Kale and Beluga Lentil Salad with Lemon Yogurt Dressing

I am finally incorporating some greens back into my repertoire. It is not that they disappeared entirely, but I got a little lazy. The idea of washing, drying, de-stemming, and chopping fibrous leafy things all seemed a bit much. I blame it on the heat, and on the fact that I have not been able to go to the farmer's market in over a month since we have been out of town so often. I find the farmers' market very inspiring- seeing all of the producers there makes me want to celebrate their little labors of love, and without trips there, I veered off of the vegetable path. It became easier to sink into a routine of eating eggs, avocado, and cheese on toast rather than actually making a crunchy, green thing with some nutritional value. Finally my body seems to have had enough of avocado and coconut butter, eggs and cheese, and banana and peanut butter as excuses for lunch because suddenly I found myself cleaning, de-stemming, and chopping all sorts of green things- curly kale and lacinato kale, Swiss chard, red leaf lettuce, and zucchini...recipes for dishes with each of these coming soon, by-the-way. I did not know yet what I was going to do with them all, but it was much easier to do it all in one swoop and store them in containers in the fridge, ready to go for when I actually figured that part out.

I am usually pretty good about doing this prep-now-cook-later-thing with my greens. I learned a few years ago, especially when I was busy in grad school, that one of the barriers to making most vegetable dishes is the prep time in getting them recipe-ready. It is so much easier to get them all clean and ready right when I bring them home from the market or grocery store and store them in plastic containers lined with tea towels or paper towels so that I can have them easily available. It sounds idealistic, but once it becomes a habit, it is a godsend. Just do not be like me and fall off the wagon and start eating all of your meals on toast. Or if you do fall off, try to get back on. Life happens, and we adjust. 

Now on to the actual recipe. This is a really satisfying salad. The different textures, the bulk, the brightness, all make this a salad that you keep digging your fork into. Kale is the perfect "lettuce" for this sort of salad because it can stand up to the weight of the dressing. Lacinato kale softens better than the curly kind, so that is really what I prefer here. Basil and parsley are here to break up the "green" flavor that kale can have, so I am generous with them. Plus, fresh basil makes me happy that it is summer. I threw in some cooked beluga lentils that I had in the freezer and thawed and tossed in cooked barley that I had also in the freezer and thawed. Beluga lentils provide a nice little toothsome quality to this salad but canned (and drained) chickpeas could work in a pinch, as would any grain, rice, or small pasta you like.

The onions are cooked down to give just a touch of sweetness, cumin is there for its earthy flavor, and the Greek yogurt and lemon add a creamy tang that brightens it all up. This is a great salad to make ahead of time as it slowly becomes more tender without feeling wilted. Yay for greens!

Kale and Beluga Lentil Salad with Lemon Yogurt Dressing

4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
scant 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 bunch lacinato kale, stems removed and leaves cut in chiffonade
1/2 cup cooked grain of choice (I used hulled barley)
1/2 cup cooked beluga lentils (or chickpeas)
1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, cut in chiffonade
1/2 cup fresh parsley leaves, chopped
1 lemon, zest and juice
3 tablespoons Greek yogurt (I recommend 2% Greek yogurt here for a little more richness)
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 cup walnuts, toasted* and chopped
salt and pepper, to taste

Heat a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add 2 tablespoons olive oil. Add the onion and garlic, and cook over medium heat for about 6-8 minutes or until onion is soft and golden. Add the cumin and cook for 30 seconds or until fragrant. Remove mixture from heat and allow to cool slightly.

Meanwhile, in a large bowl, massage the kale with 2 tablespoons extra-virgin oil and a sprinkling of salt until kale begins to soften. This can take about a minute or so. Add the grain, lentils, basil, and parsley, and stir to combine.

When the onion mixture has cooled, add the lemon zest, lemon juice, yogurt, and 1/2 teaspoon sea salt and stir to mix. Add this mixture to the kale and lentil mixture, toss in the chopped walnuts, and use tongs to combine. Taste and adjust for salt and pepper. Enjoy! Serves 4-6.

*To toast walnuts, toast in oven at 400 degrees for 8-10 minutes or until golden.

Cherry and Herb Bulgur Salad with Golden Halloumi

I'm baaaaaaacck! Life got in between the computer and me, but I could not be more grateful for the opportunity to step away and experience it all. My college boyfriend and I got engaged (!!!!!!!), we celebrated, we ventured to the New Jersey shore with friends, my older sister and cutest niece moved to Iowa, and my family traveled to the North Woods of Wisconsin for the 4th of July. As much as I crave routine and predictability and general "me time," these last several weeks threw all of that to the wind. My normal cooking routine went with it, as did those trips to the weekend farmers' markets that I look most forward to. I caught myself several times wishing that I could just escape, get away from all the movement. But then I would remember that it is a wonderful, unique opportunity to be surrounded by so many loving people, that life will once again pull us away into all of our own little spheres and I will be craving movement, excitement, and spontaneity as much as I have been craving calm, quiet, and routine. I have often recalled the words of one of my favorite yoga instructors. She reminds us that it is easy to foster inner calm and peace when you are able to control every element, when you physically remove yourself from the external chaos. The challenge lies in finding that internal peace amidst chaos, amidst change, amidst an environment you cannot control. Here's to summer, here's to embracing that chaos but finding even a snippet of inner calm, and here's to finally getting back into the kitchen.

Since I have been away for a while, I thought I would come back with a BING...I mean, a BANG! Well, a bing and a bang! Dark Bing cherries that is. And a bang because this dish is a total winner. Cherries have a fairly short season, so you have to get them while you can. As a kid, I used to have cherry pit spitting contests with my siblings, and as an adult, I resort to experimenting with cherries in the kitchen since launching cherry pits as far as you can is not nearly as fun when you are alone. This delightful dish mixes sweet, juicy cherries, with salty, chewy Halloumi. Halloumi, which traditionally comes from Cyprus, is one of those special squeaky cheeses, like the Indian paneer, that holds its shape when heated and does not melt. It is intensely salty, but the fruity vinaigrette, nutty bulgur, and bright herbs really help balance everything out.

This recipe is incredibly versatile. If you cannot find halloumi, you can substitute paneer or add some marinated tofu that has been crisped in the skillet. You can also just sprinkle it with a generous amount of salty (uncooked feta). If bulgur is not in your pantry, use another cooked grain you like such as quinoa or brown rice- aim for about 2 1/2 cups cooked grain total for the dish. Parsley can substitute for the cilantro and toasted hazelnuts or almonds for the toasted walnuts. Another idea? Toss in some cooked chickpeas.

Cherries are the real star here. Pureed into the vinaigrette and some left in bigger pieces, you can appreciate their mild sweet-tartness fully. Look for dark sweet cherries at your market or grocery store. I try to get organic as they are a fruit in which we eat the skin. Give them a good wash, and snack on a few while you are cooking. I really hope you enjoy this dish as much as we have.

Cherry and Herb Bulgur Salad with Golden Halloumi

Salad:
1 cup uncooked bulgur wheat
1 1/4 cups water
3/4 cup dark cherries, pitted and halved
1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, washed, dried, and roughly chopped
1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves, washed, dried and roughly chopped
1/2 cup walnuts, toasted* and chopped
1 8-ounce package halloumi cheese, sliced into 8 slices
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Cherry Vinaigrette:
1/4 cup dark cherries, pitted and halved
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 teaspoon honey

Cook the bulgur. Bring 1 and 1/4 cups water to boil over high heat. Add 1 cup of bulgur, cover with a lid, and reduce heat to very low. Cook for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to rest for 10 minutes before removing the lid. Drain any excess liquid.

Meanwhile, make the vinaigrette. In a blender or food processor, add the vinaigrette ingredients and process until smooth. It will be a beautiful pink color. Set aside.

Cook the halloumi. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat in a nonstick or cast iron skillet. Add the halloumi slices in a single layer and cook 3-4 minutes per side or until golden. Remove from heat.

Assemble the salad. Toss the bulgur with the vinaigrette, reserving a tablespoon or so for drizzling atop the halloumi. Add the chopped cherries, herbs, and toasted walnuts. Mix to combine. Season to taste with salt and pepper, remembering that the halloumi will pack a salty punch. Layer the halloumi on top, and drizzle with the remaining vinaigrette. Enjoy! Serves 4.

* To toast the walnuts, roast at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 8-10 minutes or until golden or toast on the stove-top for 8-10 minutes in a skillet over medium heat

Mango and Coconut Rice Salad

Yotam Ottolenghi does some magical things with food. He celebrates herbs, spices, vegetables, grains and has a way with making dishes almost too beautiful to eat. Almost. That is because after once bite, you are hooked and going in for another spoonful, forkful, what have you. When we were in London a few summers ago, I made it a mission to visit his eponymous cafe and was blown away with everything that I tasted. It exceeded expectations, and I told my boyfriend that it would be okay if he traveled to Paris, Antwerp, and Amsterdam alone while I parked myself at Ottolenghi for the rest of the vacation. We also got a chance to try Nopi, another one of his resturants that we just so happened to stumble upon during one of wanderings, and only had the most complex Shakshuka I had ever tasted. I dream about living steps away from his cafe.

Until then, cooking from his cookbooks will just have to do. I have more recipes in Plenty marked to try at some point than unmarked. And my sister "borrowed" my Plenty More several months ago. She keeps raving about all of the recipes she has made from it, forgetting that one day, she will have to give it back, or just hoping that I will forget that it was mine to begin with. The recipes in Plenty are heavy with vegetables and herbs. He has recipes for all seasons.

Since we have loads of mangoes to eat, I decided to try out Ottolenghi's Mango and Coconut Rice Salad, or at least a close approximation of it. You can find the original recipe in Plenty or here. I made several modifications, but the essence is the same. Two types of rice for texture and flavor, herbs, mango, citrus, coconut, and peanuts. I made the changes based on what I had on hand and my preferences, and we could not be happier with the results. I used brown basmati rice and Lundberg's Black Japonica Rice for its nutty flavor, but if you substitute other rice or grain types, I would be sure to use about 5 cups cooked rice or 5 cups cooked grain in total. This would make a fabulous salad for a make-ahead lunch or an outdoor gathering. It is a real stunner.

Mango and Coconut Rice Salad

2/3 cup brown basmati rice
scant 1 1/3 cup water
pinch of salt
1 cup loosely packed fresh basil, divided
1 cup Black Japonica rice
scant 2 cups water
1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
1/4 cup mint leaves, roughly chopped
2/3 cup cilantro leaves, roughly chopped
2 scallions, thinly sliced
1/2 fresh serrano chile, seeded and finely chopped
grated zest of 1 lime
juice of 2 limes
1/2 cup roasted salted peanuts, roughly chopped
1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut, toasted
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Salt, to taste
1 large mango, cut into 1-2 cm dice

Cook the two types of rice. In a small saucepan, combine the brown basmati rice, scant 1 1/3 cup water, and 1/2 cup a basil leaves. Sprinkle with salt, bring to boil. Cover, reduce heat to a simmer, and allow to cook for 40 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to sit, covered, for 10 minutes. Remove basil leaves and discard.

For the black rice, combine the black rice, the scant 2 cups of water, and sprinkle of salt in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat to a simmer, and allow to cook for 40 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to sit, covered, for 10 minutes. Allow both rice types to cool at least to room temperature before proceeding so as not to wilt the herbs.

Meanwhile, prepare the rest of the ingredients. Add the pepper, herbs, scallions, chile, lime zest and juice to a bowl. Add the cooled rice, the peanuts, and olive oil. Stir to combine and adjust salt to taste. Sprinkle in the toasted coconut, and carefully add in the mango and toss gently so as not to mush the pieces of mango. Enjoy! Serves 4.    

Asparagus, Fennel, and Pear Salad with Citrus Dressing

Fennel is one of those vegetables that people either love or hate. I happen to love its bright licorice flavor in all forms- raw, roasted, shaved, gratinéed. I really fell in love with it during my study abroad in Italy. In Rome, it was casually mixed into salads much like we toss carrots into mixed greens. In Sicily, it was most often paired with Sicilian oranges, briny olives, and local extra-virgin olive oil.

Oftentimes people think they do not like fennel until they have it in the right preparation. I have seen self-proclaimed fennel-haters gobble up the last bits of a caramelized fennel dish as roasting it mellows and sweetens its flavor. In this salad, I make the vegetable a little more approachable in a different way. I thinly slice it so that it can wilt in the citrus dressing and pair it with a popular spring vegetable- asparagus. I add crunchy sweet pear, nutty hazelnuts and salty Parmigiano-Reggiano to make this a salad that you will probably want to double or even triple, even if you are serving fennel-haters. It is so refreshing, so crisp, and so bright.

I recommend serving this salad within an hour or two after mixing as it will really begin to wilt. Right before serving, sprinkle with the Parmigiano-Reggiano, if using, and the hazelnuts so that they can retain a bit of their bite. The salad can sit longer, but it will continue to wilt and will not be quite as crunchy.

Asparagus, Fennel, and Pear Salad with Citrus Dressing

1/2 bunch asparagus, tough ends removed
1 small fennel bulb with fronds
1/2 firm pear, thinly sliced and then chopped (I used a firm Barlett pear)
1 cup cooked chickpeas, drained
1/2 lemon, zested and juiced
1/2 orange, zested and juiced
1 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/4 teaspoons sea salt
1/4 cup shavings of Parmigiano-Reggiano (I used a vegetable peeler)
1/4 cup hazelnuts, toasted and skinned, and chopped
freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Prepare the vegetables. Use a vegetable peeler to thinly shave asparagus stalks. Set shavings aside and then finely chop remaining pieces, including tops. Thinly slice fennel bulb. Pluck off about 2 tablespoons of fennel fronds and roughly chop. Prepare pear and set aside.

Prepare the dressing. In a medium bowl, mix juice and zest from lemon and orange, extra-virgin olive oil, salt, and pepper to taste. Whisk briefly to combine. Taste and adjust salt and pepper.

Add the vegetables to the bowl with the dressing and toss to coat. Readjust seasoning. Right before serving, sprinkle with Parmigiano-reggiano shavings and toasted hazelnuts. Best served shortly after assembling. Serves 4. 

Notes:

• Leave out cheese if making vegan. You may have to add a little more salt to make up for the difference.
• To toast and skin hazelnuts, toast in a dry skillet over low to medium low heat for 8-10 minutes or until golden. Use a towel to rub the hazelnuts together to remove their papery, bitter skins.
• Substitute walnuts or almonds for hazelnuts.
• Substitute a firm, crisp apple if you do not have a pear on hand.

Shaved Carrot Salad with Beluga Lentils and Toasted Almonds

This salad is all about texture. It takes a vegetable that many of us always have lying around in the fridge- the humble and ubiquitous little carrot- and transforms it into something a little unexpected. Instead of finely grating it or slicing it into coins, I have used a vegetable peeler to create long fettuccine like carrot noodles. A light lemony, herby, and spiced olive oil dressing coats the noodles, allowing them to wilt just ever so slightly. As you twirl the vegetables around your fork, the lentils and almonds cling on, providing just the right amount of nuttiness and earthiness to each bite.

To create the flavor of the dressing, I was inspired by one of my favorite sandwich shops in Chapel Hill, NC called Sandwhich. My favorite sandwich to order was the Mr. Crunch, a lovely prosciutto and mozzarella sandwich with a zingy lemon and oregano olive oil dressing and fresh mint served on a baguette. One of the highlights, however, was the mini cup of gorgeous sliced Moroccan pickled carrots that came with every meal. The carrots were tangy, minty, with a hint of earthy spice. This flavor profile may have been surprising to find at a little sandwich shop in North Carolina if it had not been for the fact that the chef-owner was indeed Moroccan.

I tried recreating a version of those carrots, borrowing from flavors of Morocco. I included lemon, cumin, cinnamon, almonds, fresh mint, and a little drizzle of pomegranate molasses, which is both tart and sweet and which lends a subtle depth to the dressing. Honey would make a wonderful substitute. I added beluga lentils, a sturdier, more robust lentil for a little extra protein and for the gorgeous contrast they create with the long, skinny carrots. The way the carrots are shaved here is nothing new, but it is a little unexpected. I think I first saw the idea at Gourmande in the Kitchen in Sylvie's Raw Kale, Cabbage and Carrot Chopped Salad with Maple Sesame Vinaigrette. It also takes a little more patience to shave carrots like this rather than just slicing or grating, but the results are worth it.

This salad gets better with a little time as the flavors meld and the carrots soften just a bit. Just be sure to toss in the almonds right before serving because their crunch is most satisfying. I also have a few serving suggestions. I found that this salad paired very well with goat cheese and with avocado. Toss in a few goat cheese crumbles and avocado hunks before serving. Or pair with goat cheese toasts on the side for your first course. If you are having a spring get-together, serve the salad atop baguette slices smeared with goat cheese for a beautiful spring appetizer.

Shaved Carrot Salad with Beluga Lentils and Toasted Almonds

1/2 c. beluga lentils, rinsed
1/4 c. raw almonds
1 lb. carrots, washed and peeled
1/2 t. ground cumin
1/8 t. ground cinnamon
1/2 t. salt
1 lemon, zested and juiced
1 t. pomegranate molasses or honey
2 T. extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 c. fresh mint, washed, dried and chopped
1/4 c. fresh Italian parsley, washed, dried and chopped

Begin with the lentils. Place the lentils in a small pot and cover with water by 1-2 inches. Bring the water to a boil and then reduce to a simmer, cooking for 15-18 minutes uncovered or until lentils are tender but not mushy. Drain and set aside.

Meanwhile, toast the almonds. Place the almonds in a skillet over medium- low heat and toast for 8-10 minutes or until almonds are toasted, shaking pan often. Remove from heat, cool slightly, and roughly chop. Set aside.

Shave the carrots into a bowl using a vegetable peeler. I find it easiest to shave from the top to the bottom first as you rotate the carrot and then flip the carrot upside down and continue the process. I found I was able to shave the most carrots this way.

Make the vinaigrette. Combine the cumin, cinnamon, salt, lemon zest and juice, pomegranate molasses, and extra-virgin olive oil in a bowl and whisk until combined.

In a bowl, combine the carrots, lentils, mint, parsley, and dressing, and toss to combine. Taste to adjust for salt. Toss in the almonds right before serving. Enjoy! Serves 4.