Brown rice • Bell peppers • Cherry tomatoes • Radishes • Roasted chickpeas • Avocado, habanero dressing

By Appetite for Change Youth and chef coach Mecca Bos from House of Gristle

Download this recipe (pdf)

Hot Power Hitter by Appetite for Change Youth

This is no sissy salad.

Tyvone, Grace, Leonna and Arieana joined Chef Mecca Bos with House of Gristle to create what they call a “not so Minnesota nice” hot-happening salad. Brown rice, peppers, cherry tomatoes, radishes, carrots seem tame. Fold in serrano peppers and an avocado habanero dressing, and the heat is on. Their red pepper-flaked roasted chickpea topper cranks it up – just a tad more. Power up!

Hot Power Hitter

with Avocado, habanero dressing

Makes 8 (generous 1-cup) servings

Salad Ingredients
  • ¾ cup uncooked brown rice
  • 1 (15-oz.) can garbanzo beans, rinsed & drained
  • ¼ tsp. red pepper flakes
  • ¼ tsp. salt
  • 1 medium bell pepper, chopped
  • 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 1 cup chopped radishes
  • 1 cup chopped carrot
  • 1 cup chopped zucchini
  • 1 cup shredded kale
  • ¾ cup whole kernel corn (sliced from the cob or frozen & thawed)
  • ½ cup sliced green onions
  • 8 cups mixed baby salad greens
  • ½ cup crumbled feta cheese
Dressing Ingredients
  • 1 ripe avocado, pitted & peeled
  • 1 small clove garlic, halved
  • ¼ cup lemon juice
  • ⅔ cup water
  • ½ medium habanero chile, seeded & chopped
  • 1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
  • 1 Tbsp. + 1 tsp. honey
  • ½ tsp. dried oregano
  • ½ tsp. salt
  • ¼ tsp. smoked paprika
Directions
  1. Cook rice according to package directions. Remove from heat; let cool.
  2. Meanwhile, heat oven to 450-degrees. Blot drained garbanzo beans with a paper towel until dry. Season with pepper flakes and salt. Place on parchment-lined baking sheet. Roast for 20 to 25 minutes or until very crisp. Let cool and set aside.
  3. Toss all the salad ingredients (except for the roasted beans, salad greens and cheese) in a large bowl. Stir in the cooked rice.
  4. To make the dressing, process the avocado, garlic, lemon juice, water, chile, mustard, honey, oregano, salt, and smoked paprika in a blender until smooth.
  5. Spoon the rice-veggie mixture over the greens. Drizzle with the dressing and sprinkle with cheese and the roasted garbanzo beans.
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