Smashed Chickpea Salad

I’ve been riffing on this recipe forever, but never had all the ingredients together to make it properly and test it as it’s meant to be. Finally, I got my fresh parsley, and went at it!

Ingredients:

• 2 c. chickpeas, drained
• 2 T. chopped black olives
• 1 T. finely chopped onion (red is recommended, but I can never find it)
• 1 T. chopped fresh parsley
• Zest and juice from half a lemon
• Salt and pepper to taste
• olive oil (to taste)

Directions:

1. Mix everything but the olive oil in a small to midsize bowl. Very lightly smash the chickpea mixture with the back of a fork or a potato masher (I prefer to pulse a couple times in my mini-food processor). Add the olive oil, mix it lightly and enjoy.

This would be great in pita bread (maybe with more onion, tomatoes, etc.), I like it scooped up on crackers. Deb has additional serving ideas.

Comments: After ad-libbing through this a half-dozen times and loving it, I actually felt like something was missing when I strictly followed the recipe. Maybe this was due to a cold I had coming on? Or maybe I was missing my Provencal mix I used to substitute for fresh parsley.

Fennel & Orange Salad with Black Olive Vinaigrette

I was inspired to make this by VeganEpicurean, but as she mentioned it’s a healthified version of a classic, I decided to find a more authentic version—and healthify it myself, if necessary. I didn’t find it necessary. This take on the salad, from Eating Well actually popped up in my inbox within hours of my decision to make the recipe.

INGREDIENTS

1 tablespoon red-wine vinegar

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/8 teaspoon salt, or to taste

Freshly ground pepper, to taste

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1/2 cup Kalamata olives, pitted and coarsely chopped

1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

3 medium navel or Valencia oranges

10 cups mixed lettuces, (3 small heads), such as chicory, radicchio and leaf lettuce, torn into bite-size pieces

2 heads Belgian endive, sliced

2 bulbs fennel, trimmed and sliced

DIRECTIONS

1. To prepare vinaigrette: Whisk vinegar, lemon juice, mustard, garlic, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Slowly whisk in oil. Stir in olives and parsley.

2. To prepare salad: Using a sharp knife, remove peel and white pith from oranges. Quarter the oranges; slice pieces crosswise.

3. Just before serving, combine lettuces, endive, fennel and the orange slices in a large bowl. Drizzle the vinaigrette over the salad and toss to coat well.

MAKE AHEAD TIP: Cover and refrigerate the vinaigrette (Step 1) for up to 2 days. Washed, dried lettuce will keep in a plastic bag in the refrigerator for up to 8 hours. Keep prepared oranges and fennel in separate containers in the refrigerator for up to 8 hours.

Comments: This was definitely tasty, and it was easy enough to throw together, I repeated it several days. Sorry for the lack of photos, I’m not sure what happened to them!

Fennel and Orange Salad

I’ve been eyeing the giant, beautiful fennel at the verduleria lately, but I wasn’t sure what to do with it. Finally, I went tonight, with nothing in mind, and walked out with some fennel.

I decided to try a version of this salad, from VeganEpicurean, since I also had some beautiful oranges. However, I had no red onion and wanted to try a more authentic version before trying her cleaned up version. So, I chose this recipe, swapping out the arugula for spinach, which I had on hand.

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 bunch arugula
• 2 orange, peeled and segmented
• 1 bulb fennel bulb, thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons sliced black olives

Directions

1. Whisk together the honey, lemon juice, salt, and pepper; slowly add the olive oil while continuing to whisk.
2. Place the arugula in the bottom of a salad bowl; scatter the orange segments, fennel slices, and olives over the arugula; drizzle the dressing over the salad to serve.

Comments: Overall, this was good. I shy away from making salads at home because they always seem to have a zillion ingredients which are leftover, when making a single portion. I halved the recipe, and had no problem eating it as one (large) serving.

However, I found it a bit sweet and simple. I think I’ll swap the lemon juice for red wine vinegar next time, and leave out the honey.

Clotilde’s Rice and Beans

I honestly can't say what it is, I have other recipes quite similar to this, but something about this is just oh-so good, I can't get enough! (Although it’s not photogenic for anything!)

-240 ml (1 cup) mixed dried beans and legumes
- 240 ml (1 cup) brown rice
- a 3-cm (1-inch) piece of dehydrated kombu seaweed (see note below)
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1 rounded teaspoon strong mustard
- Tabasco sauce
- 2 tablespoons good oil, such as olive or sesame
- a small bunch chervil or flat-leaf parsley or cilantro, roughly chopped
- sea salt
- freshly ground black pepper
- mixed greens for serving

Makes 4 to 5 servings.

Soak the beans in a large bowl of cold water for 12 hours, or up to a day.

A little while before cooking, soak the rice: rinse in fresh water, drain well, and put in a medium saucepan. Add the volume of water recommended on the package -- mine says to use double the volume of water, but I use a little less (1 4/5 cups rather than 2 cups) because I like the texture better that way -- and let the rice soak in the water for 20 minutes to 1 hour.

Rinse the soaked beans in fresh water and put them in another medium saucepan with the kombu. Cover with cold water (no salt) by about 2 cm (1 inch), cover, and bring to a simmer. As the water comes to a simmer, a white foam will collect at the surface; skim and discard it.

Cook the beans at a low simmer for 1 hour, or until the beans are just cooked through: you want them to retain their shape, and not turn to mush. Drain, remove the seaweed, and let cool slightly.

While the beans are cooking, get the rice started. Add 1/4 teaspoon salt to the pan, cover, bring to a simmer, then lower the heat and cook at a low simmer, without disturbing, until all the water is absorbed -- this will take anywhere from 12 to 40 minutes, depending on your particular type of rice. Remove from the heat and let rest for 10 minutes, then uncover and let cool slightly.

In a large salad bowl, combine the vinegar, lemon juice, mustard, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and Tabasco sauce and pepper to taste. Add the oil slowly, stirring to blend and form an emulsion.

Add the beans and fold them in gently with a spatula; you want to coat them with the dressing without mushing. Fluff the rice with a fork (to separate the grains) and add it in along with the herbs -- again, using a gentle hand. Taste, correct the seasoning and (probably more important) the acidity of the dressing, and serve in shallow bowls, on a bed of mixed greens.

“Grilled” Summer Vegetable Salad

All the summer veggies looked fabulous at the verduleria today, and I was craving some major veggies, so I took a bit of each with a salad in mind. Eggplant, cherry tomatoes, basil, cucumber, something Mediterranean was coming to mind, and I wanted to douse it in balsamic vinegar.

I started with this recipe, which was quite close to what I was shooting for. And then I found this recipe for my balsamic dressing, which seemed great, until I had it almost made and saw the 3/4 cup oil it called for!

So, here’s what I did…

1 small eggplant

1 small onion

1 red bell pepper

1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved

1 smallish cucumber

3 T. chopped basil

2 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1 Tablespoon red wine vinegar

1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon light brown sugar

1 garlic clove, crushed through a press (optional)

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

Cut the onion, eggplant, and bellpepper to bite sized pieces. Toss with cherry tomatoes and 1 T. oil, salt, and pepper and place in the oven for 5-10 minutes.

Meanwhile, cut the cucumber into wheels, and cut each wheel in half. Chop basil. Mix remaining ingredients together until blended.

Take the veggies out of the oven, and toss with dressing. Allow to cool to desired temperature before adding cucumber and basil. Makes about 3 servings.

Comments: This turned out great, although it had about twice as much dressing as needed. Next time I’d only use half the dressing. I didn’t miss the feta I’d normally think was essential with something like this…maybe I’m adapting?

Asian Ginger Dressing

• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger root
• 3/4 cup olive oil
• 1/3 cup rice vinegar
• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 3 tablespoons honey
• 1/4 cup water

Blend in food processor (or whisk by hand).

Comments: Good dressing. I ate it with green salads, it’d also be good over cooked veggies.

Pea ‘n Cheese Salad

Had I thought this recipe through, I would have found it way too heavy for my tastes and lacking spice, but at an initial glance, it seemed different enough for my normal routine that I decided to give it a go. I mean, it got great reviews, and when was the last time I had a mayo-based salad? Or peas? I found it looking for a recipe to use the leftover radishes I had from

my Cabbage Carrot Salad with Peanut Dressing.

Ingredients:

300 grams frozen peas, defrosted

3/4 cup diced carrots

2 hard-cooked eggs, chopped

1/4 cup chopped green onions

1/2 cup cubed cheese

1/2 cup thinly sliced radishes

125 grams mayonnaise

1 t. sugar

1 t. salt (Argentine salt is not as strong as US salt.)

1 t. spicy dijon mustard

Directions:

Mix first 6 ingredients together. Add remaining ingredients and mix thoroughly.

Comments: As I mentioned above, I wasn’t a huge fan. It’s heavy and lacks interest. If I were to attend a very American gathering, with conservative tastes, and wanted something they’d enjoy, I might make it again, otherwise, no.

Cabbage carrot salad with peanut dressing

I found this recipe on the captious vegetarian’s blog and was obviously initially attracted by the peanut sauce-Cook’s Illustrated combination. I tried the peanut sauce before, wasn’t too impressed. However, I still had faith in the recipe as a whole, so here’s what I did:

Makes about 5-6 cups.

1 pound green cabbage (about 1/2 medium head), shredded fine

1 large carrot, peeled and grated

2 T. smooth peanut butter

2 T. peanut oil

2 T. rice vinegar

1 T. soy sauce

1 t. honey

2 medium cloves garlic, chopped

1 1/2 inch ginger, peeled, chopped

1 t. Sriracha or 1/2 jalapeño chile, halved and seeded, chopped

4 medium radishes, sliced thin

4 scallions, sliced thin

1. In bowl of food processor fitted with steel blade, puree the peanut butter, oil, vinegar, soy sauce, honey, garlic, ginger, and jalapeño until smooth paste is formed.

2. Toss the cabbage and carrot, radishes, scallions, and dressing together in a medium bowl. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Comments: This was decent, but not outstanding. It needed some sweet, I tried adding raisins, but it still wasn't outstanding. However, it is filling and takes a lot of chewing to eat, so if you have the munchies, this is probably a healthy way to satisfy the urge. I probably won't make it again, though.

Beets and Sugar Snap Peas with Lemon Dijon Vinaigrette

I was thinking a lemony dressing would make for a nice beet and pea salad, however I came across a peanut dressing yesterday that I couldn't pass up--what isn't better with peanut? Apparently, sugar snap peas and beets!

Luckily, I used just a bit, and was able to save the remaining veggies and peanut sauce separately. I don't think the sauce was flawed, just the combination was...ugh.

So, today, I went back to the original lemony idea, and came up with a winner! It's based off this recipe.

1 small lemon, zested and juiced

1 t Dijon mustard

3 T red wine vinegar

3 T extra-virgin olive oil

1 t honey

salt and pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients well.

Chickpea Salad with Lemon and Parmesan

I made this "salad" the other night. Simple and tasty, although it seemed like it could benefit from some added pizzaz...or at least a better quality cheese (I used the packaged queso rallado).

2 c. cooked chickpeas
1 tsp. fresh lemon juice
1 ½ tsp. olive oil
A pinch of salt
¼ cup Parmigiano Reggiano

Combine all ingredients in a bowl, and stir gently to mix. Taste, and adjust seasoning as necessary. Serve immediately, or chill, covered, until serving.

Note: This salad keeps well in the fridge and is, in my humble opinion, best eaten cold.

Yield: 2 servings

Future add-in ideas:

"I like to crumble some sharp and salty Greek Feta into mine and maybe, if the content of my fridge allows, a handful of flatleaf parsley, and for good measure some cubed cucumber, bell peppers (though never green ones: I loath green peppers) or a celery stick. I might even sneak in a black olive or two. I douse it with olive oil and lemon juice and a pinch of cumin, coriander and chilli if I am feeling sophisticated. "

"I tried this earlier in the summer and LOVED it. This afternoon I grabbed the chickpeas and parmesan, but also threw in some leftover pesto and toasted sunflower seeds (good if you like a little crunch) - YUM! Throw it all on a bed of spinach and life is truly good!"

"I made this for dinner last night. After I mixed it up I was thinking of what to serve with it to bulk it up a bit when I remembered some whole wheat rotelli in my cupboard. While digging for that I found a can of black olives. I mixed in the olives and the pasta, added a bit more cheese, oil and lemon and had a hearty and delicious meal. "

Sweet Potato Salad with Spicy Peanut Dressing

I filed this epicurious recipe away ages ago, and just found it again. Maybe it was a mistake to try it with a cold? It just didn't seem that flavorful, and I don't think it was my adaptations--although I did substitute a bit of raw white onion, for green, and that was a mistake!

• 
  
• Ingredients:
• 1/4 cup vinegar
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 3 T. mayonnaise
• 4 t. minced fresh ginger
• 4 t. toasted sesame oil
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 T. peanut butter
• 2 t. chili-garlic sauce
• 1 1/2 t.golden brown sugar

• 2 pounds red-skinned sweet potatoes, peeled, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped

• 1 cup thinly sliced green onions
• 1/3 cup coarsely chopped dry-roasted peanuts
• 
  

Preparation:

1. Whisk first 9 ingredients in medium bowl to blend.

2. Add enough water to large saucepan to reach depth of 1/2 inch. Bring to boil; add sweet potatoes and cook until just tender, about 5 minutes. Drain; cool.

3. Mix sweet potatoes, dressing, peas, and green onions in large bowl. Season salad with salt and pepper. (Can be made 4 hours ahead. Cover and refrigerate.) Sprinkle salad with peanuts and serve.

Don't be fooled by the appearance...it probaby looked as it should, it just lacked zing. I have to make it again, sans cold, before writing it off.

Carrot Salad

4 Carrots, shredded (I have done this by hand, but a food processor sure saves time!)
2 Tablespoons of Balsamic Vinegar
2 Tablespoons of Extra virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons of Dijon Mustard
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 teaspoon of dried basil
A dash or two of salt and pepper
Optional: apple, broken hard boiled egg, celery, etc.


Put shredded carrots in a bowl, mix the rest of the ingredients in a small bowl and pour over carrots. Gently toss. Taste and adjust with salt, pepper and extra vinegar and oil, if needed.

You can serve right away, or chill before serving. Beware that the carrots will start losing their crispness if you let it sit to long in the vinaigrette.

Brown Rice Lentil Salad

The first time I made this, it was merely okay, despite the amazing reviews. The second time, I polished off half the recipe during my first sitting!

Brown Rice Lentil Salad

INGREDIENTS

* 1/2 cup uncooked brown rice
* 1/2 cup uncooked lentils
* 2 cups water
* 1 bouillon cube
* 1 medium tomato, seeded and diced
* 1/3 cup thinly sliced green onion
* 1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley
* 1.5 tablespoons red wine vinegar
* 1 tablespoon olive oil
* 1 garlic clove, minced
* 2 teaspoons lime juice
* 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1/4 teaspoon pepper

DIRECTIONS

1. In a saucepan over medium heat, bring the rice, lentils, water and bouillon to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 40 minutes or until rice is tender. Cool.
2. In a bowl, combine the rice, lentils, tomato, onions and parsley. In a small bowl, combine the remaining ingredients. Pour over rice mixture; toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.