Summer Rice Salad with Barbecue Prawns

Summer Rice Salad with Barbecue Prawns

Prep time: 20 mins
Cooking time: 16 mins
Serve 6

Ingredients
3 tsp cajun spice mix
1 tbs olive oil
18 large green king prawns, peeled, deveined (tails intact)

Summer rice salad
1 cup long grain rice, rinsed
1 1/2 cups water
275g fresh cherries, pitted
2 Lebanese cucumbers, halved lengthways, chopped
1 fresh long red chilli, very thinly sliced into rounds
2 tbs chopped flat leaf parsley
1/3 cup toasted macadamia nuts, chopped
100g marinated feta, drained

Dressing
4 tbs extra virgin olive oil
2 tbs red wine or raspberry vinegar
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp caster sugar

Method

For the rice salad; Put the rice and water in a medium saucepan. Bring to the boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 12-15 minutes until small craters in surface of the rice. Remove from heat and stand covered for 10 minutes.
Combine all the dressing ingredients in a large bowl, season and whisk until well combined. Add the warm rice to the dressing, stir with a fork to coat. Cover and set aside until ready to serve. Just before serving add the cherries, cucumber, chilli, parsley and macadamia nuts. Toss to combine. Spoon onto a serving platter, dollop over the cheese.
Combine the spice mix and olive oil together then brush over both sides of the prawns. Thread prawns onto 18 skewers. Preheat a barbecue plate on medium-high heat. Barbecue prawns, for 3-4 minutes, turning often or until just cooked through. Serve with rice salad.

Tip: If the cherries are large cut them in half, salad looks great with some cherries whole and some halved.

Recipe by Janelle Bloom