- Christina Deroche, San Diego
INDONESIAN RICE SALAD WITH ORANGE-SESAME DRESSING

1 cup uncooked long-grain rice
1 cup fresh or canned pineapple chunks
³/4 cup dry-roasted cashews or peanuts, chopped
¹/2 cup raisins
2 green onions, washed, ends removed, thinly sliced
1 small red bell pepper in ¹/2-inch dice

1 small green bell pepper in ¹/2-inch dice
1 celery rib, thinly sliced
1 cup fresh bean sprouts
Salt and pepper to taste
Dressing

³/4 cup orange juice
¹/3 cup vegetable oil
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon Asian sesame oil
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
2 teaspoons minced fresh orange zest
1 garlic clove, minced
Salt and pepper to taste
Cook the rice according to package directions. Transfer the cooked rice to a serving bowl and let it cool to room temperature. Add the pineapple, cashews, raisins, green onions, red and green bell peppers, celery and bean sprouts. Season with salt and pepper to taste. In a jar with a tight-fitting lid, combine the dressing ingredients and shake vigorously. Drizzle the dressing over the salad and toss to coat. Serve at room temperature or chilled.

Makes 6 servings.

Dear Christina: This sounded really good to me, too. I made just a few changes to lower the fat and perk up the flavor a bit. I added some cilantro, as it is often used in combination with these ingredients. If you don't care for cilantro, you could leave it out, and unless you really love orange peel, don't use so much. Everyone who tried it felt the orange was a bit overwhelming. I took out the vegetable oil (you won't miss it) and added a bit more of the toasted sesame oil, which really gives you a lot of flavor per gram of fat. I hope you'll make this version!

NEW INDONESIAN RICE SALAD WITH ORANGE-SESAME-CILANTRO DRESSING1 cup uncooked long-grain rice
1 can (8 ounces) pineapple chunks, drained
¹/4 cup dry-roasted cashews or peanuts, chopped
¹/3 cup raisins
3 green onions, thinly sliced
1 small or half of a large green bell pepper, diced in ¹/2-inch pieces
1 celery rib, cut in half down its length and thinly sliced
1 cup fresh bean sprouts
1 tablespoon minced cilantro
Dressing¹/2 cup fresh orange juice
2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
2 teaspoons dark sesame oil
1 tablespoon peeled, minced fresh ginger
1 teaspoon grated fresh orange zest
1 garlic clove, minced
¹/4 teaspoon red-pepper flakes
1 tablespoon minced cilantro
Place the 1 cup of uncooked rice in a medium-size saucepan with 2 cups of water. Bring to a boil. Cover the pan, lower heat to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes. Place the cooked rice in a bowl to cool.

When the rice is at room temperature, add the drained pineapple chunks, cashews, raisins, green onions, red and green bell peppers, celery, bean sprouts and cilantro.

In a container, combine the dressing ingredients and shake to mix. If serving immediately, drizzle all of the dressing over the salad. If the salad is to be served later, use only half of the dressing until ready to serve, and then at the last minute add the other half and stir to coat evenly (the rice will absorb the dressing). This dish can be served at room temperature or chilled.

Makes 6 servings.

Each serving contains approximately: Original Recipe: 432 calories; 22 gm fat; 0 mg cholesterol; 681 mg sodium; 53 gm carbohydrates; 9 gm protein; 4 gm fiber. Revised Recipe: 252 calories; 5 gm fat; 0 mg cholesterol; 235 mg sodium; 48 gm carbohydrates; 7 gm protein; 5 gm fiber.