Rice salad
Insalata di riso
Rice salad, “insalata di riso” or “riso alla greca” (Greek style rice) is a very common dish in Italy during the summer. If you prepare a lot of “insalata di riso” you can eat it for few days and it will actually gain in flavors and best of all you won’t have to cook for awhile.
This is the way I prepare it but you’re free to add or substitute some ingredients with others at your own imagination. Some people like to add boiled eggs, salami and so on. I sometimes add some grated zucchini, chopped tomatoes and corn. I don’t particularly like it but in the store you can find glass jars to add directly to your rice and they usually contain mushrooms, bell peppers, pickles, corn, carrots. There are different combinations and it can surely save time in the preparation but i still like to add my own ingredients.
Ingredients
2 pounds Vialone Nano, Arborio or parboiled rice
2 cans tuna fish in olive oil
2 medium turkey hot dogs
2 cups Asiago cheese cut in cubes**
3 tablespoons capers
1/2 cup green olives halved
1/4 cup black olives halved
1 cup ham cut in cubes, preferably not smoked
1/3 cup sliced sugarless pickles*
2 ripe tomatoes, insides removed and cut in cubes
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
salt to taste
Instructions
1. Cook the rice as directed and when it’s ready strain it and rinse it under cold running water.
2. While the rice is cooking, drain the olive oil from the tuna fish, cut all the rest of the ingredients and add them in a big bowl except the olive oil and salt.
3. When the rice is ready mix it in the bowl with the other ingredients, add the oil and salt to taste.
4. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for about three hours or better yet overnight.