{"id":7206,"date":"2018-06-03T16:05:58","date_gmt":"2018-06-03T21:05:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp.verynatalie.com\/?p=7206"},"modified":"2018-06-04T18:36:19","modified_gmt":"2018-06-04T23:36:19","slug":"rice-salad-with-tuna","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wp.verynatalie.com\/rice-salad-with-tuna\/","title":{"rendered":"Tuna Rice Salad (Riso al Tonno)"},"content":{"rendered":"
Am I the only person who uses Sunday afternoons for weekly food prepping? Or, at least to get me through the following few days? Doubtful. I know there are more of you out there like me…the type of people that take great pride in being uber planful – especially when it comes to food prepping.<\/p>\n
I have certain Sunday evening “go-to” meals that I know will turn into Monday, Tuesday & maybe even Wednesday lunches. Most of the time, these are pasta dishes, but Riso al Tonno <\/em><\/strong>(Rice Salad with Tuna)<\/em> is another great alternative. That’s because it’s tasty, light & easy to cook in volume.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Keep this between you & me, but I’m a sucker for microwavable rice. It’s just so much more satisfying than waiting 45 min to 1 hr for traditional stovetop rice.\u00a0I’ve always been satisfied with the quality, too.<\/p>\n I’m hesitant to admit this, because I’m usually all about being traditional and giving ingredients the love & attention they deserve. I have little guilt about this when it comes to rice for some reason. To each their own.<\/p>\n I recently discovered Trader Joe’s Frozen Organic Jasmine Rice<\/strong><\/em>,<\/strong> and it has made meal prepping so much easier. You can either heat it on the stove for about 10 minutes OR microwave it for about 3 minutes. Alternatively, you can use an Instant Pot<\/a> OR rice cooker with uncooked rice for the same result.<\/p>\n The main player here is definitely the tuna, though. That’s why it’s important to use albacore tuna that’s been soaked in olive oil – not water. The olive oil not only makes the tuna tastier, but also more moist.<\/p>\n What is Giardiniera<\/em> you ask? Think of it as the ultimate Italian condiment. Typically including bell peppers, cauliflower & carrots, this pickled vegetable mix is marinated in oil, vinegar, herbs & spices. You can find this at most grocery stores including Trader Joe’s & Whole Foods.<\/p>\n You can serve Riso al Tonno<\/em><\/strong> immediately, however I think it’s best served after being chilled for 2-4 hours. This allows the flavors of the tuna, vegetables & lemon to marinate & enhance the flavor of the rice.<\/p>\n Not only is it good for meal prepping, but also for a summer BBQ or gathering. That’s because you can make it ahead of time & serve to a large group of people.<\/p>\n It’s a win – win!<\/p>\n