Tag: Rice

Ham and melon? Yes, but in the rice salad! – Italian Cuisine

Two summer classics in one dish! Here are our tips for this fresh preparation that will make everyone happy

L'rice salad with ham and melon is a fresh and colorful dish, perfect not to weigh down on these hot summer days, without sacrificing taste. The binomial prosciutto-melon is a summer classic, in this version with the addition of cold rice (another inevitable preparation on summer tables) becomes a single dish quick to prepare and super nutritious.

Which melon to use for rice salad

THE melons they are of different varieties, and differ in the shape and color of the peel and pulp. All of them are rich in salts minerals as potassium, magnesium and phosphorus, as well as vitamins, especially A and C. Among the best known are melon Ccommon antalupo, round with robust and ribbed rind, intense color pulp, sugary and very fragrant, and that of Mantova, round, with smooth skin and bright orange pulp, perfumed and firm. For the rice salad with melon and ham the most suitable is the Mantua melon, from the drier pulp, which maintains its consistency for a long time without flaking.

The ideal rice for salad

There are those who prefer the basmati, with long and fragrant beans, and those who opt for the classic Parboiled, or who instead does not disdain a salad Carnaroli. All these types of rice are perfect for your salad, it depends on your taste. If you like fine and fragrant rice, opt for a Basmati. If instead you want a rice that keeps cooking well, then opt for a Parboiled. If you want an important consistency in the mouth, then choose the large grains of a Carnaroli: in this case the cooking of the rice will have to be a little longer and you will have a salad that is not sticky at all.

The recipe of rice salad with ham and melon

Ingredients: 1 Mantua melon, 350 g Carnaroli rice, 200 g thick sliced raw ham, a bunch of chives, 150 g Fontal cheese, a handful of basil leaves, salt, extra virgin olive oil.

Method: boil the rice in abundant salted water, then drain and pass it under a stream of water to stop cooking. Clean the melon, stripping it of seeds and filaments, then cut it into slices and then into cubes. Finely chop the basil and chives and add them to the rice. Slice the cheese too, then take the slice of ham, remove the fat, if any, and cut it into cubes. In a bowl mix all the ingredients and season with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and a pinch of salt, if necessary.

In the tutorial some more tips for preparing rice salad with ham and melon

Saffron and rice, Davide Oldani's recipe – Italian Cuisine

The recipe for "Saffron and Rice", Davide Oldani's version of the Milanese risotto, from the special August issue of La Cucina Italiana

In the video above, Davide Oldani – director of La Cucina Italiana for a month – tells his vision of the classic Milanese risotto: "without sauté, I emphasized rice and saffron, with which I prepare a creamy infusion that I add only at the end". Below, the complete recipe!

Saffron and Rice

For 4 people

For the rice
Toast 320 g of aged Carnaroli rice in a saucepan, sprinkle with boiling water and cook for 13-14 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in 60 g of butter and 60 g of grated parmesan and the zest of 1 lemon. Season with salt and season with white wine vinegar.

For the sauce
Boil 200 g of water; add 15 g of corn starch mixed with 20 g of water, a little salt, sugar. Remove from the heat and add 0.20 g of saffron in stigmas (about thirty stigmas). Leave to infuse for 30 minutes.

For finishing
Arrange the rice in the center of the dishes and finish with the sauce, distributing it in a spiral.

Rice salad: how to make it healthier – Italian Cuisine

It is one of the most popular dishes in the summer. It can be prepared in many ways and with different ingredients. Here are the useful tips to prepare it without risking gaining weight

In summer, rice salad is a dish very present at the table. It is the ideal "save lunch" and "save dinner" solution when you have little time to cook or you have little desire to do it because of the heat. In fact, it can be prepared in advance and consumed both at home and outside. One of the advantages of rice salad is its versatility. It can be seasoned with always different ingredients that do not bore the palate and ensure a great variety of nutrients. In addition, if prepared with the right ones, it can become a single dish friend of the line and health. "The basic rule to follow to bring a balanced and complete rice salad to the table is to choose recipes that provide the right amount of carbohydrates, proteins, fiber and good fats," suggests the nutritionist Valentina Schirò, specializing in food science. Let's see in detail with the help of the expert what are the tips to follow to make rice salad a healthier dish.

Choose brown rice

Compared to the white one, brown rice gives more satiety and is richer in valuable nutrients for health. "It has a higher fiber content which slows down gastric emptying and reduces the absorption of sugars, ensuring a more prolonged sense of fullness", says nutritionist Valentina Schirò. It also contains more vitamins, minerals and other beneficial substances for the body. «Black rice, for example, brings polyphenols, in particular anthocyanins. These substances have antioxidant properties: they protect the body from damage caused by free radicals, responsible for cellular aging. They also have an anti-inflammatory action. They promote blood circulation and drainage of excess fluids, responsible for swelling .

Pay attention to the cooking method

Many B vitamins of which rice is rich are water soluble and thermolabile. They dissolve in water and are sensitive to high temperatures. The advice to best preserve them and bring a nutrient-rich rice salad to the table suggests the expert "is to opt for absorption cooking in a little water".

Always add colored vegetables

In addition to giving flavor to the dish, fresh and cooked vegetables and fresh vegetables also provide many precious nutrients in season. «The more they are of a different color, the more they allow to increase the vitamin content of the dish. Orange-colored vegetables such as carrots for example, provide beta-carotene, precious for defending the skin from damage from exposure to the sun. Those red in color such as peppers and tomatoes are rich in lycopene, which protects against aging. Blue-violet vegetables like aubergines contain antioxidants, useful for the proper functioning of the circulation. Those green in color like zucchini, on the other hand, are rich in minerals, which promote hydration, "says the nutritionist. But the advantages are also others. "The soluble fiber in which vegetables are rich slows down the transformation of rice starch into sugars and helps to better modulate blood glucose. They therefore give more satiety and reduce the chances of meeting overweight, type 2 diabetes and many other ailments over time .

Use only one protein source

To make rice salad a healthy and balanced single dish, you only need to add one source of protein. «It allows you not to overdo it with fats and calories that weigh on the line and on health and facilitates digestion which is slower in the heat. So yes to fish, white meat (chicken or turkey) or eggs. Ok also to beans, chickpeas and other varieties of legumes or to low-fat dairy products such as classic mozzarella or ricotta ", suggests the expert.

Season it with extra virgin olive oil

"Thanks to its wealth of monounsaturated fatty acids, extra virgin olive oil makes the dish more satiating. Slows down the emptying of the stomach and lowers the glycemic load. In addition, the "good" fats it contains facilitate the absorption of vitamin E, of which it is particularly rich, which has a good antioxidant action, "says the expert. "The ideal to ensure all its benefits is to choose a cold-pressed oil and add it raw just before consuming it. In fact, air and light tend to oxidize them. "

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