green onion, peanuts and chopped cilantro in a large bowl. Pour the dressing over the top and toss to combine. Add crispy rice and toss again. Top with your fried pork belly and sliced avocado. Serve immediately with lime wedges for squeezing over portions.
Recipe Notes
If you can't find pork belly, cube a little pork tenderloin, thick sliced slab bacon, pork chop, or even chicken thigh. I like the flavor of the five spice with all the other ingredients.
No Comments