Summery Rice Salad

I'm not sure if we've ever had so much rain in one summer before, but I'm still a little hopeful that we may be reacquainted with the sun, sometime before the summer's end. Al-fresco dining and summer barbecues wouldn't be complete without the accompanying big bowls of salad. Encouraging children to throw a scoop of salad on their plate, along side their barbecued sausage or chicken, can often be a mighty task to undertake, which quite often requires a lot of negotiating skills. As a rule I find that the salads that my children enjoy are ones based on ingredients that they already really like, with maybe a few ingredients, sliced very finely, hidden in the mix. My children love rice and noodles and will quite happily eat both cold, so a salad based on either of these is generally a winner. This salad is a great way to use up leftover rice and is much tastier than any pre-packed salad you could buy. The roasted peppers add a delicious sweetness to this dish. Don't completely drain off the liquid from the pepper, as the juice helps to dress the rice. 

Summery Rice Salad

450g cold cooked rice

1 roasted pepper {from a jar}

30g sunflower seeds

handful fresh basil

zest 1/2 lemon

drizzle of olive oil

salt & pepper

Method

1. Finely chop the roasted pepper and basil.

2. Add to a large serving bowl along with the cooled cooked rice and sunflower seeds.

3. Zest the lemon into the bowl. Drizzle over a little olive oil and mix well.

4. Taste and if required add a little salt and pepper.

Competition Winner

I'd like to thank everyone who entered last week's competition. The lucky winner will be sent, with a friend, to Carton House Hotel where they can relish a master class with Cathal Kavanagh and then enjoy dinner in the Linden Tree restaurant after. All names were put in the hat and the winner is..............

Well done Finola! Congratulations and please contact me with your details. Nessa