Confetti Rice Salad

Spring has sprung in Florida, and I'm ready to start making some of my favorite Spring dishes. It's time to put away those crock pots and turn off your ovens and start having colorful salads, cold soups and light dishes. Fresh, bright and colorful, this salad looks like a giant bowl of confetti. Organic rice, black beans, green onions, corn and brightly colored peppers are combined with a zesty dressing.

Perfect for picnics, parties or just a family dinner this salad is great because it can be made in advanced. In fact, it's actually better if it's made the night before because it gives the salad a chance to marinate in the dressing. It can also easily be doubled, if preparing for a crowd and it feeds a large  group pretty inexpensively. Serve with chicken or fish for a delicious Spring meal.

Ingredients:

Dressing

1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup cider vinegar

1 tbs. Dijon mustard

1 tsp. cumin

1 clove minced garlic

Salad

1 cup uncooked rice

1 can black beans rinsed

1 can corn

3/4 c. red pepper chopped in small pieces

3/4 c. orange pepper chopped in small pieces

6 scallions chopped

Directions:

1. In a salad dressing mixer, combine all of the dressing ingredients. Set aside.
2. Cook rice according to directions. You should end up with approx. 2 1/2 cups of rice. Cool in large bowl.  
3. Drain and  rinse beans and then drain corn. Add to bowl with rice, and stir. Add the rest of the  chopped vegetables. Mix together with dressing to taste.  Chill in fridge, until completely cool.