Mediterranean Grain Salad

Mediterranean Grain Salad

I really love the versatility of a grain salad.  This version comes from Sandy who taught me the yumminess of this kind of dish.  It's great as a side dish, a main dish, to take to a pot luck, and keeps for a couple of days easily in the fridge.  This version was especially yummy!

 

You start with 6 cups of cooked grains - whatever you might have on hand.

I had made couscous (not actually a grain) and brown Basmati rice before and froze them to use later.  So I pulled out some of each and defrosted them.

 

But you could use any grain, or combination of grains including rice, quinoa, barley, couscous, etc.

 

Once I was ready to make this dish, I heated the rice and couscous in the microwave for a couple of minutes to take the chill off and combined them in my large mixing bowl. 

 

To my mixed grains I added a can of chickpeas (rinsed & drained), a jar of Kalamata olives (drained), chopped scallions, a chopped cucumber and fresh basil.  I mixed it all up together and seasoned with garlic powder, Kosher salt, and black pepper.

 

Because I wanted the boys to eat this dish as well, I didn't add tomatoes to the dish, but halved some cherry tomatoes for David and me to top ours with.  If you have tomato lovers at your house, you can incorporate the fresh or sun-dried tomatoes in your grains with the other ingredients.

 

Then I added bottled Balsamic vinaigrette, tossed the salad together, and served it alongside my other dishes for dinner.

 

The grain/vegetable/herbs/vinaigrette combinations are endless, but I liked this Mediterranean flair.

 

If you wanted to, you could also add any additional protein like other beans, meat, cheese, tofu, fish, or shrimp.

 

 

 

 

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Enjoy!

Tunisia Meets Provence Salad

Tunisia Meets Provence Salad

 

I found this wonderful grain salad recipe in Vegetarian Times and tried it out last week with cooked barley I had in the fridge.  You could use any cooked grain though - brown rice, quinoa, couscous (I know, not a grain, but still...).

I really liked the sweetness that comes from the apple and the saltiness with the olives.

Everyone in the family liked this recipe.

 

I'll certainly make it again.

 

The recipe calls for 12 Kalamata olives.  I'd use the whole jar next time.

And I didn't peel the green apple as the recipe suggests, but you certainly could.

 

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Bon Apetit!

 

Bulgur Salad with White Wine Vinaigrette

Bulgur Salad with White Wine Vinaigrette

A dish that I make often because it's so versatile and easy is a Grain Salad. 
I have lots and lots of recipes for these great dishes and they go by many names.

Grain Salads
Rice Bowls
Veggie Grain Mixes

It depends on the cookbook author or chef as to what they're called.
I learned more about these dishes when I took cooking lessons with Sandy this past spring.

I've come to trust my instincts on what would work well together, so I thought I'd share the latest salad I assembled.

These salads have 3 components:

A Grain
Chopped Vegetables and Herbs
A Vinaigrette

The possibilities really are endless!

I wanted to try a white wine vinaigrette that I jotted down when watching Food Network many months ago.  I don't remember who the chef was who prepared this - sorry!.  It's a simple vinaigrette that worked well with the bulgur (a.k.a. bulgar and bulghur) and vegetables that I chose.

You can use any grain in a Grain Salad.  I happened to have bulgur that I cooked up so I planned to use it.  You could also use cooked brown rice, barley, couscous, millet, quinoa...  I've made many varieties.

You can also use any vegetables.  I chopped up cucumber and carrot, and added chopped fresh parsley.

I tossed the bulgur, vegetables and herbs together, then made the vinaigrette in a container with a tight lid. 

 

The White Wine Vinaigrette was very easy - I included olive oil, white wine vinegar, salt & pepper, fresh parsley & basil, Dijon mustard, and garlic. 

 

Tip:  I would use garlic powder in place of chopped garlic next time.  It was a little bitter.

 

Toss and serve.

This is great at room temperature alongside a couple other dishes (I made tilapia and bread this night).  It's also great as leftovers.

 

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Enjoy!

 

Tabbouleh

Tabbouleh

David requested Tabbouleh this week, so I went to my folder full of recipes and found two that looked like great, basic Tabbouleh recipes.

I made Mexican Tabbouleh and shared it previously.  It was really good. 

This is the traditional Middle Eastern version that is customizable. 

My recipe below is combination of  epicurious.com's recipe and The Barefoot Contessa Parties cookbook recipe, along with my own likes and pantry items on hand.

Tabbouleh comes from the Arabic word for "seasoning" because in the Middle Ages Middle Eastern cultures began eating edible herbs with most of their dishes.  I like this salad because it has a nice fresh taste due to the lemon, fresh vegetables, and fresh herbs.

I cooked a cup of bulgur wheat, which just takes minutes.

While it was doing its thing, I chopped my cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, scallions, parsley, and mint.

Some recommend peeling the cucumbers, others say not to.  I left the peel on this time and seeded them.  Not sure it makes a huge difference.

I love the colors in this dish!

When the bulgur had soaked up all the water, I added the lemon juice, olive oil, and more sea salt.

Then I tossed the bulgur with the herbs and vegetables.

Some Tabboulehs have a lot more parsley and mint than I ended up with, so you could easily add more. 

I really like this salad the next day too. 

I eat it after it's been out of the refrigerator for 30 minutes or so, but not heated.

Double click to print as a 5x7 recipe card.

بالهنا والشفا

(Arabic for Bon Appetit!)

A great side dish that is easy to make and versatile!

Stir Fried Barley with Vegetables

Stir Fried Barley with Vegetables

May was a very busy month, and I did practically no "new" cooking.  Just stuck with old family favorites, and it was a nice change of pace.  But now I return to my new cookbooks and file folder filled with recipes I want to try out!

This recipe I cut off the back of the Bob's Red Mill Pearl Barley package!

I really like this brand, and I've mentioned it a few times before on this blog.  I've used all of their soup mixes I think.  Plus, I can buy this brand locally in a few stores - I usually purchase it at Kroger.

The original recipe did not include vegetables, except for a little onion.  I decided to add chopped carrots to the dish, and it was great.  Next time I will probably add broccoli or some other vegetable as well.  I modified the recipe from the original in a couple of other ways too.

It was a hit in our house (woo hoo!) and something I'm sure I'll return to again and again!

I started by heating olive oil in a skillet and cooking the onion, carrots, and crushed red pepper flakes for a couple of minutes.  David and I are not onion fans (surprisingly the boys are), but I know they are healthy and add great flavor.  A lot of times I just omit the onion in recipes, but I'm trying to control that impulse these days!

Once the vegetables were slightly cooked, I added in the butter and barley.

I had already soaked and cooked Pearl Barley, so I just pulled it from the fridge.

(If you are not familiar with soaking grains, I'm happy to share my experiences with you.  Just email or give me a call.)

I heated the barley through and incorporated it with the vegetables.

Then I added in the chopped basil, tomato paste, and chicken bouillon powder.

The original recipe suggested beef bouillon but I didn't have any. 

I think the basil, tomato, and bouillon add great flavor - you could use any variety that you have on hand.

Then I seasoned with a tiny bit of black pepper and Kosher salt, and served the dish warm.

And some leftover for me for lunch as well!

Double click to print as a 5x7 recipe card.

Enjoy!



Easy Indian Food

Easy Indian Food

I usually have a few packages of Indian in the pantry that I serve from time to time, especially when I don't have a lot of time in the evening.

It's great for a change up and everyone especially likes it when I serve it with naan.

I make a big pot of rice and then serve two different packages, along with naan and a vegetable.

It's a great meal that everyone likes.

Our local grocery stores have a few varieties of Indian food that are on the shelves near the rice.

These are two that we especially like.

There are several varieties though, and we've tried a number of them.

I can usually find naan wherever I shop too, even Target!

I have heated it for a few seconds in the microwave, put it on a cookies sheet and popped it in the oven for a few minutes, or served it right out of the package.  My family isn't picky, they just like it!



Some of the Indian varieties are spicy, so it's great to serve it with lots of rice and naan!



Mushroom Artichoke Couscous

Biggest Loser

Mushroom Artichoke Couscous

My family really likes couscous as a side dish. 

I make it most often with chicken broth and serve it plain with a meat and vegetable. 

I saw this recipe and decided to try it as a nice alternative to the traditional.

Brennan was thrilled.

Not only does he love couscous and mushrooms, but he had been wanting to try artichokes.

David really liked this recipe a lot.

Winner!

I use this couscous from any grocery store (it's by the rice).

I sprayed Pam in my skillet and cooked the mushrooms for several minutes.

Then I coarsely chopped the artichokes and added them for another few minutes until they were heated through.

I boiled my broth on another eye and added the box of couscous and the broth to the vegetables, covered, and let it stand off the heat for several minutes while the couscous absorbed the liquid.

I fluffed the couscous with a spoon and added salt & pepper, lemon juice, olive oil, grated Parmesan and chopped parsley. 

Delicious!  And apparently great re-heated the next day.

Double click to print as a 5x7 recipe card.

Enjoy!



Mexican Tabbouleh

Biggest Loser

Mexican Tabbouleh

I'm working my way through the Biggest Loser cookbook that I received for Christmas, sharing the recipes that we liked.

Bear with me as I continue making my way through the book!

Last night I made Mexican Tabbouleh (also spelled Tabbouli or Taboule).
It sounded like a variation we would really like.

Tabbouleh is bulgur wheat that is usually mixed with parsley and tomatoes - it's originally Middle Eastern.

You start by cooking Tabbouleh on the stove top and then putting the pot in the refrigerator to cool the grains to room temperature.

I did not see plain bulgur wheat in the store so I opted for two boxes of Taboule Mix and used 1 of the 2 spice packets.  It worked perfectly.

While it was cooling I chopped cilantro and garlic and put them in my serving dish.

Then added black beans, lime juice, salsa, and the cooled Tabbouleh.

I served it with spicy roasted shrimp and a little extra salsa on the top.

Brennan said it was better than Chipotle's black beans and rice - high praise!

A side note on salsa:  I don't like raw onions and my boys don't like raw tomatoes. 

Just about every packaged salsa has chunks of both. 

So for this recipe I popped the fresh salsa in the blender for a few seconds and it was perfect. 

I think I'll do this going forward!

The Biggest Loser cookbook recommends using fresh refrigerated salsa instead of jarred because it has a fresher taste and it uses many fewer preservatives. 

This is what I picked up (only the Medium version).

Double click to print as a 5x7 recipe card.

I don't know whether to say:

بالهنا والشفا

or

Buen Provecho!

Either way -

Enjoy!



8 Side Dishes in a Pinch

I usually plan ahead each week so that I have recipes and ingredients for several Main Dishes for our evening meals. 

That works well for me and I'm rarely at a loss for what to make each evening.

But I don't always plan for the Side Dish to go along with it.

Many of my main dishes have vegetables built in like this dish, this one, and this one, but I usually want to add another vegetable to our meal, and sometimes a starch.

So below are options I try to always keep on hand that are quick to prepare and make delicious, rather healthy Side Dishes in a pinch.

1. Garden Salad

source

If I don't serve it every single day, then everyone in the house likes a good garden salad.

2. Frozen or Canned Vegetables

David and the boys like canned vegetables, but I prefer fresh or frozen. 

I always have Steamfresh vegetables in the freezer, and lots of canned in the pantry.

3. Fresh Vegetables to Steam

I almost always have a head of broccoli and/or cauliflower in the fridge for a fast steamed side dish.

4. Fresh Vegetables to Flavor and Bake

Or a flavored variety of steamed vegetables if I have a few extra minutes.

5. Fresh Vegetables to Season and Roast

Or a fresh vegetable to roast while the main dish is baking.

6. Fast Rice

We like rice and it goes with everything. 

While not huge brown rice eaters, everyone likes this Long Grain and Wild 90 second rice with almost as much fiber per serving as brown rice.

 

7. Couscous

Everyone in my family loves couscous. 

I make the plain one with chicken broth instead of water, and we like the flavored varieties as well.

8. Quinoa

The boys' school cafeteria serves quinoa (pronounced "keen-wa") and they love it.

It's a very healthy, protein-packed grain.

I recently found this packaged variety that we all like. 

So far we've only tried the Black Bean version and it was really spicy.

On the lookout for other versions as well.

I'm sure there are other side dishes that are just as fast that I'm not thinking of, but these are the main ones that I keep on hand to make meal preparation simpler for myself.