Tunisia Meets Provence Salad

Serves 6
Tiziana Marchante, ofNaples, Fla., created this recipe as an homage to her roots-she was born in Tu nisia and raised in Provence,where refreshing rice salads are popular during summertime.

Ingredients:
  • 1 cup uncooked brown rice
  • 2 cucumbers, peeled, seeded, and cubed (2 cups)
  • 1 medium onion, diced (1 1/2 cups)
  • 1 green bell pepper, diced (1 cup)
  • 1 red bell pepper, diced (1 cup)
  • 1 apple, peeled and diced (1 cup)
  • 5 Tbs. olive oil
  • 1 Tbs.lemon juice
  • 1/2 t sp. dried mint
  • 12 pitted black olives, optional
Steps:
  1. Cook rice according to package di rections. Drain, and cool.
  2. Meanwhile, place cucumbers in bowl, and sprinkle with salt. Set aside.
  3. Place onion in separate bowl, sprinkle with salt, and set aside. 
  4. Leave the rice salad to cool to room temperature. When rice is cool, toss together cucumbers, onion, bell peppers, apple, oil, lemon juice, mint, and olives (if using) in large bowl. Stir in rice, and seasonwith salt and pepper, if desired.

Serve at room temperature, or chilled.

PER l 1/2 CUP SERVING 256 calories; 4 g protein; 13 9 totalfat (2 g saturated fat); 33 g carb; 0 mg cholesterol; 203 mg sodium; 4 g fiber;7 g sugars