Rice salad with peppers, scallion, mushrooms, peas and roasted cashew nuts, subtly flavored with soy sauce, sesame oil and lemon juice, and accented with fresh ginger.

3 tablespoons soy sauce

1 tablespoon sesame oil

1 tablespoon lemon juice

½ teaspoon superfine (caster) sugar

¼ teaspoon ground black pepper

2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger

1 clove garlic—minced (crushed)

1 cup long grain rice—cooked and left to cool

½ red pepper (capsicum)—diced

½ green pepper (capsicum)—diced

1 scallion (spring onion)—thinly sliced on the diagonal

4 button mushrooms—halved and thinly sliced

1/3 cup green peas

½ cup roasted cashews

MIX together the soy sauce, sesame oil, lemon juice, sugar, pepper, garlic and ginger in a small bowl. PLACE the remaining ingredients in a large bowl, drizzle the dressing on top, and toss everything together until well combined.

Tip: You can make this rice salad in advance and store, covered, in the refrigerator—the flavors will improve over time.

Variation: Add some cold cooked shrimp or chicken to create a main meal.

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