A healthy salad of seasonal vegetables, wild rice, chickpeas, flaxseeds and  tuna makes a hearty and filling lunch.

It is rich with leafy greens, snow peas, roasted sweet potato, and with the sharpness of cranberries or pomegranate seeds. The nutty taste of mixed wild rice is balanced by the freshness of orange segments, lemon juice and mint.

Lower in calories than regular rice, wild red and black rice are good sources of essential minerals such as phosphorus, zinc and folate, magnesium, molybdenum and high in antioxidants.

Tuna, Chickpea and Wild Rice salad

Ingredients:

Salad:

• 1 1/2 cup of wild rice cooked as per the instructions provided (I have used Sunrice Gourmet Rice Mountain Blend-a mixture of black, brown and red rice)
• 100g can of tuna in olive oil, use both the tuna and oil (if using tuna in brine or other oil, just drain off the liquid and prepare the dressing  below)
• 1 small red sweet potato, roasted and cut into cubes
• 200 g canned chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 1 orange peeled and cut into segments then halved
• 100 g dried cranberries  (or the shiny red arils, or seeds, of half a pomegranate)
• 100 g snow peas, washed and topped and tailed, cut into thirds diagonally
• 1/2 cup of fresh mint leaves, washed and torn into pieces
• 1 Tblsp of flax seeds (that have been soaked in water overnight or at for at least one hour before assembling)
• 2 Tblsp of freshly squeezed lemon juice (when using the whole contents of can – tuna and olive oil)

Optional Dressing (if using drained tuna):

• 1/4 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 2 Tblsp of freshly squeezed lemon juice
• freshly ground black pepper

Method:

1. Using a large bowl, gently mix together the rice, sweet potato, snow peas, chickpeas, cranberries , orange segments and mint
2. Pour the olive oil from the can and lemon juice over the salad (or the prepared dressing if using drained tuna )
3. Gently stir through the chunks of tuna and serve

Serves:  2-3 portions