Three Bean Salad

This three bean salad was inspired by the Southern Salad I had at the Stable Cafe' and the Biltmore Estate a few weeks ago. If you look at the photo, the small bit of salad is hard to  find, it's hiding under the strips of smoked gouda cheese! Even though this component of the greater salad was not visible, and not very impressive looking, my husband and I thought it was probably the best part... or maybe a close second to the fried okra! 

While we ate, we tried to dissect the salad and figure out exactly what made it so good... what was it that gave it such great flavor... Ultimately we decided it was just the simplicity of it. I tried recreating it, but was off in a few places. At the Biltmore, it was much creamier, but didn't have mayonaise. I think it was just a product of the beans sitting and starchy liquids coming out. Also, I couldn't find canned navy beans at Whole Foods, so I grabbed some cannelini... not the same, but close. Lastly, at the last second I added a scoop of cottage cheese to help with the creamy factor, but later decided it was unnecessary. You can make it with or without, if you want it dairy-free or if you want it to be able to sit out, omit the cottage cheese.

Three Bean Salad

1 15 oz. can kidney beans, drained and rinsed

1 15 oz. can navy beans, drained (not rinsed)

1 15 oz. can black eyed peas, drained and rinsed

1 tbsp. chives, minced 

2 scallions, minced, white part only

1/2 tsp. paprika

Salt and pepper, to taste

1/4-1/3 c. cottage cheese, if desired.

Add all ingredients to a bowl, gently toss and refrigerate.

This salad is best when it sits for 4+ hours. 

After it sits, taste and season immediately before serving.

Tabbouleh for the Parsley Hater

If you read my blog often, you'll see just about every vegetable and herb in the world appear from time to time. There are a few you'll rarely, if ever see. Celery and Parsley. Hate them. Ok, hate is a strong word. I hate celery. I just don't like parsley. I don't really understand it. To me, it doesn't have much flavor, so why use something with little flavor when you could use basil.... or cilantro... or mint! And yes, this comes from the girl who could tear up giant iceberg lettuce wedges. But I digress.

So parsley. I've been learning to like it more. I suppose it's like any ingredient, when you use it well, it makes a dish. Tabbouleh is a parsley salad, with the other ingredients simply filling in the holes. So I found that making tabbouleh with bunches and bunches of parsley and a tiny bit of bulgur was too much for me. I can take it to 50/50 parsley to 'other stuff,' but I don't know if I'll make it beyond that. I need the other stuff, which isn't necessarily traditional either.

I will say that if you've got mint growing in your garden like weeds, this is the dish for you. I used 2 bunches of parsley and 1 bunch of mint and it was the perfect balance for me. But as all cooking goes, use your judgement and taste! So here's my bastardization of Traditional, Lebanese Tabbouleh!

Tabbouleh

1 cup bulgur/cracked wheat

1 cup boiling water

Zest of 1 lemon

Juice of 3 lemons (about 1/2 c., I like it lemony)

1/4 c. EVOO

1 yellow bell pepper, minced

1/2 pint cherry tomatoes, halved

1/2 English cucumber, small dice

4 cups loosely packed parsley (about 2 bunches)

2 cups loosely packed mint

Salt and pepper

Pinch of paprika

*I would also 1/2 c. finely sliced scallions, but my sister couldn't eat raw onion, so I omitted them

Add bulgur and boiling water to a mixing bowl, cover and let bulgur soak for 30 minutes.

Add lemon zest, juice and EVOO, toss to combine.

Place in the refrigerator while preparing other ingredients.

In a food processor, pulse parsley and mint until it is a fine mince (or do this by hand).

Remove the bulgur from refrigerator, add bell pepper, tomatoes, cucumber, herbs and paprika.

Toss to combine, taste and adjust seasonings.

Serve chilled.

BBQ Lentil-Loaf Muffins

I've had the idea of creating some sort of lentil loaf  in my head for a while. I've seen a few recipes floating around, but decided to just make it how I make my regular meatloaf, subbing lentils for the beef/turkey. Since I was making this for the family dinner, I thought putting them in little muffin cups might make serving them easier, and they're much cuter that way!

These came out exactly as I had envisioned them, maybe a tiny bit crumbly, so next time I make them I'll be sure to add an extra egg white and maybe smush a little more of the lentils rather than leave them mostly whole.

BBQ Lentil-Loaf Muffins

Lentils:

2 cups dry lentils

1 bay leaf

Pinch of salt

1 tbsp. EVOO

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 yellow onion, minced

1 medium carrot, peeled and minced

Salt and pepper

2 egg whites

2 tbsp. tomato paste

1/2 cup ground oats (I put rolled oats in a food processor and pulse 20 times)

1/4 cup minced flat leaf parsley

Salt and pepper

1 tsp. smoked paprika

Topping:

1/2 cup ketchup

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

2 tbsp. light brown sugar

Rinse lentils, place in a pot with 4 cups of water, bay leaf and salt.

Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 45 minutes, or until tender.

Drain in a colander and set aside.

Heat a saute' pan over medium heat.

Add EVOO, garlic, onion and carrots, season with salt and pepper.

Cook for 5 minutes, until slightly caramelized and softened, turn heat off and set aside. 

Add lentils to a large mixing bowl, mash with a potato masher until about half the lentils are mashed and half are whole.

In a small dish, beat egg whites until they are foamy.

Add egg whites, cooked vegetables, tomato paste, oats, parsley and paprika to the lentils.

Toss gently to combine everything, taste and season with salt and pepper.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Place muffin cups in a tin (12), spoon mixture evenly into the cups, mounding them at the top.

In a small dish, whisk ketchup, balsamic vinegar and light brown sugar.

Spoon mixture over lentil loaf muffins.

Place in the oven, bake for 25 minutes, or until topping is caramelized and lentils are crisp on the edges.

Mashed Cauliflower with Hummus and Feta

I almost didn't think I should blog this recipe because it's hardly a recipe. However, it was one of the most delicious vegetable side dishes I've made in a long time. I know there are those out there who substitute cauliflower mash for mashed potatoes, but it's not the same. Not at all! Cauliflower has it's own amazing flavor, texture, and sometimes I prefer it to mashed potatoes. Yes, it is lower in calories and has a different nutritional profile, but there's nothing wrong with eating potatoes in moderation.

I've made quite a few cauliflower purees and mashes, recipes can be seen here and here. As I've said, JJ doesn't like cauliflower, so it has become a treat for me to enjoy when he's not home at dinner. Isn't it odd when you look at cauliflower as a treat? Oh well, I'll be the odd girl, cause I just can't get enough! What I tend to do is just pick up a head, and then see what my inspiration is the night I'm preparing it. So for this one, I had a hummus surplus, and a few random cheeses to choose from. I guess I took it in a Mediterranean direction, but really, I took it in a delicious bowl of comfort and flavor direction.

Mashed Cauliflower with Hummus and Feta

1 head of cauliflower, stemmed and cut into florets

1 cup vegetable stock

Salt and pepper

Pinch of dried oregano

Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes

1/4 cup plain hummus, plus extra for garnish

1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese, plus extra for garnish

Place cauliflower in a pot, add stock, salt and pepper.

Cover, bring to a boil, turn to low and simmer for 8-10 minutes.

Pierce with a knife, cauliflower should be tender and most of stock will be evaporated.

Remove from heat, add oregano, red pepper, hummus and feta.

Use a potato masher and mash to desired consistency.

Garnish with an extra dollop of hummus and sprinkle of feta.

Lemon Cumin Quinoa with Avocado, Raisins, and Apricots

Well, if you haven't seen a quinoa recipe lately, you must be living under a rock. In recent months/years, quinoa's popularity has grown because of its superfood status. It's a personal favorite of mine because it is kind of a protein/carb combo, and I'm always looking for meat-free protein options.

For the first two years of my cooking blog, I selected a country, researched it, and blogged many popular and traditional dishes and ingredients (see the links on the right side of my blog for countries completed). When I chose Bolivia one week, I read about the history of quinoa. Here's what I wrote in my blog 2 years ago, "For this week's country challenge, I decided to go back to South America. What struck me most were the number of recipes using Quinoa (pronounced keen-wah), a grain native from the Andes. The Incas spread the use of Quinoa all over South America. Quinoa is naturally bitter, and must be rinsed many times. It declined in popularity in the nineteenth centry due to widespread belief that it was killing pigs owned by peasants. They stopped growing it, and it almost disappeared. Recently, I have seen quinoa appear in many cooking magazines and shows because of it's health benefits. The dishes I have chosen for Bolivia all use quinoa in one form or another, showing it's versatility."

So when I saw this recipe on Erin's Food Files, I immediately starred it and put it on the menu. I knew my husband would love it because of the avocado and raisins, and I love dried apricots and cumin. The recipe was intriguing, many big flavors and seeminly random ingredients, but they paired so well and this dish was delicious.

Lemon Cumin Quinoa with Avocado, Raisins and Apricots

via Erin's Food Files  adapted from Fine Cooking

3 tbsp. raisins

3 tbsp. dried apricots, thinly sliced
1 cup quinoa, rinsed well
Kosher salt
1 large lemon
1 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 tsp. ground coriander
1/4 tsp. ground cumin
1/4 tsp. sweet paprika
1 medium firm-ripe avocado pitted, peeled, and cut into 1/2-inch chunks
2 medium scallions, white and light green parts only, thinly sliced
3 tbsp. toasted sliced almonds
Freshly ground black pepper

In a medium bowl, soak the raisins and apricots in hot water for 5 minutes. Drain and set aside.
In a 2-quart saucepan, bring 2 cups water, the quinoa, and 1/2 tsp. salt to a boil over high heat.
Cover, reduce the heat to medium low, and simmer until the water is absorbed and the quinoa is translucent and tender, 10 to 15 minutes.
Fluff the quinoa with a fork and turn it out onto a baking sheet to cool to room temperature.
Finnely grate the zest from the lemon and then squeeze 1 tbsp. juice. in a small bowl, whisk the lemon zest and juice with the olive oil, coriander, cumin, paprika, and 1/4 tsp. salt.
In a large bowl, toss the vinaigrette with the quinoa, raisins, apricots, avocado, scallions, and almonds.
Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve.

Minted Orzo and Zucchini Salad

I often have readers, friends and family ask me how I keep coming up with recipes to blog about, or where I find many of the recipes I make. I honestly am constantly on the look-out for delicious recipes that fit my style. Some of my favorite resources are magazines like Eating Well, Clean Eating, Real Simple, Cooking Light, and Vegetarian Times. I also like to search other blogs, many of which I have linked to on here. I also take cookbooks out of the library every now and then, especially when I am cooking ethnically. Lastly, there are a few websites I like to browse, like Whole Foods, Williams-Sonoma, and Foodtv.

This salad comes from the Whole Foods website. I was looking for a one-pot-dinner-salad type meal, which is my current meal of choice (if you haven't noticed...) This was the first one that popped up, and lucky me, my herb garden has taken off, and mint is abundant!

I ate this salad warm/room temperature, but Whole Foods suggests serving it chilled. I think it would be delicious either way! I also didn't have Kalamata Olives, so I substituted generic green Spanish olives.

Minted Orzo and Zucchini Salad

from WholeFoods.com

1 cup dried orzo
2 large zucchini, thickly sliced
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons chopped mint
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
6 ounces feta cheese, cut into cubes
1/2 cup pitted Kalamata olives
2 ripe tomatoes, chopped
Ground black pepper to taste

Bring a large pot of water to a boil.
Add orzo and cook until al dente, 8 to 10 minutes.
Drain well, rinse in cold water and drain again.
Meanwhile, arrange a rack about 6 inches from the heating element and preheat broiler.
Brush zucchini with 1 tablespoon oil and arrange on a baking sheet.
Broil, flipping halfway through, until tender and deep golden brown, 6 to 8 minutes.
Set aside to let cool and then roughly chop and transfer to a large bowl.
Add remaining 2 tablespoons oil, orzo, lemon juice, mint, garlic, feta, olives, tomatoes and black pepper and gently toss to combine.
Cover and chill for several hours until flavors blend.