FRUGAL FOOD: TUNA & VEG FRIED MEDITERRANEAN RICE

Lovely leftovers: vegetable and tuna fried rice 

Mellow & marvellous: Tuna and Veg Rice, Mediterranean Style 

We're all watching our food budgets these days and no one can afford to throw away food - especially if all or part of it is organic.

But can anything inspired really be produced with with half a tin of tuna?  Or bits of end-of-the-week veg?  Creating something that tastes fabulous and looks good is the hard part.

This recipe involves cooked brown rice (67's come from the freezer).  It's Mediterranean in nature, more mellow, and sauce-free.  The carbs and tuna are bulked out with lots of vegetables and pumpkin seeds.  It's a dish with a wonderful mix of textures and flavours.  

This recipe is ultra budget-friendly.  Half a tin of tuna doesn't sound like much but we don't need as much protein as we think we do (see How to...calculate Daily Protein needs).  Add a hard boiled egg or two if you're worried about protein.

Cost: depending on leftovers, under £1 
Feeds: 1

Ingred:
    1/3-1/2 cup cooked brown rice
    1/2 tin good tuna, coarsely flaked

    couple of handfuls washed spinach, stems removed
    generous handful small florets raw cauliflower
    6-7 cherry tomatoes, halved
    1/3 cup courgette in similar size dicd as cauliflower
    1/2-1/2 cup corn niblets

    juice & zest of half a lemon
    1-2 tablespoons good olive oil

    pinch of fresh or dried thyme & basil
    pepper & salt

    small handful pumpkin seeds

    olives (opt)

Method:

1. Heat a large frying pan (a lid will be needed later) over high heat, add pumpkin seeds to dry pan; toss frequently (and carefully; they burn easily) until seeds emit a toasty smell and look crunchy; set aside
2. Add 1/3 cup water to the pan then cauliflower florets; cover with lid; cook 1-2 mins until 2/3 done (a sharp knife will pierce but not go through the veg), set aside
3. Reduce heat to med high; add spinach, stir until wilted & shiny green; reserve along with cauli 
4. Spray pan generously with olive oil, turn to high; add cherry tomatoes, cook until beginning to pop & collapse - a few mins - set aside
5. Add courgette; fry until brown at the edges; add to other veg
6. If you like your rice fried crisp, add a good slick of oil to the pan, then the rice, the tuna and the veg. Stir quickly; leave for a few mins until the bottom is crunchy.  
7. If you like your rice soft, continue to stir the contents until heated through.
8. When ready, stir in lemon juice, olive oil and herbs.  
9. Season; scatter with toasted seeds.  Serve.    

Tips: 

• Elsewhere in the blog, there's the original Chinese inspired Tuna-fried rice and a Slimmers' Tuna Fried Rice, which is more veg than carb.

                                           More frugal food on Nav Bar: Recipes I 

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This recipe has been developed by B M Lee/ Bright Sun Enterprises.  It may not be reproduced without the author's written permission