Salad, New Orleans style

Then all you need do is cook the rice (if you’ve some stashed away in the freezer already, this dish is even more of a snap to prepare), chop up or dice or mince an ingredient or two, whip up the dressing and voil? you have a complete meal.

Of course you can serve it in a bed of lettuce (that’ll make it go further) and maybe some thickly sliced plum tomato or cherry tomatoes, you might want to add in an extra carb or two with a whole-wheat hops or whatever.

However you decide to serve this vegetarian dish that packs as much punch as those who have to have pepper with everything may desire, this salad is quick to prepare and you’ll find it ready and waiting and deliciously cold when you get home after a hard day at the office, or shopping or whichever.

On the other hand, if you must have some kind of meat, serve this salad as a side dish with ham or grilled meat or fish — take your choice. It can be a side dish (to serve four or more) with meat or fish, or it can be for but two strict vegetarians, the choice is yours.

So now let’s start on the list of ingredients for this New Orleans Style Salad:

2/3 cup cooked rice (I used

Basmati)

2 blades sive, sliced

1 small carrot, shredded

1 can (14 oz) red kidney beans,

rinsed and drained

? cup chopped imported celery

? cup diced sweet pepper

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 tablespoons vinegar

1 teaspoon minced garlic

? teaspoon salt

? teaspoon dried thyme

Hot pepper sauce to taste

Method

Put the cooked rice in a medium mixing bowl. Add the prepared sive, carrot, beans, celery and sweet pepper and stir (with 2 forks I find is best) to combine all thoroughly.

In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, vinegar, garlic, salt, thyme and hot pepper sauce.

Pour this dressing over the rice and bean and vegetable mixture and toss well.

Cover the bowl and chill the salad for at least 2 hours or overnight to blend the flavours.