Salmon and red rice salad

This is a great recipe if you have some left over cold salmon from the night before. I suppose this is more of a summer dish but the temps are still warm and I'm not saying goodbye to the good weather just yet.

I found Himalayan red rice in a health food shop in Bondi Junction and thought I would give it a try. It has a nutty flavour and works really well in rice salads because it holds its shape and the grains separate after being cooked. I don't know if red rice is low GI or how it compares nutritionally to brown or basmati rice. However, the fact that it does not stick together post cooking and takes a long time to cook suggests to me it has a lower GI than a rice such as Jasmine and probably more fibre.

I'm sure you already know that salmon is an oily fish which is a good source of long chain omega 3 fatty acids which have been proven to be beneficial for heart health. Omega 3 fatty acids are polyunsaturated fats which help to reduce the risk of heart disease by reducing LDL cholesterol. To lower the risk of coronary heart disease, The Heart Foundation recommends Australians should eat two to three serves (150 g serve) of oily fish a week. Read more about omega 3 oils here.

Overall, this is a healthy, tasty and nutritious salad which is high in omega 3 fats, low in saturated fat and full of vitamins and minerals from the fruit, vegetables and herbs.

This would feed two to three people as a main course:

• ½ cup of Himalayan red rice
• 1 large salmon fillet (approx 300-350 g), cooked
• 1 nashi pear, cubed
• 1 cucumber, cubed
• 2 cups of baby spinach
• 2 tbsp of sesame seeds, dry toasted
• 1 tbsp of chopped mint
• 1 tbsp of chopped parsley
• juice of ½ lemon
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• Salt and pepper

Cook the red rice for 30-40 minutes or until soft then rinse in cold water. Mix together the lemon juice, olive oil and salt. Toss the rice with the spinach, pear and cucumber then flake the salmon over the top. Sprinkle the salad with the mint, parsley and sesame seeds then toss the salad in the lemon and olive oil dressing and season to taste.