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.

Red Quinoa Salad with Spinach and Chickpeas

We celebrated summer tonight with Chicken Mojito, Jiddo's Hummus Bi Tahini, and a fabulous Red Quinoa Salad. By combining different recipes, I came up with this nutritious, delicious, Spanish inspired dish, which I've made several times to rave reviews. If you prefer to go vegetarian, serve this quinoa salad with mixed greens. Whether served as a main course or a side dish, this dish provides a perfect summer lunch or supper.

RED QUINOA SALAD WITH SPINACH AND CHICKPEAS

For the salad:
1¼ cups red quinoa
2½ cups water, vegetable broth, or chicken broth
1 15-oz. can chickpeas, rinsed well and drained
1 10-oz. bag spinach, washed and roughly chopped
2 baby seedless cucumbers,
            or ½ long English seedless cucumber, peeled and diced
1 bunch of fresh mint leaves, chopped
Pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, and/or pistachio nuts for garnish
Salad greens, if serving as a main course salad

For the dressing:
1/3 cup olive oil
1/4 cup champagne vinegar
3 Tbs. fresh lime juice
3 tsps. honey
1 large garlic clove, minced or put through a press
Salt and fresh ground black pepper

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1. Bring broth to a boil in a large sauce pan. Add quinoa and simmer about 20 minutes (red quinoa takes a few minutes longer than white to cook), until "halo" appears around the grains. Fluff quinoa. Let sit partially covered for five minutes, then turn into a large bowl to cool. (Quinoa can be rinsed in cold water to cool faster. Drain well.)

2. Fold spinach, chickpeas, mint, and cucumber into cooled quinoa.

3. Whisk dressing ingredients together, fold into salad, and chill.

4. Serve over salad greens or as a side dish. Pass seeds and nuts at the table. Enjoy with crusty bread and a summery dry rosé or crisp white wine. Easily serves 6.

Lentil Salad with Red Beans and Chickpeas

Petite and tasty, French Puy lentils are a great ingredient for summer salads. They stay firm, they absorb dressings well, and they're good for you. If you've never tried them, do look for them. Don't be tempted to use common brown lentils. They'll mush up the salad.

This colorful concoction not only makes a great summer side dish, it's a perfect main vegan/vegetarian meal for a warm summer day. Feel free to tailor it to your own taste, and enjoy!

LENTIL SALAD with RED BEANS and CHICKPEAS
Cooking the Lentils:
1 cup dried French Puy lentils
2-3 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
½ tsp. salt
1 bay leaf

Assembling the Salad:
1 15-oz. can chick peas
1 15-oz. can small red beans
1 small bunch of scallions, white parts chopped, green tops thinly sliced
2-3 small seedless cucumbers, peeled and chopped
1 3/4 oz. package fresh dill

Making the Dressing:
1/8 cup olive oil
2 Tbs. white balsamic vinegar
2 Tbs. dry white wine
1 tsp. lemon juice
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
1 large garlic clove, minced
Salt and pepper to taste

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1. Place lentils, garlic, salt, and bay leaf in a 2-quart saucepan with 4 cups of water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, until lentils are just tender, 15-20 minutes. Drain and run under cold water to cool, remove garlic and bay leaf, and drain again.

2. Drain and rinse red beans and chickpeas. Place in a large bowl with lentils. Stir in remaining ingredients, then fold in the dressing. Serve chilled or at room temperature.

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.

White Bean and Tuna Salad

This quick and easy salad, a warm weather favorite at my house, is perfect for either lunch or supper on a busy spring day. It whips up fast and is guilt-free and nutritious, as well as delicious. What more could a good cook want?

Some crusty bread and a glass of crisp white wine, perhaps, and maybe a small plate of salad greens. The accompaniments are entirely up to you. Enjoy!

WHITE BEAN and TUNA SALAD

6 Tbs. olive oil
2 Tbs. good quality balsamic vinegar
2-3 garlic cloves, minced
1 bunch scallions, white parts chopped, green stems sliced
Salt and freshly ground white pepper to taste
2 15-oz. cans cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
3 6-oz. cans solid white tuna packed in water, drained and flaked

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Mix olive oil, balsamic vinegar, garlic, chopped scallions, and salt and pepper in a large bowl. Fold in tuna and beans. Refrigerate for an hour or so to chill. Garnish with sliced scallion stems. Serve over lettuce, if desired, or serve a small green salad and crusty Italian bread on the side. 4 servings.

Roasted Beet Salad with Crème de Cassis Dressing

Salad for supper? Mais, oui! This hearty, herby, French-inspired dish gets a big "Wow" whenever I serve it. It's quite hearty for a vegetarian dish, but at times I'll serve it with slices of grilled pork tenderloin. Your preference, of course.

Roasting the beets is not only easy, it concentrates their sweet flavor. I like to use three different colors - red, gold, and pink - along with mixed baby potatoes to create a colorful and delicious entrée. A crunchy baguette and a bottle of dry rosé wine rounds out this salad perfectly.

ROASTED BEET SALAD with CRÉME de CASSIS DRESSING

For the Dressing:

2 Tbs. champagne vinegar or white balsamic vinegar

1 tsp. Dijon mustard

2 Tbs. good quality Crème de Cassis

6 Tbs. dry white or rosé wine

1 large garlic clove, peeled and put through a press

½ cup olive oil (I use an Herbes de Provence flavored oil)

Salt and black pepper to taste

Combine first five ingredients. Whisk oil in until blended well. Add salt and pepper.

For the Salad:

1 to 1½ lbs. raw beets (a mix of red, gold, and pink)

1 lb. baby potatoes, (a mix of red, purple, Yukon, and/or white)

¼ cup olive oil
2 Tbs. fresh chopped rosemary
4-6 garlic cloves, peeled

Kosher salt

2 8-oz. bags of salad greens of your choice (do include baby spinach)

Fresh basil

Fresh tarragon

1 small (7-oz.) can chickpeas, thoroughly rinsed and drained

Optional Toppings:

Raw pistachio nuts

Crumbled goat cheese

Crumbled Gorgonzola

Homemade croutons
Dried cranberries and/or blueberries

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1. Set two racks in the oven and preheat to 425°. Wrap beets individually in aluminum foil. Set on a baking tray. Roast in top third of the oven for 1 to 1¼ hours, turning once, until cooked through. (Add potatoes when beets have cooked for ½ hour.) Let cool. When ready to assemble salad, unwrap beets, remove skins (suggest wearing gloves for this), and dice. Keep colors separate, as the red beets will "dye" the gold and pink beets.

2. Scrub potatoes well. Coat with olive oil, stir in rosemary, garlic, and salt to taste, and set in a baking pan just big enough to hold them. After the beets have been roasting for 30 minutes, add the potatoes to the lower part of the oven and roast until done. Shake the pan a few times during cooking to prevent sticking. Remove potatoes to plate lined with paper towels and let cool. When ready to assemble salad, halve or slice potatoes. 

3. Combine salad greens and fresh herbs on a platter. Top with beets, potatoes, and chickpeas. Place salad on table, passing dressing and toppings separately. Invite each diner to dig in and custom dress his/her own plate. Generously serves 4-5.

Greek Chicken Salad

Nice and light and oh so good! This fast and fantastic summer salad is a great way to use up leftover chicken, but it’s good enough to make the chicken especially for such a delicious dish. It’s easy enough to poach 3 or more boneless chicken breast halves for 20 minutes or so in two cans of chicken broth, a little celery, carrot, and onion, a pinch of dried thyme and a bay leaf or two. Let the chicken cool, dice it up, and add it to the dressing. Ingredients are approximate, so feel free to experiment. εξαίσιος!* 

GREEK CHICKEN SALAD

3-3½ cups cubed cooked chicken (3-4 boneless chicken breast halves)
1 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup plain low fat yogurt
1 8 oz. pkg. crumbled Feta cheese
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
2 Tbs. dried oregano
3 large garlic cloves, minced or put through a press
Salt and white pepper (optional - Feta can be salty)
Lettuce leaves

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In a large mixing bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, yogurt, garlic, and oregano. Fold in feta cheese, chicken, and parsley. Cover and chill. Serve on lettuce leaves. Generously serves 4-6.

* εξαίσιος means 'scrumptious' in Greek. Still working on the pronunciation.

Roasted Sweet Potato and Lentil Salad

Serve this colorful and nutritious vegetarian salad as a delicious main course or a fabulous side dish.

ROASTED SWEET POTATO and LENTIL SALAD

For the Lentils:
1 cup French green lentils (du Puy)
1 large bay leaf
3 large garlic cloves cut in half

For the Sweet Potatoes:
2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into ½-inch cubes (about 4 cups)
2 Tbs. vegetable or light olive oil
1 Tbsp. chopped fresh rosemary

For the Dressing:
1/8 cup olive oil
2 Tbs. white balsamic vinegar
1 tsp. fresh lemon juice
1 large garlic clove, minced　
1 tsp. maple syrup
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
Salt and pepper to taste

To Finish the Salad:　
2 small seedless cucumbers, peeled and diced
4 scallions, white parts chopped, green tops sliced
1 15-oz. can chick peas, rinsed and drained well
¾ oz. pkg. fresh dill, chopped
½ cup fresh basil, roughly chopped

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1. Place lentils, garlic cloves, and bay leaf in a pot with cold water to cover by two inches. Bring to a boil. Simmer lentils until tender but not mushy, 15 to 20 minutes. Rinse in cool water and drain well, discarding bay leaves and garlic. Transfer to a large bowl.

2. To roast sweet potatotes, heat oven to 400 F. In a 9x13-inch pan, toss potato cubes with oil and rosemary. Cover with foil and roast for 12 minutes. Remove foil, shake pan, and continue roasting until potatoes are tender, about 12 -15 minutes more. Drain/cool on paper towels. (Sweet potatoes may be boiled - about 8-10 minutes, or steamed - about 6-7 minutes, until tender. Drain well.)

3. Blend ingredients for dressing together. Fold into lentils. Add potatoes and all remaining ingredients, folding gently to combine. Serve warm or at room temperature. Serves 4-6.

Southwestern Composed Salad

Last night, I served this "composed" main course salad to our writers' group in a glass bowl to highlight the colorful layers. Once we dug in, the composed effect vanished, but the salad created gorgeous scoops of rainbows over the baby greens on our plates (see below). Delicious, lo-cal, and summery, casual enough for a barbecue but fancy enough for your mother-in-law, what more could you want? And leftovers are great. Tonight my husband and I enjoyed them with Chicken with Honey and Cumin Marinade.

The first photo I posted on Kitchen Excursions, the gorgeous Antipasto to the right, is a lovely example of a composed salad. No, it doesn't mean the salad is calm and collected. A composed salad is simply the opposite of a tossed salad, arranged just so, a more elegant presentation. Despite the prep work, composed salads are fun to make, and ingredient amounts aren't critical. All you really need to do the job is your imagination and a pretty platter or a glass salad bowl. Experiment, and enjoy!

SOUTHWESTERN COMPOSED SALAD

For the salad:

¾ cup pearl barley

2¼ cups vegetable or chicken broth

1 cup red quinoa

2 cups water or broth

1-2 cups black-eyed peas, fresh, frozen, or dried

10 oz. frozen corn, thawed, or fresh corn from 2-3 ears, cooked al dente

2 cups broccoli florets

1 15-oz. can pink beans, rinsed and drained well
Baby spinach and/or salad green of choice

For the Dressing:
6 Tbs. olive oil

2 Tbs. dry white wine

½ cup fresh lime juice

2 Tbs. honey

3-4 cloves garlic, minced

3 tsps. ground cumin

1 bunch fresh cilantro, chopped

½ tsp. Kosher salt

Fresh ground black pepper

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1. Stir barley in a small saucepan over moderate heat until it starts to color, about 5 minutes. Add hot broth and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer about 40 minutes, until liquid is absorbed and barley is tender. Leave partially covered until cool.

2. Bring the quinoa and broth to a boil. Cover and simmer about 20 minutes, until liquid is absorbed and germ of the grain is visible. Leave partially covered until cool.

3. Cook black-eyed peas according to package directions. Drain and let cool.

4. Lightly steam broccoli. Drain and cool.

5. Assemble salad in layers, ending with red quinoa. When ready to serve, spoon over salad greens and pass dressing separately rather than dressing the whole salad. Leftovers will keep better this way. Enough for 6-8 as a main course salad.

Quinoa and Two-Bean Salad

Our Monday night writers’ group enjoyed this southwestern-style salad as a main course last night. We gobbled it up along with a fresh spinach and herb salad and a loaf of crusty French bread. Quinoa and Two-Bean Salad is also a perfect side dish for those big barbecue parties coming up.

Quinoa (KEEN-wa) first appeared on Kitchen Excursions in the Portobello Mushrooms Stuffed with Quinoa and Spinach recipe. Cultivated by the Incas of South America thousands of years ago, quinoa’s tiny, grain-like seeds are a complete and easily digestible protein and a smart and delicious addition to any diet.

Look for pre-washed quinoa, and don't be afraid to experiment with different colored "grains." I chose the beans in this recipe for color. Use whatever type you prefer.

QUINOA and TWO-BEAN SALAD

For the Salad:
1¼ cups quinoa
2½ cups water
1 15-oz. can black beans
1 15-oz. can pink beans
1 Tbs. white balsamic vinegar
Salt and pepper to taste
1½ cups frozen corn, thawed
½ cup fresh cilantro, chopped
1 bunch scallions, green tops sliced, white bottoms chopped

For the Dressing:
3 Tbs. olive oil
6 Tbs. fresh lime juice
2 tsps. honey
3 tsps. ground cumin
1 tsp. chili powder
1 large garlic clove, minced

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1. Bring water to a boil. Stir in quinoa. Simmer about 12 minutes, until water is absorbed. Fluff and let sit off the heat for five minutes, then transfer to a large bowl to cool.

2. Rinse and drain beans. Toss beans in a medium bowl with vinegar and salt and pepper and let sit.

3. Whisk dressing ingredients together.

3. Add corn (no need to cook it), beans, cilantro, and scallions to quinoa. Fold in dressing and turn salad into serving bowl. Garnish with scallion tops. Serves 6-8 or more as a main course.

Warm Lentil and Sausage Salad

This versatile dish makes a great cold weather supper or a tasty side dish for a summer barbecue. For a vegetarian or vegan version, substitute vegetable broth for the meat broth and omit the sausage (or use a vegetarian brand).

The individual parts of the recipe can be prepared ahead of time, and the finished dish assembles easily. A food processor makes prep time a snap, especially if a medium shredding disk is available to shred the carrots.

Note: I've tried this recipe with French Puy lentils and didn't care for the pasty results. Use the good old brown lentils. I've also tried using arborio rice and ended up with a porridge. A plain rice such as Carolina (my preference) or Uncle Ben's works best.

WARM LENTIL and SAUSAGE SALAD

4 sweet Italian sausages (about 1 lb.)          1 medium onion, minced
½ cup red wine                                               1 rib of celery, minced
1 cup brown lentils                                          2 carrots, peeled and shredded
2 cups beef broth                                             2 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups chicken broth                                       1 tsp. dried thyme
½ cup rice                                                        Salt and pepper
2 Tbs. olive oil                                                  ¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped
1 bay leaf

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1. Preheat oven to 350 . Prick sausages several times with a small sharp knife. Place in a single layer in a baking dish just large enough to hold them. Bake for 15 minutes. Turn and bake for 15 minutes more. Pour red wine over sausages. Turn and bake for 15 minutes more. Turn again and bake another 15 minutes. (Total baking time 1 hour.) Remove sausages to a dish lined with paper towels to drain and cool. Slice sausage into rings.

2. While sausage is baking, pick through lentils and remove anything that isn’t a lentil. Combine broths in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Rinse lentils and add to broth with bay leaf. Simmer uncovered for 10 minutes. Add rice and continue simmering for 18-20 minutes, or until rice and lentils are cooked. Don’t overcook! They’ll cook more in the skillet. Drain rice and lentils right away, reserving excess liquid to moisten salad later if necessary. Discard bay leaf.

3. Heat oil in a heavy skillet. Sauté the onion, carrots, celery, garlic, and thyme over moderately low heat until vegetables are softened. Fold in lentils and rice. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Add parsley and stir gently to combine all ingredients. Place mixture in serving dish, top with sliced sausage, (or combine sausage with other ingredients), and serve warm or at room temperature. Garlic bread and salad are great additions. 4-6 main course servings.