Greek-Style Picnic Salad

For authentic Greek flavor, substitute two teaspoons chopped fresh oregano for dried.

Yield: 10 servings (serving size: 1 cup)

Ingredients

• 2  cups  uncooked white rice
• 1  cup  boiling water
• 3/4  cup  sun-dried tomatoes, packed without oil
• 1 1/2  tablespoons  olive oil, divided
• 8  cups  bagged prewashed spinach (about 8 ounces)
• 2  garlic cloves, minced
• 2  cups  (8 ounces) reduced-fat feta cheese, crumbled
• 1/4  cup  chopped pitted kalamata olives
• 1  teaspoon  dried oregano
• 1/2  teaspoon  salt
• 1/2  teaspoon  freshly ground black pepper
• 1  (15 1/2-ounce) can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), rinsed and drained
• 3  tablespoons  pine nuts, toasted
• 10  lemon wedges (optional)

Preparation

Cook rice according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Cool to room temperature; set aside.

Combine boiling water and sun-dried tomatoes in a bowl; let stand 30 minutes or until soft. Drain and cut into 1-inch pieces.

Heat 1 1/2 teaspoons oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add spinach and garlic; sauté 3 minutes or until spinach wilts. Combine rice, tomatoes, spinach mixture, cheese, and next 5 ingredients (through chickpeas). Drizzle with remaining 1 tablespoon oil; toss gently to coat. Sprinkle with nuts; serve with lemon wedges, if desired.

Nutritional Information

Calories:

288 (30% from fat)

Fat:

9.5g (sat 2.6g,mono 3.6g,poly 1.7g)

Protein:

10.3g

Carbohydrate:

41.8g

Fiber:

4g

Cholesterol:

8mg

Iron:

3.4mg

Sodium:

713mg

Calcium:

110mg