The recipe of rice salad with chick peas and tuna in oil

Preparation and cooking

• - Cook chick peas until tender. You could need more than an hour.
  So it would be better to use a pressure cooker.
  Remember to add the bay leaves.
• - When the chick peas are tender, drain them very well and let them cool.
• - While the chick peas are cooling cook the rice in abundant salt water.
• - Drain the rice and cool under cold running water to stop the cooking.
  Drain it again very well.
• - Pour the rice into a large bowl.
• - Add the chick peas, tuna and aromatic herbs.
• - Dress with the olive oil and season to taste with salt.

Just before serving

• - Wait at least for an hour to serve
• - If you prepare this rice salad ahead chill it buy keep it back to room temperature before serving,

Tips and menu planning

• - For a quicker recipe. You can use canned chick peas, well drained. Two tins should be enough.
• - You can use fresh aromatic herbs instead of dried ones. The taste is better.
• - It's a perfect summer single course. You can also serve it in a buffet or alfresco dinner in summer. We suggest it for a BBQ menu too. In the case of menu with more courses the doses are enough for more people.

Healthy eating

• - Rice salad is a dish rich in ingredients and so it is necessary to calculate the right amount of everything we use not to exceed calories, fat and sugars. This cold dish hasn't many ingrendients but they are enough to reach medium-high calories, protein and fat. So you have to consider it as a single course. Besides it isn't well balanced for the absence of vegetables.
• - Celebration menu. If you prepare it for a celebration menu don't worry too much about the nutrition facts. It's a rare event.
• - Daily menu. If you like the combination of its ingredients and would prepare it for your dinner or lunch, use these amounts per head: 50 g (1 3/4 oz) rice, 50 g (1 3/4 oz) dried chick peas, 60 g (2 1/8 oz) tuna in oil, 2 tsp olive oil, aromatic herbs according to your own taste.
  If you want to reduce its calories you have to use fewer chick peas. With only 30 g of chick peas your calories decrease under 500.
  Complete your menu with seasonal raw vegetables if you're still hungry.
  I remember rice should be eaten preferably at lunch and the calories eaten at lunch should be 500 - 700 (30 - 35% of energy needs for an adult if his daily needs are about 2000 calories and he correctly divides his calories into 5 micro-meals).
  Planning the menu for the rest of the day be careful not to choose foods not too rich protein and prefer vegetables.
  
• - If you want to drink a glass of wine remember you have to add 80-85 kCal per 100 ml.
• - I remember you our original home recipes can be made without salt. There is always a combination of flavors that substitutes salt. Other no salt recipes ...

By Loretta

What's the right wine for " Rice salad with chick peas and tuna in oil " ?

Our suggestion is: Regaleali Rosato (rosé wine from Sicily - Italy).