salad

Orange and Radish Salad

~ lisaandfrancescook ~ Leave a comment

IMG_1473IMG_1473This salad was such a hit at the Seder that I am making it again in a much smaller quantity to accompany tonight’s Sockeye salmon. While I am making this for Passover, there is absolutely no reason that my salads can’t be eaten during the rest of the year – or at least throughout spring and summer. And, in fact, I am always preparing some salad or other since veggies and fruits make up a large part of our diet. This salad is adapted from Madhur Jaffrey and sounded wonderful so I gave it a try. For the Seder I made a much larger amount and used both the plain red radishes and daikon radish. I also used a couple of blood oranges in addition to navel since I happened to have them and they lent such a lovely color and unique taste. Tonight’s version only has the navels.

Orange and Radish Salad adapted from Madhur Jaffrey

Yield: 2 servings

Ingredients

2-3 navel oranges

1/4 packed cup radishes, thinly sliced

1/8 teaspoon Kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon Aleppo pepper

1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

Torn mint leaves, scattered

Drizzled glaceed balsamic vinegar (This is vinegar that has been reduced until it is almost a syrup. You can buy it in most grocery stores and is wonderful over strawberried served with basil.)

Directions

  1. Peel the oranges in such a way that you remove all of the white pith along with the skin. Slice off the “navel” and a slice off of the other end. Cut into circles about 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick and set aside.Arrange attractively on a large plate.
  2. Scatter the radishes over the oranges.
  3. Sprinkle the salt, cumin and pepper.
  4. Scatter with the mint and just before serving, drizzle with the glaceed basalmic vinegar.

Lentils du Puy and Potato Salad with Tarragon

~ lisaandfrancescook ~ 2 Comments

lentils de puyThe beauty of Lentils du Puy is that they just never seem to get mushy, which is wonderful if you want to serve them in a salad where they are the star. This is a classic French salad and is wonderful eaten at room temperature. I’m serving lamb chops tonight and lamb and lentils are a wonderful marriage of taste and texture. I also make this salad when I am serving a summer dinner of lamb merguez sausage or any other flavorful sausage. All it needs is a green salad with some ripe tomatoes, a nice Dijon mustard and a crisp wine. Well, okay, I have already admitted that my husband and I are bread people, so I would also serve this with a crusty baguette.

Lentils du Puy and Potato Salad with Tarragon

Yield: 6-8 servings

Ingredients

1.5 cups Lentils du Puy or other green lentils

6-7 small potatoes like a red baby Bliss or Yukon Gold or a mixture

1 small onion, finely chopped

3 cloves of garlic, minced

1 bunch of flat-leaf parsley, chopped

1.5 teaspoons Kosher salt or to taste

1.5 teaspoons dried tarragon or 1 Tablespoon fresh tarragon

6 Tablespoons EVOO

2 Tablespoons white wine vinegar

20 cracks of fresh black pepper

Directions

  1. Rinse your lentils in cold water and place in a medium pot with water to cover by at least 2 inches. Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat to a simmer. If you are using Lentils du Puy, cook uncovered for about 23 minutes, immediately drain and rinse under cold water to stop the cooking. Regular green lentils may only take about 18 minutes. You want them tender but still holding their shape.
  2. While the lentils are cooking, add all of the other ingredients except for the potatoes to a large serving bowl. When the lentils have cooked and been cooled and drained, add them to the bowl with everything else and mix through.
  3. Cook the potatoes uncovered, whole and in their skins until tender but firm – about 14 minutes, but check if a sharp knife easily pierces the potato and pulls out easily. Once cooked, immediately drain them and run under cold water to stop the cooking. The potatoes should easily peel. Cut into large dice and add to the lentils. Adjust your seasonings and enjoy.

 

Red Cabbage, Walnut and Goat Cheese Salad

~ lisaandfrancescook ~ 1 Comment

red cabbage salad

As soon as I read about this salad in Burt Wolf’s Eating Well cookbook, I had to make it – and I have been making it ever since. It is a beautiful and delicious salad that is also easy to make. I use it as a side salad, but I also have eaten it as a summer lunch with some crusty bread on the side. Tonight I’m serving it with lamb chops.

Red Cabbage, Walnut and Goat Cheese Salad adapted from Star’s Restaurant, San Francisco

Yield: 4 sevings

Ingredients

6 cups thinly sliced red cabbage

2 Tablespoons Walnut Oil or a fruity EVOO

2 Tablespoons Mission Fig Vinegar or Apple Cider Vinegar

1 generous Tablespoon fresh thyme leaves

1/2 cup walnuts, lightly toasted in a dry pan until fragrant

Kosher Salt and fresh cracked black pepper to taste

8 ounce log of goat cheese or Crottin of goat cheese

Additional fresh thyme leaves for garnish

prep for red cabbage salad

Directions

  1. In a large bowl, toss all of the ingredients Except for the goat cheese and thyme leaves for garnish. Allow to sit for at least 30 minutes but it can sit for several hours in a cool place.
  2. When you are ready to serve, heat the cabbage mixture in a wok or large saute pan, tossing for several minutes until heated through.
  3. Portion out to 4 salad bowls or plates and top each bowl with rounds of the goat cheese with the additional fresh thyme leaves sprinkled on top.

I have even eaten any leftovers the next day for lunch and it is still delicious.

Armenian Lentil Salad

~ lisaandfrancescook ~ 1 Comment

Armenian Lentils 2

Anyone who has been reading our blog knows how much I love legumes in all of their many guises. I especially love lentils and am always on the lookout for new ways to prepare them. I have been making this salad for over 20 years and as is the salad is vegan and makes a wonderful side dish. It can also be eaten over rice for a complete protein. I like leftovers where I add a bit of crumbled feta cheese or add some roasted chicken or a merguez sausage. However you eat this salad, you will be glad to have it on hand. I always make a lot because I like it so much but you can easily halve the amount.

Armenian Lentil Salad adapted from The Frugal Gourmet

Yield: 10-12 servings as a side

Ingredients

2 cups of green lentil or a combination of 1.5 cups green lentils and 1/2 cup chana dal, rinsed and picked through for any stones

a generous 1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt or more to taste

1 bunch flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped

Juice of 3 lemons

About 1/3 cup finely chopped red onion or shallots

1.5 teaspoons finely chopped or crushed garlic

8 Tablespoons EVOO

1/2 teaspoon ground coriander

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

Fresh cracked black pepper to taste (I do about 15 cracks of pepper)

Directions

  1. Place the rinsed lentils in a pot covered by cold water. The water should cover the lentils by a couple of inches. Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat to a rapid simmer. Cook uncovered for about 20-25 minutes. Check after 20 minutes if the lentils are tender but still have a slight bite and retain their shape.
  2. After they have finished cooking, drain and run under cold water to stop the cooking process and to rinse off any scum that might have appeared during the cooking.
  3. In the meantime, place all of the other ingredients in a serving bowl. Pour the cooled lentils over everything and gently mix through. Adjust your seasonings and olive oil according to taste.

This will keep in the fridge for several days. The parsely may dull a bit in color but the taste will be unaffected. I like this salad best at room temperature.

Armenian Lentils1

Moroccan Beet Salad (Barba)

~ lisaandfrancescook ~ 2 Comments

Moroccan beetsFor those of you who read my post on Moroccan Chicken, you would have seen that it was served with several salads, as is traditional in the Middle East. One of my favorites is Moroccan Beet Salad. I have made it totally from scratch by cooking my own beets and I have made it using canned beets as well as the pre-roasted and peeled beets that you can now buy in most produce sections of the bigger markets. Unless you REALLY love to roast and peel beets or want the beet greens to make another Moroccan salad, I frankly don’t taste any significant difference in the more convenient beets I have used. And let’s face it, with most of us also working, I’d rather spend my time creating great meals with totally acceptable short-cuts than proving how authentic I can be. This salad can be made doubled or tripled or cut in half. Once you learn what goes into it, you just adjust the seasonings. It will last up to a week if refrigerated, although we generally eat it up long before that.

Moroccan Beet Salad

Yield: About 12 portions as a salad with other salads

Ingredients

12 beets, cooked and peeled and cut into strips (I slice the beets and then cut the slices into strips)

1 rounded teaspoon minced garlic

About 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin or to taste

Kosher salt to taste

About 2-3 Tablespoons EVOO

Juice of one lemon

1 bunch flat-leaf parsley, minced

Directions

Gently toss all of the ingredients together and adjust seasonings to suit your taste. No one ingredient should overwhelm. Make this several hours ahead to improve flavor. Just before serving, scatter some additional chopped fresh parsley on top.

Sunshine Kale Salad

~ lisaandfrancescook ~ 3 Comments

 

kale salad

I know that kale has somewhat gone out of fashion, but honestly, I never pay much attention to fads. I mean they are fun to read about, but if I enjoy something, I will enjoy it even when I am told by foodies that it is so yesterday.

This kale salad is one that I came up with and it is perfect for those dreary winter days. And it is wonderful for company because it actually needs ot be made ahead. I make mine in the morning so that the kale has time to slightly soften and absorb all of the flavors. It may require a couple of things you don’t normally keep on hand, but they are really worth buying and keeping around. If you can’t easily find the vinegar or oil in your grocery store, they can be purchased online. Check out sources in our section “Our Favorite Things.”

Kale Sunshine Salad

Yield: 4-6 portions

Ingredients

1 bunch curly green kale (do not use Tuscan kale for this recipe) with the leaves torn from the stem

1 pint red grape or cherry tomatoes cut in half lengthwise

1/2 of a small onion, thinly sliced

1/4 cup lightly toasted pine nuts (you can substitute walnuts, but pine nuts are really worth getting)

3/4 to 1 cup dried, sweetened cranberries

3-4 Clementines, peeled, pith removed and broken into sections (you can use navel oranges, but then you should cut the segments in half)

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 teaspoon Kosher salt

Cracked Black Pepper to taste

3 Tablespoons of a fruity vinegar (I like mission fig, but you could also use a Champagne or nice white wine vinegar)

6 Tablespoons Walnut Oil

Directions

In a large bowl, place all of the ingredients. Toss, cover and allow to sit, unrefrigerated for several hours. Toss again before serving.

 

Lentil Salad with Raisins, Tomatoes and Tarragon

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Lentil Raisin salad with tarragon

I absolutely love lentils – any lentils. The red ones or the tiny lentils de puy or even the lowly but versatile green lentil. I love them in salads and soups and mixed in pilaf. They are a wonderful source of protein, especially when eaten with whole grains.           Lentils uncooked

In Israel, every meal, including breakfast starts with salads – multiple salads. While this lentil salad doesn’t come directly from any particular cuisine, it is certainly inspired by Mediterranean cooking. If you can find fresh tarragon, I encourage you to use it. If not, this salad will still be delicious using only a good French dried Tarragon. it will lose a bit of its lustre if kept for a couple of days, but none of its taste or texture. It’s a great way to get children to eat this magical legume because of the raisins. Try it.                            raisins

Lentil Raisin Salad

Yileds: 6-8 generous servings

Ingredients:

1.25 cups dried green lentils

1 teaspoon dried tarragon

1 teaspoon salt

2 Tablespoons Fig Vinegar or white wine vinegar

1/4 cup EVOO

1 pint grape or cherry tomatoes, quartered

1/2 of a small onion thinly sliced or chopped

1/2 cup raisins (dark, light or mixed)

1 Tablespoon fresh tarragon, chopped or 1 additional teaspoon dried

Freshly cracked black pepper

Directions:

  1. After picking through the lentils to make sure that there are no tiny stones or grains, place them in a medium pot and cover with water by about 2 inches. Add the dried tarragon. I like to layer my seasonings so not only do I put tarragon into the mixed salad but I cook the lentils with tarragon. You can also add a little salt if you want but I don’t. Bring the water to a boil, reduce the heat to a strong simmer and cookuncovered for about 18 minutes. Drain well and run cold water over the lentils to stop the cooking.
  2. While the lentils are cooking, prepare the other ingredients in a bowl and toss well. Add the lentils once they have cooled. Enjoy!Lentil raisin sald stage 1