Chicken, rice and vegetable salad with Asian kick

2 cups cooked rice

1 tablespoon Thai roasted red chili paste (or more to taste)

3 tablespoons canola oil, divided

¼ cup light soy sauce

3 tablespoons lime juice

1 tablespoon fish sauce

1 tablespoon brown sugar

2 teaspoons grated ginger

1 teaspoons sesame oil

2 cups thinly sliced red cabbage

1 pound lean ground chicken

½ teaspoons salt

1 red pepper, cut in thin strips

1 English cucumber, peeled, halved lengthwise and cut across in ¼-inch slices

½ cup chopped scallions, divided

2 cups shredded carrots

1 cup cilantro leaves, torn

½ cup mint leaves, torn

½ cup chopped peanuts

1. Coat a sheet pan with cooking spray. Heat the oven to 400 degrees.

2. Toss the rice with the chili paste and 1 tablespoon of the canola oil and spread it on the sheet pan. Bake 15 minutes until browned, toasted and crisp. Stir and set aside.

3. Combine the soy sauce, lime juice, fish sauce, brown sugar, grated ginger and sesame oil in a bowl.

4. Heat 1 tablespoon of canola in a large nonstick skillet over medium high. Add the cabbage and cook, stirring, 2 minutes, until it is slightly softened but still crisp. Transfer to a large bowl.

5. Wipe out the skillet, add the remaining 1 tablespoon canola and heat over medium high. Add the chicken and salt and cook, stirring to break it up, for 2 minutes. Add 2 tablespoon of the sauce and cook, continuing to break it into small crumbles, until the chicken is no longer pink, another 2 minutes. Add the chicken to the bowl with the cabbage and stir in the red pepper, cucumber, about half the scallions and the remaining sauce. Stir in the cilantro, mint, and crispy rice and spread on a platter. Serve topped with the remaining scallions and peanuts.

MAKES 4 SERVINGS