When it’s super hot outside (like now), who wants to cook? (Not me!) In the heat of summer, dinner prep should be low maintenance with oodles of fresh ingredients. I like to make all kinds of salads brimming with crispy garden vegetables, often including a grain or legume and not-so-much heavy meat protein. These salads can stand in for a light dinner, or accompany anything fresh off the grill. Tabbouleh salad is a favorite of mine, a Middle Eastern mixture of bulgur wheat, handfuls of fresh herbs, peppers and spice. It’s light yet substantial with a kick of heat to wake up any lazy tastebuds enjoying a siesta.
Greek Tabbouleh Salad
Serves 4 to 6
1 1/2 cups bulgur
1 1/4 cups boiling water
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne, or more to taste
4 scallions, white and green parts thinly sliced
1 to 2 garlic cloves, minced
1 red bell pepper, stemmed and seeded, diced
1 poblano pepper, stemmed and seeded, finely diced
1 cup canned chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
1/2 cup chopped fresh mint
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/3 cup crumbled feta
Combine the bulgur, water, and lemon juice in a bowl. Cover the bowl and let stand until the liquid is absorbed and the bulgur is tender, about 20 minutes. Add the oil, cumin, salt, black pepper, and cayenne and stir to blend. Add the remaining ingredients and stir to combine. Taste for seasoning. If the bulgur is too dry, add additional olive oil to achieve your desired consistency. Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour to allow the flavors to develop. Serve as is, or add to pita pockets with spoonfuls of tsatsiki and harissa.
~ Kale, Red Cabbage, Quinoa, Carrots, Pomegranate, Raisins, Almonds ~
Just because there’s a chill in the air doesn’t mean we should skip fresh salads. In fact, at this time of year it’s more important than ever that we boost our immune system with healthy greens and grains – and not just for keeping the doctor away. Hardy cold weather salads are a welcome addition to any holiday table. Deeply flavorful and unabashedly colorful, wintery salads are hefty enough to absorb copious handfuls of nuts, fruit and grains while providing a beautiful addition to a special meal. Even the non-meaters will gobble them up, while the vegetarians will be very pleased with this substantial option.
This is one of my favorite cold weather salads. Brimming with curly kale, red cabbage, and quinoa, it could be a meal in a bowl. The addition of dried raisins, toasted almonds and glistening pomegranate seeds adds all the extra bling necessary to invite this salad to your Thanksgiving dinner. The key to this recipe is to massage the kale. Yes, that’s right. By gently rubbing the leaves in oil, lemon and salt before assembling, the leaves will be coaxed into a softer and milder version of themselves, making for a delicious raw salad.
Kale, Quinoa and Pomegranate Salad
Unlike most salads, this may be entirely prepared up to 1 hour in advance, which is ideal for entertaining. Serves 6 to 8.
Kale:
1 large bunch curly green kale, ribs removed, torn in bite-size pieces
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
Dressing:
1 small garlic clove, minced
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Salad:
1 1/2 cups shredded red cabbage (or radicchio)
1 to 2 carrots, thinly sliced
1 small shallot, very thinly sliced
1/3 cup cooked quinoa (I used red)
1/4 cup raisins
1/4 cup sliced almonds
1/4 cup pomegranate seeds
For the kale: Place the kale in a large serving bowl. Drizzle with the olive oil, lemon juice and salt. Using your hands, gently rub the leaves to coat for about 1 minute. Let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes (or refrigerate for up to 2 hours).
For the dressing: Whisk the garlic, vinegar, mustard, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Add the oil in a steady stream, whisking constantly to emulsify.
Assemble the salad: Add the cabbage, carrots, shallot and quinoa to the kale. Add half of the dressing and toss to combine. Scatter the raisins, almonds and pomegranate seeds over. Gently toss with more dressing to taste. Serve immediately or refrigerate for up to 1 hour.
This no-mayo potato salad is packed with peppers. Early fall yields a rainbow of pepper fruit at the farmers market – sweet bells, cherries, hungarian, fresnos, jalapanos and poblanos – it’s impossible not to scoop up a bag’s worth of these beauties simply for their colors and impossible shapes. The trick is to find all sorts of ways to put them to use. Here is one – this peppery potato salad.
The key ingredient in this salad (aside from the peppers and potatoes!) is white balsamic vinegar which lends a gentle fruity acidity. Do not substitute traditional balsamic vinegar as its dark color and syrupy consistency will overwhelm the salad. Use, instead, a high quality white wine vinegar and add 1 teaspoon of sugar to the salad.
Peppery Potato Salad
A little spice is nice! Mix up the peppers to your taste, adding a combination of sweet and hot peppers. Serves 6 to 8.
2 pounds yukon gold potatoes
Sea salt
1/4 cup white balsamic vinegar 2 tablespoons plus 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves 2 teaspoons dried mustard, such as Colmans
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon crushed red chili flakes, optional 1 poblano pepper, stemmed and seeded finely chopped 1 small red bell pepper, finely chopped 1 to 2 Jimmy Nardello or sweet Italian red peppers, stemmed and seeded, finely chopped 1/2 bunch green onions, white and green parts thinly sliced 1/2 small red onion, finely chopped 1/2 cup chopped Italian parsley leaves 1/4 cup chopped mint leaves
Quarter the potatoes and place in a large pot. Cover with cold water and add 2 teaspoons salt. Bring to a boil and cook until the potatoes are tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Drain and cool 5 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl and add the vinegar, 2 tablespoons oil, the mustard, 1 teaspoon salt, the black pepper, and chili flakes. Stir to combine, breaking up any large chunks of potatoes, and let stand at room temperature until lukewarm, about 30 minutes.
Add the 1/4 cup olive oil and the remaining ingredients. Stir to thoroughly combine, and taste for seasoning. You may want to add a little more salt or a pinch of sugar, depending on the sweetness of the peppers.
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour to allow the flavors to develop. Serve chilled or at room temperature.
Tabbouleh is a Middle Eastern bulgur salad redolent with lemon and garlic and chockablock full of fresh herbs. It’s a great summertime meal, when it’s too hot to cook. I like to serve it as a part of a mezze or small plates, accompanied by feta, olives, and hummus. This recipe adds kale to the mix, reducing the amounts of the traditional parsley and mint, and resulting in a healthy hearty and very addictive salad.
Kale Tabbouleh
Serves 4 to 6
1 1/2 cups bulgur
1 1/4 cups hot water
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1 bunch curly green kale, tough ribs removed, torn small pieces
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
3 green onions, white and green parts thinly sliced
1 red jalapeno or fresno chile pepper, finely chopped
1/2 small red onion, finely chopped
1/4 chopped fresh mint leaves
1/4 cup chopped Italian parsley leaves
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 to 2 teaspoons salt, to taste
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Combine the bulgur, water and lemon juice in a large bowl. Let stand until the liquid is absorbed and the bulgur is tender, about 20 minutes. Add the kale and olive oil and stir for about 1 minute to coat the kale with the oil and soften the leaves. Add the remaining ingredients and mix well. Taste for seasoning. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour to let the flavors develop.
~ Shrimp and Rice Noodle Salad with Peanut Lime Sauce
Consider this a deconstructed spring roll. If you like fresh rice paper spring rolls, then you’ll love this salad. All the goodness stuffed in a Thai or Vietnamese roll – rice noodles, shrimp, veggies, fresh herbs and chiles – is jumbled together in a big bowl of salad. The result? Great flavor, minus the labor, and a perfect meal for a warm evening. The sauce is the magic touch that pulls this colorful dish together. It has all of the right ingredients in my opinion: ginger, garlic, sriracha, lime and peanut butter. The trick – which I discovered on this blog and slightly adapted – is blitzing everything together in a food processor (including the lime sections!) to form a thick potent paste. Brilliant. I’ll be coming back to this recipe over and again during the hot summer months ahead.
Shrimp and Rice Noodle Salad with Peanut Sauce
Active Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
Serves 4
Salad:
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 pound large (18/20) shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
Salt
4 ounces rice noodles, cooked per manufacturer’s instructions, room temperature
3 scallions, ends trimmed, white and green parts sliced on the diagonal
1 large carrot, cut in matchsticks
1/2 English cucumber, seeded, cut in matchsticks
2 cups coarsely chopped Napa cabbage
1 cup bean sprouts
1 cup sugar snap peas, thinly sliced lengthwise
1 red jalapeño pepper, stemmed and seeded, finely chopped
1/2 cup fresh mint leaves, coarsely chopped, plus extra for garnish
1/2 cup fresh coriander sprigs, coarsely chopped, plus extra for garnish 1/4 cup chopped roasted peanuts for garnish
1. Place all of the dressing ingredients in the bowl of a food processor and process until smooth. Transfer to a bowl.
2. Heat the oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the shrimp in one layer, sprinkle with the red pepper flakes, and lightly season with salt. Cook until the shrimp are pink on both sides and just cooked through, 3 to 4 minutes, turning as needed. Transfer to a plate. 3. Place the rice noodles, scallions, carrot, cucumber, cabbage, bean sprouts, snap peas, jalapeño, mint, and cilantro in a large bowl. Add the shrimp and half of the dressing and toss to combine. 4. Divide the salad among plates. Scatter the peanuts over the salads and garnish with additional mint and cilantro. Serve with the remaining sauce on the side.
I am a converted beet lover. It took a good long time for me to reconcile with their earthy taste. I gazed at beets from the sidelines, attracted to their vibrant magenta and ochre hues, aware of their nutrient-rich flesh, yet I shuddered at their earthy flavor. As a cook, I wanted to love them. As a parent, I wanted to serve them. So, I willed myself to eat beets until I learned to appreciate them.
At first, I took baby steps. I nibbled small bites. I dressed them with citrus which tamed their earthiness. I grew bolder and roasted beets in olive oil, discovering that fire and char nicely balanced their robust flavor. My go-to beet became the golden variety, which is pleasantly mild and nuttier than its assertive red cousin. And, eventually, I succeeded. Now, I am a card carrying beet lover, frequently offering them at our dinner table. I serve them roasted with meats, sauteed and tumbled with farro, gratineed or in salads.
This recipe is one of my family’s favorites. The beets marinate in their roasting oil with lemon juice, which is also used to dress the salad.
Marinated Beet Salad with Goat Cheese and Pistachios
Serves 4 to 6
1 1/2 pounds red or yellow beets
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar
6 cups arugula or mixed baby greens, washed and dried
1/2 cup fresh crumbled goat cheese
1/4 cup raw pistachios
1/4 cup fresh mint leaves, cut in chiffonade
1/4 cup chopped chives
Preheat oven to 400 F. (200 C.) Place beets in a baking dish. Pour oil over the beets. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cover dish tightly with foil. Roast the beets until tender, about 1 hour. Remove beets from baking dish and transfer to a plate to cool. Pour cooking oil into a small bowl and reserve.
When the beets are cool enough to handle, peel and discard the skin. Cut the beets in 1-inch chunks and place in a large bowl. Add lemon juice and vinegar to the reserved oil. Whisk to combine and taste for seasoning. Pour dressing over the beets and gently toss to combine. Cover and refrigerate beets for at least 2 hours or overnight.
To serve, place the arugula in a large bowl. Drizzle some of the marinade over the arugula and toss to combine. Divide among serving plates. Spoon beets into center of the greens. Sprinkle with goat cheese, pistachios, mint and chives. Drizzle with additional dressing to taste.
Just because it’s cold outside doesn’t mean we can’t have a salad. In fact, when the temperature drops, it’s even more important to eat vitamin and nutrient-rich vegetables. We might be craving stews and braises in the warmth of the kitchen, yet there is still a place for a salad on the menu. Fall salads are more robust than their summer counterparts. What they might lack for in heat, they make up in substance. Sturdy earthy greens, such as spinach, chicories, kale or radicchio, move into the salad bowl. Nuts and seeds add nutrients and heft. Dried fruit or seasonal pears, apples, persimmons and pomegranates add sweetness and color. Dressings become more rich and intense, with mustard, aged balsamic vinegar and garlic. Cheese and salume crown the salad, bringing a satisfying umami quality, as well as salt and extra protein. The variations are numerous, but you can be sure the results will be delicious and perfectly in season.
Spinach Salad with Goat Cheese, Dried Cranberries, Walnuts and Crispy Prosciutto
Serves 2 to 4.
Vinaigrette:
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon fresh orange juice
1 small garlic clove, minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Make the vinaigrette:
Whisk all of the ingredients except the olive oil in a small bowl. Add the oil in a steady stream, whisking constantly, until emulsified. Taste for seasoning.
Prepare the salad:
Heat oven to 350 F. Arrange the prosciutto in one layer on a baking sheet lined with parchment. Bake in oven until crisp, about 20 minutes. Remove and cool. Break in to shards.
Place the spinach, walnuts and cranberries in a large bowl. Drizzle with half of the dressing. Toss to combine. Add more dressing to desired taste and toss again. Arrange on serving plates. Crumble the goat cheese over the spinach, then scatter the prosciutto shards over the salad. Sprinkle with orange zest.
I was gifted some loot this weekend. Loot, for me, often comes in the edible form, and this gift – a 2 pound package of warm smoked Alaskan salmon – didn’t disappoint. It managed to sit in my refrigerator for all of 18 hours before I couldn’t stand it anymore and ripped the plastic wrapping open for a taste. And another. Before things got too out of hand, I decided to whip up a recipe to use the rest of the salmon before I devoured the whole slab of fish. Naturally, I needed to taste the recipe as I tweaked it, so a small, er, nicely sized bowl managed to remain untouched until dinner when we made these as an appetizer.
Smoked Salmon Salad Tartines
Depending on your mood (or where you might like to be) these can be called tartines, bruschette or open-face sandwiches. For a lighter version, omit the bread and serve the salmon salad simply on the kale leaves. Warm smoked salmon is available in fish markets and specialty stores. To learn more about how it’s prepared, read here.
Makes 10.
10 ounces warm smoked salmon, flaked
1/4 cup finely chopped red onion
1/4 cup chopped Italian parsley leaves
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tablespoon Greek yogurt or sour cream
2 teaspoons capers, chopped
1 to 2 teaspoons Sriracha or hot sauce, to taste
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
10 slices baguette, cut 1/2-inch thick, or 5 slices peasant/levain bread, cut in half
Extra-virgin olive oil
Sea salt
10 Tuscan kale leaves (or baby gem lettuce leaves)
1/2 lemon
Combine the salmon, onion, parsley, lemon juice, yogurt, capers, Sriracha and pepper in a bowl. Mix with a fork to thoroughly combine. Brush the bread with olive oil and lightly sprinkle with sea salt. Toast in oven until light golden on both sides. Remove and cool slightly. Tear 2-inch tips off of the kale leaves. (Save the rest of the kale for another use). Place a leaf tip on bread. Brush with olive oil. Spoon salmon salad over the kale. Squeeze with half lemon.
I call this a Scandinavian Potato Salad, because I discovered this fresh and light-handed potato salad years ago in Denmark. Most likely it was at a frequent family gathering, in the shadow of a thatched roof farmhouse in the Danish countryside, seated at a long wooden table outdoors with the summer sun hanging, as if caught on the hook of the horizon, refusing to sink as evening set in. I know it was summer, because that’s when the potato is at its peak in new-ness and considered not only a staple but a delicacy to be greedily devoured. I was smitten by the salad’s restraint, simply tossed with oil and vinegar and generously showered with fresh snipped herbs from the garden. As an American, my experience with potato salads to that point had been the heavy-handed mayo-egg sort, tasty for sure, but more of a cloak and disguise to the mild-mannered potato. I would prod a fork through those murky salads swathed in cream, sugar and oil in an attempt to fish out any morsel of potato, which by then had no flavor except that of the coating with which it was blanketed. The Danish potato salad was delightfully different, and appropriately Scandinavian in its understatement and use of fresh ingredients, celebrating the humble potato with a confetti of the garden’s herbs. Most importantly: I could taste the potato. And when the season’s newest potatoes are available, delicately sweet and faintly redolent of butter and grass, there is nothing as sublime as the taste of potato.
Scandinavian Potato Salad
I refer to this salad as “potatoes and herbes du jour,” because the combination of herbs is up to your taste and whatever might be growing in your garden. The chili flakes are my contribution to this salad, since I am hopelessly hooked on a little kick of heat. Serves 6.
3 pounds new potatoes or fingerlings, washed
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup white balsamic vinegar (or white wine vinegar)
4 scallions, white and green parts thinly sliced
1 garlic clove, minced
1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon red chili pepper flakes (optional)
3 cups fresh herbs, chopped, such as parsley, mint, dill, oregano, chervil
Bring a large pot of salted water and the potatoes to a boil. Cook until tender but not mushy. Drain. If using larger potatoes, cool slightly, then cut in 3/4-inch chunks. Toss with oil, vinegar, scallions, garlic, salt, pepper and optional chili flakes. Cool completely. Before serving, add fresh herbs and mix well. If salad is too dry, add additional olive oil. Serve at room temperature.
I think many of you understand what I mean when I say that life right now is a little tilted. There is a new normal to many assumptions and expectations we have taken for granted. Some of this is organic: Life changes. Kids grow, parents age, we shift. Some of this is external, a result of the state of the world as we know it, affecting finances, jobs, homes, security – even the weather. We all have our own mix of ingredients that concoct a recipe, a plan, for life. Yet, the only sure thing is that there is no sure thing. And this is why I like to cook.
A while back, I was asked by a writer, cook and friend, Why do I cook? Since then I’ve given that question much thought and come up with numerous answers. If I had to choose one, this would be it: Not only does cooking nourish on a daily basis, stroking the senses and filling the belly, it’s predictable, methodical and intensely personal. While paradigms may shift, and new normals unfold, there is a consistency to cooking, rooted in history, embracing the present, telling a story and binding a family – colored by a sensuality and creative fingerprint that nudges the soul. I might not have a crystal ball, but I can predict my dinner, and I will make it happen. When I cook, I surrender to its principles, meditate on the process, and revel in its artistic shape. The power to create and provide the sustenance that nourishes and connects the people who touch us is a most simple and powerful gift which we can realize for ourselves and loved ones every single day, no matter the turns that life takes. That is why I cook. Why do you like to cook?
Shrimp, Bulgur and Kale Salad
There is something intrinsically satisfying about a grain salad. Hearty, fresh and toothsome, brimming with greens and chopped vegetables, it’s both nutritious and versatile. Feel free to substitute farro, quinoa, wheat berries or couscous for the bulgur, and toss in your favorite seasonal vegetables. Top it with shrimp, chicken, steak, or, for a vegetarian version, sprinkle with feta cheese. Serves 4.
For the bulgur and kale salad:
1 1/2 cups bulgur
1 1/4 cups hot water
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon Tabasco or hot sauce
6 large Tuscan/Lacinato kale leaves, tough stems removed, chopped
2 scallions, white and green parts thinly sliced
1 large carrot, finely grated
1 small red bell pepper, stemmed and seeded, finely diced
1/2 small red onion, finely chopped, about 1/2 cup
1/4 cup each chopped fresh flat leaf parsley, mint and cilantro
For the shrimp:
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
3/4 pound medium shrimp, shelled and deveined
1/2 teaspoon crushed red chili flakes, or to taste
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 lemon
Prepare the salad:
Place the bulgur in a large bowl. Pour the water over the bulgur and stir to combine. Add lemon juice, olive oil, salt, pepper, cumin and Tabasco. Stir again. Set aside until the liquid is absorbed and the bulgur is tender but chewy, about 20 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients and stir well. Taste for seasoning. If necessary, add more olive oil to moisten the salad.
Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a skillet or grill pan over medium high heat. (If using a grill, prepare grill for direct cooking over medium heat.) Cook or grill shrimp, turning once, until their color turns pink and they are just cooked through the center, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer to a bowl. Sprinkle with chili flakes, salt and drizzle with juice from half a lemon.
To serve, arrange salad on a platter or divide among serving plates. Top with shrimp. Garnish with extra red chili flakes and chopped parsley.
When it’s super hot outside (like now), who wants to cook? (Not me!) In the heat of summer, dinner prep should be low maintenance with oodles of fresh ingredients. I like to make all kinds of salads brimming with crispy garden vegetables, often including a grain or legume and not-so-much heavy meat protein. These salads can stand in for a light dinner, or accompany anything fresh off the grill. Tabbouleh salad is a favorite of mine, a Middle Eastern mixture of bulgur wheat, handfuls of fresh herbs, peppers and spice. It’s light yet substantial with a kick of heat to wake up any lazy tastebuds enjoying a siesta.
