"Mediterranean" Rice Salad

This is the second time I've made this! It was great the first time, and kept well for nearly a week (probably would last a week, but it was gone by then!). The amount of veggies is pretty variable, I chop up about what looks right.

So here goes:

1 cup Texmati rice blend (with red rice, wild rice, and texmati rice)
112 g cucumber (half a large one), diced
24 g green onions (the good part of three), diced
17 g calamata olives, chopped
59 g red onion, small dice
160 g garbanzo beans (oh i use the canned. the rest will be combined with asaigio, lemon juice, olive oil, minced rosemary and salt)
277 g grape tomatoes, quartered (a pint less 1-2 for munching)
2 tbsp olive oil (right now i've got some cold pressed organic that is herbal and delish)
1 tbsp lemon juice
S&P to taste

1. Cook the rice! Spread out on a plate and throw into the fridge to let chill. Chop up veggies in the meantime.
2. Whisk olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper together. I'd start with about 1/4 tsp salt and a few grounds of pepper.
3. Throw veggies (besides tomatoes) and garbanzo beans into a bowl. Add in the rice. Toss (used my hands). Add the dressing, toss. Add the tomatoes, toss gently.
4. Package into single servings!

Yield: 6 servings

Per Serving: 175 calories, 7.8g fat, 24.5g carbs, 1g sugar, 3.7g fiber, 3.8g protein



I would like to have this with an additional protein, such as chicken breast or tuna fish, for lunch just about every day. Its filling and delicious, and like I said, keeps well. It is also good both cold and room temperature, and should not spoil between leaving for work and eating for lunch. Would also be great topped with a bit of feta, or with that mixed in.

Anyway. More experimentations / recipes to come. I bought some Dreamfields pasta today, and would like to give that a go. Its supposed to have a very low GI, and still taste/feel/etc like regular pasta. Will definitely report any adverse side effects.

Haven't been eating as well as I'd like to lately, what with pizza and whatnot. Dreamfields still has gluten, so even if its good, I'm going to be avoiding it soon. Will be planning another start date soon, but I'd like to be more prepared this time. Its difficult to do when all you've got on hand is pasta because you didn't go shopping and won't throw away perfectly good food to start a whim of a diet. The dairy part's been a little bit easier. The coffee part... I've been sticking to one or no cups a day. Oh and wine. Uhmmm I tried the Black Box Cab the other day. It should last me a little while. I dont know that I'll want to give up wine entirely, so I dont know that I need to try life with out it. Gluten's a little bit like that, but there are so many gluten free products now a days, and there will only be more as more people are coming down with Celiac and other gluten intolerant syndromes. My problem with them right now is the lack of pronouncable ingredients (ok my issues with saying quinoa is that i pronounced it wrong for like 6 mo before i learned better). Eventually, the health food sector will get in on stuff and utilize gluten free sources for replacements.