Rice salads for work lunches

GavB79

I am trialling a gluten-free diet, so need to rethink what I can take to work for lunch. Rice salads seem a good idea.

My question is, how long does rice keep chilled after cooking? Can it also be frozen and eaten when defrosted, if not reheated? And any rice salad recipes would be welcome, bearing in mind the gluten-free bit.

Also, how long do boiled eggs keep? Should I shell them immediately, or only when I'm going to eat them?

Many thanks

flutterbyuk25

I find rice keeps for few days in the fridge. But I normally freeze any leftover rice in lunch size amounts and then just take out of freezer night before, it should be defrosted nicely by morning then. Freezing makes no difference to the texture/taste.

Boiled eggs, I tend to boil them at night and take them for lunch next day. But not sure how long they last for in fridge once boiled.

HTH

x

Cazza

I find hard boiled eggs will keep for 2 possibly 3 days in the fridge, but I would always leave them in the shell. I've not tried shelling them first, so don't know how lond they'd keep for then??

valk_scot

If you cook rice, cool immediately by running under cold water and refrigerate immediately it will keep for up to three days. Or if you freeze it you can defrost and reheat it, yes. Reheating from frozen is the safest, then eat asap.

If you take rice salad to work, keep it chilled somehow. Room temperature or slightly warm is the most dangerous temp to keep rice at.

Eggs ...if you boil them and cool them quickly, they will keep for three days in the fridge, in their shells. The shell is a nice wrapping for eggs and clean, because you boiled it! Put them in a bag or box to stop them stinking up the fridge though. If you peel them or make egg mayo etc, two day in the fridge is okay, more is getting a bit iffy, though I've done it.

tryingtoruletheworld

Just a few other options on the same theme, quinoa is lovely cold in a salad, as is millet, and you don't need to worry quite so much about keeping them cold if that is an issue. Mixed bean/chick pea salads can be filling and quick to make, without any cooking if you use canned beans. Or you can cook your own from dried and freeze.

There are also some gluten free pastas that are good cold, or reheated at work, but you need to play about with different makes to find which one you like the most. I love buckwheat noodles (they may take a little while to get used to) and you can make some lovely soups and salads with them too (I like them in Japanese style meals). And obviously potato salad (I like them with a vinegrette dressing) is a cheap and easy option too!

If you can reheat food at work, or at home and take a thermos, soups with split peas/barley/lentils are cheap and healthy, and frozen easily.

Sorry if that went off topic a little!

lisa26_2

I don't like rice itself so no recipes for that but rice noodles are nice in salads, maybe with some prawns, peppers, cucumber, mangetout and a thai dressing. Gluten free pasta is also pretty good for making salads, you just have to be careful you don't overcook it or it goes mushy.

rach

I take rice or quinoa salads most days - would defintely recommend quinoa- amazing stuff!

Just a note about going gluten free. i don't know your reasoning but I've been wheat free (as in big stuff like no bread or pasta) for ages, but having seen a dietician I have to have a proper test to find out if i'm actually coeliac. It's worth noting that to have the test you have to reintroduce the gluten in reasonable quantities - so if it's a medical thing it might be worth asking your dr to send you for a test before you cut it out (i'm finding it really hard to reintroduce!)

Queen_of_NO_MATTER_WHAT

millet is also a good gluten free grain that can be used for salads, as well as rice, quinoa, I used to boil up 3 big saucepans of each and then free them in portion sizes, so when it came to making lunch I just used to take a portion out and mix it with whatever I was having (various chopped salad type vegetables). I found that minced turkey goes nice with grain salads and cubed chicken

tandraig

If you fancy a sweet rice salad then mine (and the kids fave) is dead easy. add to cooled boiled rice one tin (drained) of mandarin orange segments, i dont drain it too well as i like to have a little of the juice to moisten rice. you can also add some shredded or cubed cooked duck if you arent vegetarian. delish! another variation is to add cooked chicken and sweetcorn. or sweetcorn and cooked runner beans or peas. remember to season it tho otherwise it can be a little bland. hope these ideas help. will prob think of more and add them later.
oh - and you dont have to cook rice in plain water - a stock cube makes tasty rice!
have to add - the tasty rice reminded me - i use exactly the same variations for pasta salads only i invariably use a stock cube when cooking the pasta for salad.

gizmo111

tandraig wrote: »

If you fancy a sweet rice salad then mine (and the kids fave) is dead easy. add to cooled boiled rice one tin (drained) of mandarin orange segments, i dont drain it too well as i like to have a little of the juice to moisten rice. you can also add some shredded or cubed cooked duck if you arent vegetarian. delish! another variation is to add cooked chicken and sweetcorn. or sweetcorn and cooked runner beans or peas. remember to season it tho otherwise it can be a little bland. hope these ideas help. will prob think of more and add them later.
oh - and you dont have to cook rice in plain water - a stock cube makes tasty rice!
have to add - the tasty rice reminded me - i use exactly the same variations for pasta salads only i invariably use a stock cube when cooking the pasta for salad.

Do you reckon this would work with tinned pineapple and some gammon/ham?

Little_Vics

I second that about being tested properly - it was horrible when I had to reintroduce wheat for testing by doc. Best to do these things properly - but all credit to you for cutting it out if you think you've got an intolerance. You'll feel a heap better!