Despite the heat here in Sicily not showing any signs of letting up, and in fact, with these days of high humidity making it even more unbearable, this recipe officially closes the summer salad section! Yes, because we are now halfway through September, and there are only ten days left until the arrival of autumn, so I want to share this nice and fresh recipe with you while the temperatures allow it! It is a main dish based on red rice and grains, excellent alternatives to pasta, rich in fiber, vitamins, and plenty of flavors. I bought a pre-made mix, but if you can’t find it, you can use the grains you have in your pantry or love the most. The result is a colorful, fragrant, and healthy dish, easy but above all quick to make since all the ingredients, apart from the grains, are added raw! A one-dish meal inspired by Mediterranean flavors, enriched with red tuna fillets, in my case bought in Marzamemi from a renowned fish company, cherry tomatoes, Calabrian onion, Salina capers, pine nuts, olives, and lots and lots of basil! A simple yet tantalizing dish, perfect to enjoy by the sea for those still on vacation, outdoors, in the garden, or to take as a packed lunch to the office! You will see, it will be your summer wildcard, but also for autumn if you simply change the vegetables to seasonal ones!
If grain-based salads are your passion, try these other super tasty suggestions too:
- Difficulty: Very Easy
- Cost: Economical
- Preparation time: 15 Minutes
- Portions: 4 servings
- Cooking methods: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Spring, Summer, and Autumn
Ingredients:
- 11.6 oz grain mix (spelt, oats, wheat, barley, quinoa, and red rice)
- 8.8 oz cherry tomatoes
- 1 red Tropea onion
- 7.1 oz tuna in oil
- 1.8 oz black olives
- 1.1 oz capers in salt
- 1.8 oz pine nuts
- A few leaves basil
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil (+ 2 tablespoons)
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- to taste salt
Tools:
- 1 Pot
- 1 Slotted spoon
- 1 Cutting board
- 1 Knife
- 1 Salad bowl
Steps:
Start by rinsing the grain and red rice mix under running water, then bring a pot full of salted water to a boil, add the grains and rice, and cook on low for the time indicated on the package, in my case 10′ (fig. 1).
Once cooked, drain them using a fine-mesh colander or a large strainer, let them cool in a bowl, and drizzle with 2 tablespoons of oil (fig. 2). Meanwhile, prepare the cherry tomatoes: wash them well under running water, pat them dry with kitchen paper, and cut them in half if they are small or into quarters if they are larger (fig. 3).
Peel a red onion, slice it into rings, let it soak for 10′ in water, then drain it well or squeeze it (fig. 4). Desalinate the capers under running water, pit the olives, and slice them (fig. 5).
Add the capers, olives, and onion to the rice and grain mix in a large salad bowl (fig. 6). Separately, season the cherry tomatoes with basil leaves, a pinch of salt, and oil (fig. 7).
In a very hot non-stick pan, toast the pine nuts for a few minutes, stirring them continuously to prevent burning (fig. 8).
Finish the dish by adding the previously drained tuna fillets, cherry tomatoes, and toasted pine nuts. Dress everything with a splash of lemon juice and more basil leaves. Stir and let it set for 30′ before serving.
And voilà…your grain and red rice salad with tuna and cherry tomatoes is ready to be enjoyed!
Bon Appetit from La Cucina di FeFè!
Try also adding a roasted green pepper cut into strips.
Storage
👉 You can store the five-grain salad in the fridge inside suitable refrigeration containers, preferably glass, for up to 3 days.
Tips and Suggestions
🟣 You can further enrich this salad by adding peppers previously roasted in the oven, cleaned, and cut into strips, or some grilled zucchini or other vegetables of your choice.
