ANOTHER TERRIFIC RICE SALAD: fast & easy, fish, leftovers, healthy

Sometimes it's a relief not to cook...

A quick tempting meal with the help of deli friends & a superb wheat-free tabbouleh

'So fast; lovely full-bodied flavours'

When life's ultra-busy, it's a relief to know that food from the freezer, leftovers and deli treats can produce a superb meal in minutes.

Deli ingredients offer great flavour boosters when it's hot or you're too tired to cook.  With their variety of sauces - hot and spicy or mellow Italian - they will transform cold rice or pasta and vegetables.   

67's first choice of deli food* is fish but the antipasti mix of artichoke hearts, olives and sun-blush tomatoes always appeals.  When deli food is (as often happens) on special at 3 for £7 instead of £3.50 each, that's a bargain!

Mediterranean Calamari Rice Salad was a singleton dish which arose out of an excess of Wheat Free Tabbouleh (which itself used up an excess of parsley & mint) and a few leftover artichokes, sun-blush tomatoes and olives from an antipasti mix.  It was all added to pre-cooked brown rice (in this case, defrosted overnight).  Lovely!

However (see tips below) you can obviously start from scratch and feed a crowd.  It will no longer be a frugal dish but on the other hand, not excessively financially indulgent considering the convenience. It's also a great time-saver even if the rice and tabouleh need to be made a few hours in advance.    

Feeds: 1 but see tips below for 4 or more
Cost: min £1.00 plus leftovers; more if starting from scratch

Ingred:
   3-4 tbsp brown rice
   2-3 tbsp wheat free tabbouleh
   2-3 tbsp artichoke hearts, fronds removed
   a few sun blush tomatoes
   a few olives
   pepper & salt
   couple of pinches chilli flakes or a shot of tabasco (opt)
   any other leftover veg like steamed broccoli or green beans (opt)

  1/2-1/2 container deli calamari 

Method:

1. Mix all the ingredients together
2. Check seasoning
3. Refrigerate until ready to serve 

Comments:
'So fast.  If all leftovers turned up in something so full-bodied and flavourful, I'd be as happy as Larry.' Retired writer

Tips:

• add more rice to make this dish go further
• for 4 or more: 1 coffee mug rice, pref brown, cooked per instructions & cooled; 1 deli container calamari (sauce of choice), 1 deli container antipasti drained, enough of 1 recipe Wheat Free Tabbouleh to moisten but not overwhelm the rice salad ingredients 

*usually M&S

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This recipe has been developed by B  Lee/ Bright Sun Enterprises and may not be reproduced, in any form, without the author's written permission.