It’s a good idea with a long weekend to make a big batch of some staples that can be eaten for lunch or dinner, dressed up of down. This rice salad is the perfect example; serve it with smoked salmon or a steak or teriyaki chicken or just on its own.   

Makes about 6 cups   

Ingredients 

4 cups cooked brown rice or sushi rice   

1 cup shelled edamame beans (avail in frozen section of supermarket)   

½-1 telegraph cucumber, sliced thinly   

3-4 radish, sliced thinly   

1 cup pickled mushrooms – see below   

Options to add – tuna, hot smoked salmon, shredded carrot   

¼ cup store-bought roasted sesame dressing   

Squeeze of lemon juice   

Black sesame seeds to serve  

Method 

Toss all of the ingredients together (hold some radish and the sesame seeds back, to garnish), tumble onto a serving plate and drizzle over sesame dressing, some of the mushroom pickling juices and the lemon juice.  

Scatter over remaining radish and sesame seeds to serve.   

Pickled mushrooms  

Makes one jar   

Ingredients 

200g brown button mushrooms, thinly sliced  

1 tbsp finely diced onion  

1 tsp grated ginger   

1 tsp brown sugar   

75mls rice wine vinegar   

1 tbsp soy sauce  

Boiling water  

Method 

Cram sliced mushrooms, onion, ginger and sugar into a jar. Pour over rice wine vinegar, soy sauce and then boiling water to cover. Leave for 2 hours or overnight.

Seal and keep in fridge until ready to use. 

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