Calypso Black Bean and Rice Salad

This isn’t really a salad. It’s more like nachos with some lettuce. It’s also more assembly than actual cooking, but when you’re eye-deep in books on ancient baptismal homilies, any meal that isn’t take-out is a win in my book. It’s a complete rip-off of my favorite salad at a local chain of restaurants. After debating picking one up on the way home from spin class one night, I realized that I had all of the ingredients on hand to make it myself. It’s also easily scalable, so you can make one or six of these salads, and it’s all the same.

My best friend joked in her wedding toast that I taught her that you can pretty much put salsa on everything or wrap it in a tortilla. Salsa on a salad – case in point. Calypso Café serves their version with a light barbecue sauce for dressing, but between the salsa and sour cream, I don’t find any other dressing necessary. Something about all of the different textures and flavors together makes this a very satisfying dinner salad. You can skip the rice and add chicken or throw on some red onions and tomatoes if you’d like, but don’t skip the tortilla chips. That crunchy layer at the bottom makes it.

Calypso Black Bean and Rice Salad
Inspired by Calypso Café
Yields 2 salads

Ingredients

Tortilla chips
1 head romaine lettuce, chopped
1 15 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 tsp Southwest/Mexican seasoning
1 cup cooked brown rice
Shredded cheese
Sour cream
Salsa

Preparation

Layer tortilla chips on a plate or the bottom of a bowl. Spread romaine lettuce on top. Top each salad with 1/2 cup of brown rice. Toss black beans with seasoning in a bowl and microwave for 1 minute or until warm. Spread 1/2 of black beans on each salad. Top with shredded cheese, sour cream, and salsa to your liking.

Couscous, Lentil, and Arugula Salad

Honestly, I'm not a big salad fan, though over the years I've honed my preferences. I like salads with lots of stuff - a variety of vegetables, cheese, and nuts. I like my salads pre-tossed with the dressing so that it's evenly coated. And I prefer a flavorful vinaigrette to something creamy and gloppy. If I'm going to eat a salad for a main course, it's also got to have something else besides vegetables and dressing. Most people solve this by adding grilled chicken or steak or even cottage cheese or tuna. But this salad adds couscous and lentils.

The recipe for the dressing makes plenty, so feel free to halve it if you don't want the leftovers. Seeing as our first CSA delivery was this past Saturday, I made the whole recipe. This salad was very filling, but it also felt good on a hot evening to eat something so refreshing. I loved the peppery bite of the arugula with the sour tang of the lemon juice and the flavor of the Dijon mustard. I definitely found a salad I like.

Couscous, Lentil, and Arugula Salad with Garlic-Dijon Vinaigrette
source: Eating Well
Yields 4 large servings

Ingredients

Vinaigrette
* 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
* 1/2 cup lemon juice
* 1/2 cup red-wine vinegar
* 1/4 cup Dijon mustard
* 4 small cloves garlic, minced
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* Freshly ground pepper, to taste

Salad
* 1 1/4 cups vegetable broth, or water
* 1 cup whole-wheat couscous
* 2 1/2 cups water
* 1 cup French green lentils, or brown lentils, rinsed
* 4 cups arugula, any tough stems removed, or mixed salad greens
* 1 small cucumber, peeled, seeded and diced
* 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
* 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese

Preparation

1. To prepare vinaigrette: Combine oil, lemon juice, vinegar, mustard and garlic in a blender, a jar with a tight-fitting lid or a medium bowl. Blend, shake or whisk until smooth. Season with salt and pepper.
2. To prepare salad: Bring 1 1/4 cups broth (or water) to a boil in a small saucepan. Add couscous, cover, remove from the heat and let stand until the liquid is absorbed, about 5 minutes.
3. Combine 2 1/2 cups water and lentils in another saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer, cover and cook until just tender, 15 to 25 minutes. (Green lentils will be done sooner than brown lentils.) Be careful not to overcook the lentils or they will fall apart in the salad. Drain any excess water and let cool for about 10 minutes.
4. If arugula leaves are large, tear into bite-size pieces. Toss arugula (or greens) with 1/4 cup of the vinaigrette in a large bowl, then divide among 4 large plates. In the same bowl, toss the couscous and lentils with another 1/4 cup vinaigrette; divide the mixture among the plates. Top each salad with cucumber, tomatoes and feta and drizzle each with 1 tablespoon vinaigrette. (Cover and refrigerate the remaining 1 cup vinaigrette for up to 1 week.)

Nutritional Information

Per serving: 549 calories; 18 g fat (5 g sat, 10 g mono); 17 mg cholesterol; 79 g carbohydrates; 22 g protein; 15 g fiber; 579 mg sodium; 630 mg potassium.

Wheat Berry Salad with Raisins and Pistachios

Occasionally, I have these revelations where I am amazed that I can put things together and make tasty, fresh, healthy meals that nourish my body and mind and soul. That might sound cheesy, but you have to understand that I did not grow up in a family that cooked from scratch regularly. And when you think about our gatherer and hunter ancestors, it's pretty incredible that I can combine goat cheese and cilantro and wheat berries in a dish and eat it for lunch.

Last summer, when I was working as a hospice chaplain, I didn't often have access to a refrigerator to store lunches so I made variations on a pasta salad. This would have been perfect for those days or for a picnic, hike, or canoe trip. The variations of texture and flavor, sweet raisins and honey mixed with bright cilantro and lemon, make this extremely satisfying. The fiber helps keep you full too.

Wheat Berry Salad with Raisins and Pistachios
source: Cooking Light April 2010
Yields 6 servings

Ingredients
1 cup uncooked wheat berries (hard red winter wheat)
3/4 tsp salt, divided
3 tbsp shelled pistachios
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp lemon juice
2 tsp honey
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp fresh grated peeled ginger
1/2 cup golden raisins (I just used regular raisins)
1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions
2 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 cup (2 oz) crumbled goat cheese

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350-degrees.
2. Put wheat berries and 1/2 tsp of salt in a medium saucepan. Cover with water to two inches above berries. Bring to a boil, cover, and then reduce heat to low and simmer for one hour or until berries are tender. Drain.
   
3. Place pistachios on a baking sheet. Bake for 8 minutes, stirring once. Let cool and then chop.
4. Combine oil, juice, honey, coriander, ginger, and remaining 1/4 tsp salt in a large bowl and stir with a whisk. Add hot wheat berries and raisins, stirring to combine. Let stand until cooled to room temperature.
5. Add nuts, green onions, and cilantro to wheat berry mixture. Transfer to serving bowl and sprinkle with goat cheese.
   

Creamy Pea and Artichoke Pesto Pasta Salad

This weekend was pretty busy and exciting. On Saturday, a few of us surprised Mrs. Sac of Mrs. Sac's Purple Kitchen with a baby shower. The theme was 3 peas in a pod since she is expecting triplets, and I was asked to bring a salad with peas in it. I remembered that I had starred this recipe in my Google Reader, and even though it uses a lot of spring ingredients, I figured it would be perfect for this occasion. We had a wonderful time, and everyone loved the pasta salad. Thanks to Erin from Erin's Food Files for the gorgeous picture!

Creamy Pea and Artichoke Pesto Pasta Salad
source: Closet Cooking

Ingredients
8 oz penne pasta
1 cup pesto
1/3 cup mayonnaise
1 cup peas
1 cup artichoke hearts

Preparation
1. Cook the pasta according to package directions and rinse with cold water.
2. Mix the pesto and mayonnaise in a bowl.
3. Toss pesto mixture with pasta, along with the peas.
4. Fold in the artichoke hearts.
5. Let chill in the refrigerator for 20 minutes or more. (I made this the day before.)
6. Serve with grated Parmesan cheese if desired.

Shrimp Caesar Salad

Today is my first blogiversary - my one year anniversary of food blogging. I had initially planned for some celebration. Perhaps a giveaway or a round-up of some of my personal favorites that I have made and blogged over the last year. But that was not to be. This summer has sucked me dry, and I'm lucky if I can think straight enough to fix something for dinner. Don't get me wrong; I absolutely love what I'm doing. But it just so happens that the self-care that is necessary after dealing with death, dying, and sickness all day trumps catching up on my Google Reader or making new recipes.

So I come bearing this humble Caesar salad with shrimp. The way I made it (with pre-cooked frozen shrimp and with store-bought croutons), it's a no-cook meal. This was my first time making Caesar dressing from scratch, and I found this recipe a bit fishy but with a good strong flavor. Joe has also given his approval for salads as dinners, as long as it includes protein and bread. I served this with a small loaf of French bread and a crisp vinho verde.

Shrimp Caesar Salad
adapted source: Cooking Light, July 2009

Ingredients
6 cups torn Romaine hearts
1 lb shrimp, pre-cooked and thawed
1 (2 oz) can anchovy fillets, drained
2 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
2 large pasteurized egg yolks
1 garlic clove
4 tbsp olive oil
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 - 1 cup croutons, as desired

Preparation
Pat anchovy fillets dry with a paper towel. Combine fillets, cheese, and next 3 ingredients (through garlic) in a blender; process until smooth. With blender on, add remaining 1/4 cup oil, 1 tablespoon at a time; process until smooth. Combine croutons, shrimp, and lettuce in a large bowl. Drizzle salad evenly with dressing to your liking; toss to coat. Sprinkle salad mixture evenly with salt; toss to combine. Serve immediately. You may have some leftover dressing, as I did.

Wagon Wheel Taco Pasta Salad

Apparently, this salad is famous, as it should be. Delicious fresh ingredients, Southwestern flavor profile, no mayonnaise; sounds like my kind of pasta salad. This was a big hit at a casual Sunday afternoon gathering of young couples from our church. It was a beautiful warm day, and there were veggie burgers on the grill and toddlers running around the yard. So far, this summer has been SO much better than last summer when we first moved here because we actually know people now. Cook-outs, concerts, church BBQs, etc. It's going to be a great summer!

Back to the pasta salad. All you have to do is look at the ingredients to know that this is going to be a hit. And who doesn't love eating fun pasta shapes? This makes a TON of food, making it perfect for a big cook-out or family reunion or whatever fun summer event you have coming up! I can guarantee you'll get several requests for the recipe.

Wagon Wheel Taco Pasta Salad
source: Cara's Cravings

Ingredients
1lb wagon wheel pasta
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 10oz package frozen corn, thawed (or with time to thaw)
2 medium tomatoes, seeded and diced (I omitted because I got lazy.)
8 oz shredded Mexican-blend cheese
1 1/2 cups salsa
1/2 cup olive oil
3-4 tbsp lime juice
1 tbsp cumin
1-2 tsp chili powder
2 garlic cloves, minced
freshly ground salt & pepper
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 avocado, diced

Preparation

Cook the pasta al dente according to package directions. Drain and rinse with cold water.

In a large bowl, combine the black beans, corn, tomatoes, salsa, and cheese. Add the cooled pasta and mix well.

In another bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lime juice, garlic, cumin and chili powder. Pour over the pasta salad, add the cilantro, and mix well. Season to taste with salt & pepper.

Just before serving, stir in the diced avocado.

Curried Egg Salad

When I was in elementary school, there was this one boy who we all ruthlessly made fun of because he brought egg salad sandwiches for lunch, and egg salad was WEIRD to the rest of us with our Lunchables and PB&J sandwiches. So, imagine my shock when a few years later I discovered that I really liked egg salad. I still feel guilty for making fun of that kid all the time.

I woke up Wednesday morning and realized I had nothing to take to work for lunch. After doing an inventory of the refrigerator, freezer, and pantry, I was still at a loss. Then I went through my saved recipes and discovered this egg salad recipe that I had saved back in December. I third-ed the original recipe, which made just enough for sandwiches for the rest of the week. I also added grated carrots. Next time I would lessen the amount of mayonnaise because the carrots added some extra moisture, and the salad was a little gloppier than I would've preferred today.

Curried Egg Salad
adapted from Cate's Kitchen

Ingredients

4 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and coarsely chopped
1/4 cup minced scallions
1/4 cup grated carrot
3-4 tbsp light mayonnaise
1/2 tsp curry powder
salt and pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Supper Club Salad

This past weekend was full of church activities. Friday night we had our supper club and then Sunday was our big Celebration of New Ministry service. Joe and I absolutely love our supper club. Everyone is so nice and fun, and there's always plenty of wine and good food. We sit around for a while drinking wine and eating hors d'oeuvres and talking about politics or work or whatever, and then we all join hands around the dinner table and bless the meal. I was asked to bring a green salad, so this is what I chose to bring.

Mixed greens
Toasted walnuts
Sliced green apples
Crumbled goat cheese
Citrus dressing

Citrus Dressing
(source: Big City Cooking)

1 c. Olive oil
1/4 c. red wine vinegar
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 lemon, juiced

Combine all ingredients and let sit till flavors incorporate.

Canoe Picnic Menu

My parents, Joe, and I signed up to go on a canoe trip through my parents' church that occurred this past Saturday. We met in Kingston Springs, TN (after breakfast at Loveless Cafe) to canoe down the Harpeth River. Being the cook in the family, I was assigned the task of coming up with a picnic lunch that hopefully would not end up at the bottom of the river after a tipped canoe. Sandwiches would've been easy, but I wanted to do something a little different, so I made two salads. We also brought fruit salad, a loaf of French bread that I made in the breadmaker, smoked gouda, smoked turkey, and the last of the oatmeal raisin cookies.


These were the leftovers.

Tuscan Couscous Salad (from Bridget at The Way the Cookie Crumbles)

1 ½ cups couscous
½ teaspoon turmeric
2 cups boiling water
½ cup pine nuts
1 (15-ounce) can small white beans such as navy or Great Northern, rinsed well and drained
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
¾ cup shredded fresh basil
1 small red onion, slivered

The dressing:
3 garlic cloves, unpeeled
⅓ cup lemon juice
½ teaspoon salt
Generous seasoning freshly ground pepper
3 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

1. Place the couscous and turmeric in a large bowl and mix. Pour on the boiling water, stir, and immediately cover the bowl with a large plate. Let sit for 10 minutes. Remove the cover and fluff the couscous with a fork. Let cool.

2. Place the pine nuts and unpeeled garlic cloves in a small skillet and toast over medium heat, tossing often, until golden, about 5 minutes. Watch them carefully because they can easily burn. Let the pine nuts cool, then mix them into the couscous along with the beans, tomatoes, basil, and red onion.

3. Mince the garlic. Place the dressing ingredients in a jar with a tight-fitting lid and shake vigorously. Pour over the couscous mixture and toss well. Let marinate at least 30 minutes before serving. Cover and chill if longer than 30 minutes. Serve at room temperature.

Notes: This makes a lot of salad. We'll be eating leftovers for a while, not that I mind at all.

Corn and Black Bean Salad (adapted from Allrecipes)

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon white sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon chili powder (less if you don't like it quite as spicy as we do)
  
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 (15 ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 (8.75 ounce) can sweet corn, drained
• 1 green bell pepper, chopped

Directions

In a small bowl, mix together balsamic vinegar, oil, salt, sugar, black pepper, cumin, and chili powder.

In a medium bowl, stir together black beans, corn, and bell pepper. Toss with vinegar and oil dressing, and garnish with cilantro. Cover, and refrigerate overnight.

Notes: This would also be good with some chopped red onion.

Overall, the picnic was a big hit!