Couscous and French Lentil Salad

This easy bean and pasta salad provides a wonderful showcase for a variety of fresh herbs. Feel free to experiment with whatever is available in the garden or the grocery store. Serve as a vegetarian main course or as a delicious side dish.

COUSCOUS and FRENCH LENTIL SALAD

For the Lentils
1 cup French green lentils (du Puy)
6 cups water
1 Tbs. Champagne vinegar

For the Couscous
1 tsp. olive oil
1¼ cups Israeli (pearl) couscous
1½ cups chicken or vegetable broth

For the Dressing
6 Tbs. olive oil
3 Tbs. Champagne vinegar
1 Tbs. dry white wine
2-4 large garlic cloves, minced
Salt and pepper to taste

To Finish the Salad
3 small seedless cucumbers, peeled and chopped
1 bunch of scallions, white part chopped, green tops sliced
½ to 1 cup chopped fresh cilantro, basil, dill, or a combination

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1. Bring water to a boil in a small saucepan. Add lentils, return to boil, cover and simmer until tender but not falling apart, 13-15 minutes. Rinse to cool. Transfer lentils to bowl. Stir in 1 tablespoon of champagne vinegar.

2. Bring broth to simmer in a small saucepan. Heat ½ Tbs. olive oil in a nonstick skillet. Toast the couscous in the oil, stirring constantly over medium high heat for about 5 minutes. Add boiling broth. Cover and simmer for five minutes, then remove from heat and let stand for 5 minutes. Drain and transfer to large bowl. Fluff to remove clumps and let cool. (Couscous may be rinsed in cold water to cool more quickly.)

3. In a small bowl, whisk together vinegar, oil, wine, garlic, and salt and pepper. Stir dressing into couscous. Fold in lentils and remaining ingredients. Chill well. Serves 6.

Turkish Bulghur Salad with Pomegranate Molasses Dressing

Bulghur, bulgur, or burghul, a common ingredient in Middle Eastern dishes (such as Tabbouleh and Kibbeh), is made by parboiling, drying, and grinding wheat to a fine, medium, or coarse texture. Bulghur stars in this colorful and delicious salad, my own adaptation of a recipe I found on Epicurious.com. It's a wonderful summer side dish for grilled meats, or served as a main course with a tossed green salad and crusty French bread. Enjoy!

TURKISH BULGHUR SALAD

WITH

POMEGRANATE MOLASSES DRESSING

For the Salad:
2 Tbs. olive oil
1 large vidalia onion, minced
2 cups fine bulghur wheat
2 cups boiling water
2 15-oz. cans beans, pink, borlotti, chickpeas, or a combination,
            rinsed and drained
1 large bunch fresh basil leaves, chopped (optional)
1 bunch scallions, green tops slices, white parts chopped
1 cup raw pistachio kernels, lightly toasted if desired

For the Dressing:
1/3 cup pomegranate molasses
          (available in your grocer's Middle Eastern section)
3 Tbs. olive oil
3 large garlic cloves, minced or put through a press
Salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste

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1. Sauté onion in olive oil until translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in bulghur until grains are coated with oil. Slowly add boiling water, stir, and simmer gently for about 5 minutes, until water is absorbed. Fluff wheat and turn into large bowl. Let cool.

2. Rinse and drain the beans you wish to use. Prepare basil and scallions and fold with beans into cooled wheat.

3. Combine dressing ingredients. Stir into wheat.

4. Top with pistachios (or allow individual diners to add their own nuts). Generously serves 6-8 as a main course salad.

Herbed Rice Ring

Warm weather is great for making rice rings, since many, like this Italian-inspired gem, do well served cold, and they’re a dramatic treat to present. I often dust off my metal rice mold, a ten-inch, 5½- cup treasure, to prepare this delicious and easy treat, usually as a side dish. It also makes a wonderful vegetarian main course by serving it with a spinach salad, crusty French bread, and grilled vegetables such as zucchini and/or eggplant. Either way, try topping off the meal with a French rosé.

This recipe would complement any number of barbecued meats or seafood. Turn it out on a bed of lettuce if you like, and fill the center with olives, fresh peas, edible flowers, whatever you prefer. I used fresh parsley and tiny tomatoes this time.

HERBED RICE RING

1 cup carnaroli or other arborio type rice
3 cups chicken or vegetable broth
½ tsp. salt
¼ cup olive oil
3 Tbs. lemon juice
2 tsps. dried mint
1 cup fresh basil, roughly chopped
½ cup fresh parsley, chopped
1 bunch scallions, chopped
Salt and white pepper to taste
1 15-oz. can pink beans, rinsed well and drained

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1. Bring broth to a boil. Add salt and rice. Simmer, covered, for 18 minutes. Transfer rice to strainer and rinse with cold water to cool. Drain well.

2. Blend next seven ingredients. Gently fold in beans, then rice.

3. Press mixture into rice mold. Turn onto serving plate and garnish as desired.

White Clam Pizza

Contributed by Dawn Marie Hamilton

When the weather cools, Friday is pizza night.

We like thin crust pizza at our house. You can start with a ready-made pizza crust or make the crust from scratch. I've been experimenting, trying to make a crust containing whole wheat that isn't heavy. I think I've finally come up with a recipe I like, using whole wheat pastry flour and unbleached white flour.

The recipe makes enough for two 15-inch crusts. I use one crust on Friday with one topping and keep the second in the refrigerator for Sunday night with a different topping.

Ingredients for two 15-inch pizza crusts:

1 package active dry yeast
1 cup warm water (100°F-110°F) (or more if necessary)
2 cups unbleached white flour
1¼ cup whole wheat pastry flour

1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt

Ingredients for topping for one 15-inch pizza pie:

2 tablespoons olive oil
6-8 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup coarsely minced fresh basil
1 6.5-ounce can chopped clams, drained
1 6.5-ounce can minced clams, drained
1 cup ricotta cheese
4 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded
ground black pepper

Preparing the crust:

1. Combine flours, yeast, and salt in a mixing bowl. (I use a food processor with a dough blade.)

2. In a large measuring cup, combine water, honey, and olive oil. Pour into flour mixture and stir or whirl until dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl and forms a ball. (Add a wee bit more water if too dry.)

3. Remove dough from mixing bowl and lay on floured surface. Flour hands and knead dough with the heel of your hands until no longer sticky, adding additional flour as needed. (About five minutes.)

4. Place in large, oiled bowl and flip to coat. Cover and place out of drafts. Let rise for one to two hours, until doubled in size.

5. Remove dough from bowl and divide into half. Shape one half into a disc and place on a seasoned 15-inch pizza stone or well-greased baking pan and roll out dough with a floured roller to within 1/2 inch of edge.

I've found it helpful to prepare the dough the evening before and store in a cake pan with a plate on top in the refrigerator until needed.

Hint: Sprinkle surface of baking stone with cornmeal to help prevent crust from sticking.

Preparing the topping:

1. Mix oil with minced garlic in a small bowl and spread evenly over prepared crust. Sprinkle minced basil over garlic. Evenly spread chopped clams then minced clams over top. Sprinkle with black pepper to taste.

2. Drop teaspoonfuls of ricotta over top. Complete with shredded mozzarella cheese.

3. Bake in a 400 degree preheated oven for about 15-18 minutes until slightly brown on top.

Shrimp Scampi with Rice and Spinach

Contributed by Dawn Marie Hamilton

Gardening is one of my many hobbies. The other day I was at the garden center, ogling this plant and that, when I found the cinnamon basil plant pictured above. Of course, I had to have it. I took the herb home, snipped off a few of the spicy-sweet leaves and used them in a romantic shrimp scampi dinner for two.

Ingredients:

3/4 cup brown rice
2 cups spinach, chopped
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons olive oil
8 cloves garlic, minced
½ pound shrimp
6 leaves basil, minced
¼ teaspoon dried mustard
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
black pepper

1. Add rice to two cups boiling water, cook on medium heat (low boil) with no lid for 30 minutes. Stir in spinach, cover with lid, remove from heat and set aside.

2. Melt butter in sauté pan. Add olive oil and garlic and stir over low-medium heat to flavor oil. Raise heat to medium, add shrimp, basil, mustard and lemon juice, and stir often until shrimp is opaque and cooked through.

3. Drain rice in colander. Split rice and spinach between two bowls. Pour scampi over top of rice mixture and sprinkle with pepper to taste.

Serve with white wine. Enjoy!

Chicken and Baby Portobello Pizza

Contributed by Dawn Marie Hamilton

It's Friday pizza night, and chicken and baby portobello mushrooms are two of my favorite ingredients. Add those to garlic, basil, and mozzarella and you have the makings of a great pizza.

I cheat on the crust by starting with a prepared mix. I use 'Pizza Crust & Roll Mix' offered by The Pampered Chef. Other brands are available at the local grocer.

Ingredients for one 15-inch pizza:

pizza crust mix or pre-prepared crust
2 tablespoon olive oil
6 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup coarsely minced fresh basil
3 cooked chicken thighs, meat cut from the bone into small pieces
4 ounces baby Portobello mushrooms, diced
4 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded
Crushed red pepper

Preparing the crust:

Follow directions for whatever pizza crust mix you choose. I like a thin crust, so I divide the dough from one pouch in half and use a 15-inch pizza stone. I've found it helpful to prepare the dough the evening before and store it in the refrigerator in a cake pan with a plate on top until I'm ready to use.

1. Place dough ball on a seasoned pizza stone or well-greased baking pan and roll out dough with a floured roller to within 1/2 inch of edge.

Hint: Sprinkle surface of baking stone with cornmeal to help prevent crust from sticking.

Preparing the topping:

1. Mix oil with minced garlic in a small bowl and spread evenly over prepared crust. Sprinkle minced basil evenly over garlic spread. Spread chicken pieces and diced mushrooms evenly over top. Complete with shredded mozzarella cheese.

2. Bake in a 425 degree preheated oven for about 15-20 minutes.

3. Sprinkle crushed red pepper over top to taste.

Hint: When baking two pies, switch position in oven halfway through cooking time.