persian lentils and brown rice with mint

I have been having a bit of a fling with mint recently. I can't believe that I have overlooked what it brings to dishes beyond the obvious combination with chocolate. I have been meaning to share recipes for several salads for (obviously) weeks now. This salad is one that I made three times in 10 days and really didn't bother to take a good pic of any one of those times. I apologize. With all the beautiful food photography scattered all over every site it seems like a mark of disrespect to offer anything less but although I would eat this salad three times a week pretty much all summer, mine is not the only palate to please in our house. David loved it too but he loves variety even more, so I have reluctantly moved on - minus a decent photo - and agreed to rest this salad for at least a bit. Sad really because it is tasty, easy, and has the quiet virtue of being inexpensive. 

The combo of brown rice and lentils creates a complete protein. The addition of greens is obvious but the mint makes the salad much more interesting than one anticipates from the unassuming appearance. It changes character slightly when saved overnight but it is by no means a change for the worse. A big bowl of this nicely feeds a crowd at a BBQ or picnic or waits patiently in the fridge for a few days of lunches for an intimate twosome. 

I found the recipe in a publication that I used to read faithfully when I was young and newly wed but have ignored for years now for publications that are ... shinier. Shame on me for forgetting old friends - I have recently discovered that there is plenty on offer within. 

persian lentils & brown rice with mint

(adapted from Family Circle magazine)

1/2 cup brown jasmine rice (uncooked)

2/3 cup red lentils

2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

2 Tbsp pomegranate molasses*

3/4 tsp sea salt

3 cups baby spinach

1/2 cup fresh mint, sliced thin

1/2 cup chopped dried cherries

1/2 cup pecans, chopped

1/4 cup crumbled feta

Cook rice as per package directions or (if you have one) use your trusty rice cooker on the brown rice setting. While the rice is cooking bring some water to a boil in a medium size pot. Add the lentils, return to a boil and cook for 6 minutes. (This is a good time to use a timer because you don't want mushy overcooked lentils here.) You are also going to want to watch it carefully because it will get foamy and boil over if you take your eye off it for long. When the timer goes off drain the lentils and rinse under cold water for a few minutes until they are cool. Add the cooled lentils and cooked rice to a large bowl.

Whisk the olive oil, pomegranate molasses, and salt together. Pour over lentils and rice, stirring gently to coat. Fold in the spinach, mint, cherries, pecans and feta.

*Pomegranate molasses is likely an ingredient that doesn't lurk in your pantry. It wasn't in mine but this recipe was one too many recipes that I had seen requiring it and pushed me over the edge to buying a bottle. It sounds incredibly exotic and hard to find but you may be lucky enough to find it (as I did) in the foreign foods aisle of a supermarket. If you have no desire to own a bottle you can substitute 2 tsp of honey mixed with 4 tsp of pomegranate juice for the 2 Tbsp of pomegranate molasses.

morrocan super salad

It has been a while. 'Nuff said. 

Tonight for dinner I made a salad so full of virtuous super-foods that I really feel like I should charge up a mountain or something ridiculous. Sweet potatoes, beluga lentils, red quinoa, pumpkin seeds, pecans, pomegranate seeds, chickpeas all tied together with a spicy/sweet dressing to give it a kick. One of the best things I have put in my mouth in a while. I made a mountain of dirty dishes in the process and really can't think of any shortcuts in that regard but the making is simple if multi-stepped and well worth the dish washing. The recipe advises it will feed 6. I would add that would be six very hungry people who love quinoa and lentils and all the rest of the good stuff. But that is all to the good because it means left-over salad for a lunch or two. I served our salad over a bed of baby kale, chard, and spinach because I have decided if you don't eat leafy greens for breakfast, lunch, and dinner there is just no way you are going to eat enough of them in a day. Besides, it looks pretty and tastes better.

I found the recipe yesterday morning. One of my most beloved personal indulgences is reading - anytime really - but specifically reading a magazine while I eat breakfast. While I was thus indulging yesterday morning (and finally catching up on the important business of getting up to date with my publications) a very pretty salad caught my eye. Thinking that fresh pomegranate seeds would be as scarce as hen's teeth this time of year I didn't expect to experience the salad any time soon. Short story: I was wrong - but about as happy to be wrong as I have ever been. If you can be as lucky as I, make the salad with pomegranate seeds. If not, try blueberries. (That's my plan for next time - and I know that next time will come soon here.) The original recipe called for fresh mint but what little mint is managing to show its brave self in my garden is just to small to snip so I subbed some mint tea leaves I have in the pantry. Fresh would be better but the dried was good.

I probably won't be charging up a mountain tonight but I feel virtuous enough to justify eating something wild and crazy for a treat. Plus having a tube of Harissa paste in the fridge just makes you cool. That and beluga lentils.

morrocan super salad

(from Style at Home magazine, renamed and ever so slightly adapted)

honey harissa dressing:

1/4 cup coconut oil, melted

2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar

2 Tbsp honey

1 Tbsp old-fashioned seedy Dijon mustard

1 Tbsp freshly squeezed orange juice

1 1/2 tsp orange zest

2 tsp harissa paste

1 tsp sea salt

1/4 tsp cardamom

1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

salad:

2 sweet potatoes, cut into 1/2" cubes

1 540-ml can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

1/2 cup beluga black lentils

1 cup red quinoa

2 green onions, sliced

1/2 cup pumpkin seeds

1/2 cup pecan halves, chopped

1 tsp dried mint leaves (or 1/4 cup chopped, fresh mint)

1/4 cup dried cranberries

1/3 cup fresh pomegranate seeds

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Whisk the dressing ingredients together in a small bowl. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

Toss 1/4 cup of the dressing with the diced sweet potatoes and spread the potatoes out on one of the baking sheets. Toss 2 Tbsp of the dressing with the chickpeas and spread those out on the second baking sheet. Put both sheets into the oven and bake for about 25 minutes or until the sweet potatoes are tender.

Fill a small pot with 4 cups of cold water and the beluga lentils. Bring to a simmer and cook until the lentils are tender - about 20 minutes. Drain and rinse.

Fill another small pot with 4 cups of water and the red quinoa. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 12 minutes. Drain and let dry in the sieve for a few minutes.

While all of this cooking is happening add the green onions, pumpkin seeds, pecans, mint leaves, and cranberries to a large bowl. When the sweet potatoes are done remove them and the chickpeas from the oven and add to the large bowl along with the cooked lentils and red quinoa. Drizzle with the remaining dressing, add the pomegranate seeds and toss to combine. Serve over leafy greens. Or don't. 

just two for Sunday dinner

Sunday dinner at our house is most often a noisy, busy, happy, crazy, cluttered kind of affair with kids and toys scattered over top of and around parents lounging in groups and talking - the kind of catching up that is super important for all of us to stay connected. It is a highlight of my week, even those times when things just aren't like in the movies. I love to have all (or as many as possible) of my chicks in one place and under my roof, and Sunday afternoon is when it most often happens. Usually the house is full but occasionally the family has other obligations. On those rare Sunday evenings David and I have a quiet few hours together to enjoy a meal that is tailored just to us. No food preferences to consider other than our own, no bedtimes to work around. Just what we like and when. A soft and gentle time for we two. This past Sunday was one of those Sundays so I made a red quinoa salad that took my fancy earlier in the day and paired it with an easy bacon-wrapped, mustard and brown sugar-smeared pork tenderloin. Simple, easy, healthy, good. Enjoyed at leisure and together. Yummy enough to want to share.

Quinoa salads are so popular that they are becoming a bit cliche - a shame because there is so much creative potential. On the other hand there is a large contingent that has decided (quite emphatically) that they dislike quinoa and won't have it however it may be prepared. This salad offers something for both camps, those who think another quinoa salad is same-old-same-old and those who think they don't like quinoa. Red quinoa is quite a different beast from regular run of the mill white quinoa. Firmer in texture, nuttier in taste, and altogether better - it may persuade the quinoa nay-sayers to rethink their stand. The lime vinaigrette is spicy and bright. We liked it all. I made three small changes to the recipe. The first was of necessity not choice - I had only one lime so my vinaigrette  used the juice of one, not two limes. It tasted just about perfect to me but two may be better. The second was substituting grape seed oil for canola - I don't use canola anymore. (A reasoned choice.) And finally I increased the amount of cilantro because I love it :)

Our quiet Sunday was lovely for a change but I really hope we have a noisy, busy, happy, crazy, cluttered gathering next week. I miss it when we don't. 

red quinoa salad with spicy lime vinaigrette
(from Food 52 with a few small changes)

vinaigrette

1 shallot, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 small jalapeño, seeded and finely chopped
zest of 1/2 lime
juice of 1 lime
1 tsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp grapeseed oil
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Combine all the ingredients except the oils in a small bowl. Gradually whisk in the oils until combined. Taste for seasoning and set aside.

quinoa salad

1/2 cup pumpkin seeds
1/2 tsp olive oil
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 medium butternut squash, peeled and seeded, cut into 1" cubes
1 Tbsp grapeseed oil
1 cup red quinoa
2 cups water
1 (15 oz) can white beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup cilantro leaves, roughly chopped

 Combine the pumpkin seeds with the olive oil and paprika on a baking sheet and toast at 350 F for about 8 minutes, or until brown and fragrant. Set aside to cool.

Turn the oven temperature up to 400 degrees F. Using the same baking sheet, combine the butternut squash and grapeseed  oil. Season with salt and pepper. Roast for 30-35 minutes, tossing halfway through to evenly brown and caramelize. Set aside to cool.

In a medium saucepan bring the water, pinch of salt, and quinoa to a boil. Lower the heat, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water to cool slightly. Transfer to a large bowl.

Add the cooked squash, beans, half the pumpkin seeds and half the cilantro. Drizzle with the lime dressing and toss to combine. Taste for seasoning. Garnish with the remaining pumpkin seeds and cilantro.

green bean salad with fresh tarragon and pecans

Yesterday I was busy doing the stuff I usually do on Mondays (laundry, cleaning, gardening - work that needs to be done but has a negative glamour quotient) when I realized that it was almost time for dinner but there was nothing planned, let alone on the go. At that particular moment of realization I was standing in the very middle of my garden, bravely advising the mice to head out (and not across my toes) so I could dig a few carrots, etc. As I pulled some beets, picked a bowlful of beans, and dug a few carrots I was wondering what to do for dinner. It came to me pretty quickly a few minutes later as I looked at the beautiful haul, clean and bright, at the side of the kitchen sink. Food that pretty doesn't need a whole lot of fussing to be amazing. So we had a beet salad, sautéed beet greens with lemon juice and butter, a little bbq'd chicken breast, and .... a green bean salad that will change your life.

The recipe is from Cook This Now by Melissa Clark - one of my very favourite cookbooks. I appreciate all the volumes in my ridiculously large cookbook collection for one virtue or another but this cookbook is one of the two or three that I use often and have never tried anything that I have not loved. Her green bean salad is of necessity a tiny bit different from mine because of a walnut allergy here. She talks about eating her mother's green bean salad  with her hands, a comment I thought odd at first reading but now totally understand. I used my fingers too :) I shared some for lunch with Eden - she used her fingers exclusively. 

This just might be the very best way to eat green beans. Ever. Coming from me that is saying an awful lot. I take my green beans very seriously.

green bean salad with tarragon and pecans

(adapted from Cook This Now by Melissa Clark)

1 pound fresh green beans, trimmed

2 tsp finely chopped shallot

1 1/2 tsp sherry vinegar

1/2 tsp sea salt

1/4 freshly ground black pepper

2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

1 tsp chopped fresh tarragon

1/3 cup broken pecans

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Drop the prepared beans into the boiling water and cook for a couple of minutes - until the beans are bright green and almost but not quite crisp-tender. Remove immediately from heat and drain.

In a small bowl whisk together the shallot, vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper.

In a bowl toss together the warm beans, pecans, tarragon and shallot vinaigrette. Serve warm, at room temperature, or straight out of the fridge for lunch the next day.

watermelon, feta & arugula

There is hardly a fruit I have met that I don't like - some fruit I love (my apple a day habit) and then there is my personal passion fruit. I am devoted to watermelon. I know that watermelon is available year round now but it is never quite as good the rest of the year as it is when it is truly in season. When I was a child I practically counted the days until it was summer again and it was not truly summer until watermelon was in the stores and my mother bought one to bring home. It was a summer evening ritual to slice a round of watermelon and carefully cut the rind off leaving the beautiful circle of red flesh whole. I remember sitting across the table from my dad, each of us with our circle of watermelon on a plate and a fork in hand, carefully eating our way around the slices from least sweet to the precious super-sweet bit at the centre, talking about the events of our days as the light grew dim. I knew friends and cousins salted their watermelon, a practice that appalled me then and baffles me now - watermelon being so perfect the way it grows! I have seen recipes for watermelon this and that and never been even the tiniest bit tempted and then, fatefully, I was at a summer evening bbq with friends and we ate the most amazing watermelon salad. Ever. I had three (yes, three) servings before the night was over and could not wait to make it at home. I cannot encourage you enough to do the same. It is easy, easy, easy and absolutely delicious .... (unless you, like my unfathomable brother, do not like watermelon.)

I maintain that watermelon is perfect all on it's own but the combination of ingredients in this salad is sublime - sweet crisp watermelon, rich salty feta, and the peppery freshness of the greens - each enhancing the other. It is simply another way to enjoy the best fruit of summer.

To call this a recipe feels a bit grand - maybe think of it as a suggestion. My friend simply told me "watermelon, arugula, feta, and poppy seed dressing from a bottle". I prefer to make my own dressings (because it is easy and then I know just what is in them) so I tried two versions for this - one with balsamic vinegar for the acid and the other with lemon juice.We loved them both; I have a slight preference for one, while David has a slight preference for the other. Guess it doesn't much matter :) I can only say that my my life will never be the same.

watermelon, feta & arugula

4 cups baby arugula greens
3 cups watermelon cubes
1 cup crumbled feta
1 Tbsp plain greek yogurt
1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar (or 4 tsp fresh lemon juice)

Put the greens, watermelon, and feta in a large bowl. In a small bowl whisk together yogurt, olive oil, and vinegar (or lemon juice). Pour the dressing over the greens and watermelon. Toss lightly.

the evacuation sleepover and a kale salad

This has been a full, crazy week. It started with a quick trip to Victoria with a couple of friends (totally frivolous and fun and let's be honest... a tiny bit shallow) and ended with a  100 year flood as the Bow and Elbow Rivers over-ran their banks causing massive flooding and a state of emergency here in Calgary. I have no wish to make light of the devastation countless people face as they return to their homes. Many will return from the mandatory evacuation, as we did, to find that all is well. Others are finding relatively minor damage, while still others are returning to almost total loss of their personal possessions. Some of what is lost is replaceable but much is not. 

I say I have no wish to make light of this event - and I don't - but part of it was just plain fun for us. When the evacuation order came we had the luxury of an immediate invitation to camp at Eden's. Deacon and Aubrie gave up their beds with alacrity, anticipating the fun of sleeping bags on the floor (you've got to be very young to look forward to that!) I don't know how anybody else felt about our sudden and indefinite evacuation sleepover party but I was pretty happy to be with some of my favourite people. 

The order came mid-afternoon. It was a simple matter to gather the little bit that David and I would need for a few days, clear the fridge of perishables and head out but it was still getting close to dinner time when we arrived on Eden's doorstep. Dinner time and no dinner planned by either dinner planner - Eden and I had been sewing all day and not thinking about practical necessities like food. Certainly not thinking about hunkering down and battening the hatches against the flood of the century. That reality against the practical necessity of a meal meant we had to be a little bit creative with the combined contents of our fridges. Fortunately while neither of us had enough on our own, together it was just right - an apt metaphor for life.

The basis of this salad is a recipe a good friend of mine passed along at the quilting group I am part of. We needed it be dinner not just a part of it so we embellished. The result was a very happy one; even the kids loved it (although in complete honesty I have to admit that Ysa had to be persuaded and cajoled but as that is a current trend for her regardless of the items on the menu I am discounting her reaction. She did eat it. Eventually. ... which is not the current trend.) I had the red pepper and kale. Eden suppled some grilled chicken thighs, leftover rice and a couple of carrots. Tossed with a simple asian dressing it was fast, easy, healthy and yummy. Perfect, right?

For us this flood and the evacuation was not a difficult event. We had the luxury of a comfortable and familiar place to be sheltered, an easy and warm welcome and no real concern about the flood waters reaching our home. We were included in the order simply because the flood was anticipated to cut off access to our area. Nevertheless the damage that is all too evident in areas along the river just a short walk down the hill is witness to the awesome power of nature - a reminder that in the face of that power we are, in the end, quite powerless. We do have emergency supplies but they are scattered throughout the house, some in one spot others in another. I know where they are but David does not. Putting together a 72 hour kit that will meet our needs is high on my priority list now. This time we were lucky. Next time maybe not.

Asian dressed kale salad with rice and chicken
(adapted from Sheila Penner's recipe)

salad:
1 large bunch kale, stems removed and leaves finely chopped
2 carrots, grated
1 1/2 red bell peppers, diced
4 green onions, thinly sliced
2 cups cooked rice*, cooled
2 cups diced grilled chicken thigh

dressing:
2/3 cup almond butter
4 Tbsp grapeseed oil
2 Tbsp rice vinegar
1 Tbsp maple syrup
1 1/2 Tbsp grated fresh ginger
3 Tbsp warm water
1 tsp sea salt
hot sauce to taste

Place the salad ingredients in a large bowl.

Whisk together the dressing ingredients. Pour over the salad ingredients and toss to combine.

*Next time I might use brown rice instead of the white. There are arguments for the health advantages of each though, so I guess go ahead and use what you have and like.

rainbow superslaw

Life gets crazy busy - every season a bit more full than the last. When my kids were tiny I imagined that once they were more independent life would be easier. And it was.... in a way. Less hands-on with things like doing up buttons and zippers, getting food from bowls to mouths and bodies into beds but still complicated as I learned to navigate the intricacies of homework and after-school lessons - busy-er not less so. As we progressed through the teen years and on into university, then marriages and babies of their own I have realized that life doesn't slow down, it speeds up. As I move through the experiences of my life I know that I want to continue to experience personal growth. To be better, wiser, smarter, more skilled. That takes time and thought and effort. Doing that and keeping up with the people that mean the most to me means I have to run pretty fast some days. 

One of the things that gets left in the dust of the party of life is the small effort of sharing some of what I put on the table each day. Not that what is on our table every day is worthy of being shared but there are a lot more recipes I have been excited about than I share. If I could sit down right away and tell you how fun it was to try this or that, to share how well it was received and how delicious it was, how I made it easier, or even the laughable less-ables there would be a lot more posts. But I am usually running off to keep up with myself and some of the recipes that are really well worth sharing are neglected. This is one of those.

I saw this recipe in Everyday Food magazine and added it to the list of things that look good to me. That was last fall. I finally made it a few weeks ago for David's birthday dinner and after the first mouthful I really wished I had tried it earlier because we could have been eating it months ago! I love a good slaw and this is one of the best I have tried. Full of wonderful flavours and textures but most importantly, good healthiness. The cherry on the top is that it is really beautiful. The original recipe is Jamie Oliver's so you know it's going to be good :) 

Everyday Food recommends using a food processor and grating all the ingredients into the bowl in a prescribed order. My food processor while not small, is not large enough for that technique so I modified it. I used pecans instead of walnuts because of walnut allergies. Other than that, I followed Jamie's lead. Why mess with excellence?!

rainbow superslaw
(from Everyday Food and Jamie Oliver's Great Britain by Jamie Oliver)

2 raw medium sized beets, trimmed and scrubbed
1/4 red cabbage
2 large carrots
1/4 green cabbage
2 firm pears
1 cup pecans, roughly broken
2 large handfuls fresh curly parsley, chopped

dressing:
1 Tbsp mayonnaise
2 tsp grainy mustard
3 Tbsp cider vinegar
6 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Worcestershire sauce
sriracha hot sauce

Whisk the dressing ingredients together in a small bowl and set aside.

Shred or coarsely grate the cabbages and carrots into a large bowl. Grate the pears and add to the bowl. (To grate the pears I used a finer attachment.) Add about 1/2 of the chopped parsley to the bowl. Grate the beets into a separate bowl to keep them from staining everything.

Pour the dressing over the cabbage, carrots, and pears. Toss lightly to combine roughly. Add about 1/3 of the shredded beets and toss very lightly to keep the colours bright and separate. Arrange the mixed vegetables on a platter. Top with the remaining beets, followed by the rest of the parsley and finishing with the broken pecans.

Take a minute to enjoy the beautiful perfection of healthy, delicious food - then dig in!

avocado chicken salad

There is a story with this recipe - of course there is! - but this is story with a moral. The whole story is very long and a bit ridiculous (as is the case with most stories involving morals) but the long and the short goes like this....

Once upon a time there was a beautiful young woman named Eden. She fell in love with a handsome man and they decided to marry. Plans were made and Eden's mother was very happy and busy making every little thing - a wedding dress, food and decorations for the reception, invitations, dresses for flower girls and bridesmaids. Being an independent sort of person she didn't ask for help (but she should have!) On the day of the wedding all was going well until Cheri realized that the chicken for the chicken salad was still in the freezer at home and not in the fridge at the reception venue. The distance between where the chicken was and where it was supposed to be was too great to be overcome in time. Panic ensued. Some people spoke a little too loudly and not very kindly. The mother of the bride lost all composure and cried enough to ruin her makeup. Fortunately there was an easy solution - buy more chicken. Easy. Happy. Problem solved. The moral? Everybody needs some help and most people don't mind being asked. In fact I have learned that many people truly want to help. Supermoms are only a myth. ... well, except for their ability to love. That part is true.

Although a small part of the day was ridiculously traumatic at the time, I have wonderful memories of of Eden's wedding. This chicken salad is inseparably connected with those memories. Jonathon was working for the Capilano Group at the time and got the concept for the recipe from the chef at The Bridge House at Capilano Suspension Bridge and Park. I say concept because the recipe I got was for such a huge quantity that I couldn't wrap my head around it. Whatever the case we love this chicken salad - and when I say 'we' I mean men, women, and children. Eden likes it so well that she suggested a sidebar on the blog with favourite recipes listed; this one topping the list. It is easy enough for a quick lunch or picnic and fancy enough for a ladies-that-lunch kind of affair. 

Some of us eat our chicken salad in a croissant, others on a bed of greens - it is a big hit either way.

I usually buy a rotisserie chicken for this, it is about perfect. I also prefer to use red grapes for taste and appearance but today the red grapes were less than perfect so I bought green. Still good, still pretty. Add a little or a lot of cayenne according to your taste.

avocado chicken salad

3 cups cooked, diced chicken

2 green onions, white and green parts sliced thin

1/3 cup finely chopped cilantro

1/2 cup Greek yogurt

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1 cup red grapes, halved

1/2 tsp sea salt

1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

pinch of cayenne pepper

1 avocado, peeled and diced

Combine all the ingredients except the avocado. Fold it in gently just before serving.

ruby salad

Sometimes I feel so uninspired in the kitchen. Those are the busy, crazy days when what to eat takes a backseat to getting all the other stuff done and food is just necessary fuel - the nothing fancy, auto-pilot meals. Nothing really wrong with that but it isn't a lot of fun. Other times the queue of recipes I am dying to try is so long that I worry (yes actually worry, lol) that I will forget some of them. A bit ridiculous for sure, but there you go, I am a bit ridiculous some of the time :) Anyway.... I am in the middle of one of the long-lists-of-exciting-ideas times and this salad was top of the list. Super easy, super healthy, super yummy, and really pretty, it will be in regular rotation at our house from now on.

I first made it for a lunch with my quilting group, a friend in the group made it the next night for a potluck party at church, then I made it again as part of a meal we shared with some very special friends. To be honest I am not certain if everyone is as in love with it as I am (because being in love I have rosy coloured glasses on) but it seemed to me it was a big hit.

The recipe is Fergus Henderson's Red Salad from Beyond Nose to Tail and if that doesn't make you want to try it I am at a loss for what to say. I mean nose to tail and red salad?! He calls it red salad but the whole time I was making it all I could think of was ruby slippers. I don't know so don't ask me but ruby, ruby, ruby was the word in my mind. Dorothy would have been delighted with this salad I am convinced.

The only downside is shredding the beets. I have to admit it makes everything ruby coloured - even if you use a food processor. Small price to pay so don't be faint hearted - kitchens and hands clean easily.

Fergus suggests garnishing this with a dollop of creme fraiche and a bit of chervil. Chervil escaped my search and I forgot about the creme fraiche so we ate the salad in its solitary ruby glory. If the chervil and creme fraiche make it better I don't think I can take it.

ruby salad

(inspired by Fergus Henderson's Red Salad from Beyond Nose to Tail)

2 medium sized beets (about 2" in diameter)

1/2 small red cabbage

1/4 red onion

dressing:

3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar

2 Tbsp small capers

sea salt and  freshly ground black pepper

Slice the red onion very finely and soak in a small bowl of very cold water to mellow the bite while you prepare the rest of the salad. Shred the beets - you want a fine shred. Shred or slice the cabbage very finely and add to the beets in a large-ish bowl. Drain the onions and add to the other vegetables.

Whisk together the olive oil, vinegar, capers and salt and pepper (I was quite generous with the pepper). Pour over the cabbage, beets, and onions and toss to combine. Everything becomes gorgeously ruby coloured and irresistibly beet-y. (I told you I was in love.)

lentils & roasted radishes with meyer lemon vinaigrette

Winter eating and roasted root vegetables; it hardly seems right to have one without the other. Carrots, parsnips, potatoes, onions, beets, fennel.... every one a root vegetable and all sweeter by far when roasted. Although radishes must be classed as a root vegetable I had never before had even a whiff of a thought of roasting them. Radishes are for eating fresh, crisp, and spicy with a sprinkle of salt or sliced into a salad - or so I thought. Last night I learned that a roasted radish mellows in taste and colour becoming far more exotic than I had ever imagined a humble radish could. (a tiny bit of an exciting discovery - you can't imagine what we get up to around here!) 

The idea for this salad belongs to something I saw over on Food52. I read the 'recipe' (really just a paragraph of an idea) and the thought of roasting radishes so intrigued me that I bought some of the beautiful bright red orbs, tossed them with olive oil and salt, and popped them in the oven the first chance I had. The salad that I put on the table elicited a more enthusiastic response than I am used to. First bite, even better. David urged me (yes, urged) to take a picture and share this recipe. More, he requested that it be put into "frequent rotation". Make what you will of that :)  For my part, I say it is hearty, healthy, and delicious.

I used the sprouted bean trio (Tru Roots brand - Costco) but any lentils would work. I simply used what was on the shelf in my pantry.

lentils & roasted radishes with meyer lemon vinaigrette
(adapted from Food52)

8 radishes, washed and quartered
1 sweet potato, peeled and diced
2 shallots, chopped
1 cup lentils
2 Tbsp Meyer lemon juice
3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 tsp grainy Dijon mustard
1 clove garlic, crushed
1/2 tsp sea salt
pumpkin seed
ricotta cheese

Toss the radishes, sweet potatoes, and shallots with a tablespoon of olive oil and spread on a baking sheet. Sprinkle with sea salt and a grind of pepper. Roast at 400 degrees F for about 30 minutes or until the vegetables are tender and sweet.

Meanwhile combine the lentils with 3 cups of water in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer. Cover and cook for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let sit covered for a further 10 minutes. Drain and rinse.

In a large bowl combine the roasted radishes, sweet potatoes, and shallots with the cooked lentils. In a small bowl whisk together the meyer lemon juice, olive oil, mustard, and garlic. Pour over the vegetables and lentils, toss to combine. 

To serve: top with ricotta to taste and sprinkle with green pumpkin seeds.

sweet potato salad

I have mentioned a time or two that David tends to be reserved - most times about most things. This can be deflating but I try not to take it personally (which is  usually not terribly difficult since I know it is how he responds generally). So when he very enthusiastically exclaimed  - with the first bite still in his mouth  - "I love this!!" I just about fell off my chair. No joke. 

I almost passed this recipe by just because of the name. To be sure I love the good ol' picnic potato salad but balk at the thought of making one. It is knee-jerk. Potato salad = a lot of work + a mess in the kitchen in my head ... and that is really ridiculous because I regularly make a much bigger mess than a potato salad ever generates just because a recipe tempts me. Something kept pulling me back to the sweet potato salad idea and I am glad it did because like David I think this is really pretty good. It is crazy easy to make and although you probably don't want to advertise it as 'good for you' (since that is a sure way to prejudice anyone against anything) the truth is that it is really good for you. It looks pretty too and sometimes I am (almost) all about the way things look. lol Anyway I thought this needed to be shared.

I played with the proportions a bit- adding a lot more parsley and sweet potatoes than the recipe called for.

sweet potato salad

(adapted ever-so-slightly from Quinoa Revolution by Patricia Green and Carolyn Hemming)

1 1/2 cups water
3/4 cup black quinoa
4 cups peeled sweet potato cut into 1/2" chunks
2 green onions, thinly sliced
1 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/2 cup chopped pecans
juice and zest from 1 lemon
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp sea salt

Bring the water and quinoa to a boil in a small saucepan. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes. At the end of the 15 minutes cooking time, remove the lid, fluff with a fork and set aside to cool.

Put the sweet potatoes in a medium saucepan and add just enough water to cover. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook just until tender - don't overcook! Drain and cool completely.

Put the sweet potatoes and quinoa in a large bowl together with the chopped parsley, pecans, lemon zest, and sliced green onion. Whisk the lemon juice (there should be about 1/4 cup juice), olive oil,sea salt, and ginger together to make the dressing. Pour over the quinoa/sweet potato combination and toss gently. Serve immediately.

Keeps well and makes a great next-day lunch. 

dilly corn salad

We had this salad a couple of days ago. The recipe I started from suggested that it would feed 6 as a side salad but David and I each ate what must have been meant for 2! lol.  I'd say that as it is full of vegetables that can't be a bad thing :) and I can't think of anything more to say to entice you.

Hit the closest farm stand and get your corn as freshly picked as possible. Then make a bowl of summer for lunch!

I took a couple of liberties with the salad ingredients but totally changed the dressing.

dilly corn salad

(inspired by a recipe from Food52) 

2 ears of fresh, uncooked corn - kernels scraped from the cob (about 2 1/2 cups)

1 English cucumber, cut into 1/2" cubes

1 sweet red pepper, diced

1/2 cup minced fresh parsley

2 green onions, white and green parts sliced thinly

1/8 cup (lightly packed) fresh dill, minced

1 avocado, diced

dressing:

1/3 cup Greek yogurt

1 1/2 Tbsp milk (I used coconut milk - choose what you like best)

1 clove garlic, crushed

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 Tbsp cider vinegar

1/2 tsp agave nectar

1/2 tsp sea salt

freshly ground pepper to taste

Combine the salad ingredients in a large bowl and toss to combine.

In a separate bowl combine the dressing ingredients and whisk together. Pour over the salad ingredients. That's it. Simple. Yummy.

curried quinoa chicken salad

Simple. Fast. And sort of addictive. This is the perfect lunch or light supper. Easy to make a batch and keep in the fridge, then pack to take for lunches at work (Jonathon?) Eden had some and figured she needed to eat it daily. I pretty much agree.

The 2 Tbsp of curry powder is not a typo and is in no way a mistake - go for it. Use walnuts if you prefer them to the pecans (I'm allergic so I always use pecans). If you don't like cilantro use parsley. I have given up peeling ginger (unless all I can find at the market is kind of old and tough looking) - nobody complains or even notices. I figure there has to be good stuff in the skin so why peel it off?

When we had this salad for supper one night I served it on a bed of mixed greens. When I took it for a lunch a couple of days later I skipped the greens and it was absolutely as good - just different. Either way. Choice is good, right?

curried quinoa chicken salad

(from 20 minute supper club, tweaked)

2 cups quinoa, cooked

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked and cut into bite-size pieces

3/4 cup thinly sliced dried apricots

2 green onions, thinly sliced

1/2 cup chopped pecans

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

2 tbsp curry powder

1/4 cup rice vinegar

1 tsp sea salt

1/3 cup olive oil

1 Tbsp grated fresh ginger

Combine the quinoa, chicken, apricots, green onions, pecans, and cilantro in a bowl.

In a separate bowl whisk together the curry powder, vinegar, sea salt, olive oil, and freshly grated ginger. Drizzle over the quinoa mixture and stir. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Note: if you aren't sure how to cook the quinoa you have two choices. You can cook it in a large pot of boiling water - a la pasta - and drain when it is just tender. Or you can bring 2 parts water to 1 part quinoa (in this case 4 cups water, 2 cups quinoa) to a boil, reduce heat to simmer, cover and cook for 10 minutes. Turn the heat off but leave the pot on the burner - still covered - for another 4 minutes. Remove the lid, fluff with a fork. Done.