Tuna and Rice Dinner Salad: Cancer RD Recipe Page

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A good friend (Graham Burns, my editor and layout master for my book) sent me this recipe, which was printed in the Washington Post on March 2, 2005. I first served it to my husband after he came home from a week of eating in restaurants. He declared it wonderful, full of surprising and delightful tastes; unlike anything he had eaten the previous week.

When I first read the recipe, I knew I had to make it right then and there. Thus, my variations are simply based on what I had in the house at that moment in time. I am sure the original recipe is downright delicious and maybe even better than mine.

I have made a few modifications.

Cook one cup of brown Basmati rice per package directions (I always cook lots of extra to have on hand for the week)
Place warm rice on a platter
Spread 1 6-oz. can of tuna over the cooked rice (I use light tuna packed in olive oil and spread over the rice)
Sprinkle a handful of chopped kalamata olives on top of tuna
Sprinkle thinly slivered red onions on top of that
Pour a generous dollop of olive oil over all (not needed if tuna in olive oil is used, but if water packed tuna is used, a very flavorful oil is needed)
Sprinkle a generous tablespoon or so of Balsamic vinegar over that
Sprinkle fresh rosemary over the top of all

Makes two generous servings, or enough for two servings plus a lunch the next day.

I served it with a side salad and sliced sourdough bread from Zingerman's Deli. For such a simple dish it had a tremendous depth of flavor, and it was very filling.

Feel free to add other garnishes to the salad: artichoke hearts, capers, any grilled veggies, cherry tomatoes, etc, etc.

Enjoy the ease of this dish.

In my book, I have included the names of several dozen cookbooks which feature recipes that are compatible with (or that can be modified to fit) the ultra-healthy diet I follow, including some resources which are free.

I am also collecting recipes to include in a future edition of my book as well as to be featured on "Menus and Recipes". I have asked readers to send me any recipes that they have found to be great-tasting and easy to prepare, and that emphasize the nutritional guidelines which are outlined in my book. I will also consider taking people's favorite "normal" recipes and posting versions which are modified for maximal cancer prevention.

If you have a recipe you wish to submit for possible inclusion in either my book or on this web page, please send it to me. If the recipe is from a cookbook or other printed source, please include the name, author, and publisher of the source so that I can ask for permission to reprint the recipe. If it is a recipe you created, or a family favorite, please indicate that, also.