Confetti Rice Salad

Summer means turning off the oven, and getting out the grill. Grilling steaks or chicken is so simple, but making delicious side dishes takes a little more time and creativity. Here is a tasty and colorful rice salad made with lots of fresh peppers. It's the perfect accompaniment to whatever you're grilling.

Confetti Rice Salad

1 cup uncooked long-grain white or brown rice

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/3 cup chopped red bell pepper

1/3 cup chopped orange bell pepper

1/3 cup chopped green bell pepper

1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen corn kernels

1 poblano chile pepper, seeded and chopped

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro (optional)

2  tablespoons fresh lime juice

salt, to taste

1 large avocado, diced

Cook rice according to package directions until just tender. Let stand 5 minutes, covered.

In the meantime, heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add chopped bell peppers*, corn, and poblano chile. Stir-fry 5-10 minutes until vegetables are just tender. Transfer mixture to large serving bowl.

Fluff rice with a fork, then toss with veggies, cilantro, and lime juice. Season to taste with salt. Add diced avocado and stir gently. Serve at room temperature or refrigerate and serve chilled. Makes 6-8 servings.
*Note: It's not necessary to use the same color bell peppers I used. Just use whatever colors you like.

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Down here in Texas, we grill just about all year long, but never as much as we do during the summer. It's so easy to fire up the grill and toss on a few steaks or some chicken. Gives us a chance to sit outside with a cold beer or a glass of wine.

Starting next Friday and every Friday this summer, I'll be featuring a new recipe for the grill. I hope to inspire you to get grilling!

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