Asparagus and Zesty Lemon Grain Salad

I created this salad as a challenge to myself to go beyond simple grilled asparagus. Every time I buy the green stems I feel like I cook then in the same manner...which although is delicious has gotten a little boring for me. I didn't want to waste their integrity and puree them into a soup or lose them in a pasta. Asparagus represents the Spring season...refreshing, breezy and bright...and that's exactly what you'll get from this salad!

We've had this as dinner, I've taken it to potlucks and it's been my go-to lunch whenever I've had it in the fridge. I LOVE IT. I love the way I feel when I look at it with the bright green from the asparagus and the red from the tomato, I love all the textures going on in here from the crisp of the asparagus to the crunch of the walnut and the chewiness of the barley. Don't even get me started on the explosion of flavors...you're going to have to find out for yourself on that note, but I will tell you that stiring the lemon zest into the hot cooked barley will release the natural oils in the zest and let the barley absorb all the flavor...yum!

Serves 3-5

Ingredients
---------------
-2 cups water
-1 cup rinsed barley
-1/2 tablespoon salt
-1 teaspoon oil
-1 tablespoon lemon zest (about 2 lemons)

-1 bunch fresh asparagus
-2 cups chopped tomatoes
-1 cup chopped walnuts
-1 cup chopped parsley
-3 tablespoons lemon juice (about 2 squeezed lemons)
-2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
-1/2 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
-salt to taste

optional:
-1 cup valbreso feta cheese
-1/2 cup finely chopped red onion
-1 large chopped avocado

To make
-----------
-Bring 2 cups water to a boil in a pot and drop in rinsed and drained barley, salt and oil. Reduce your heat to medium low then cover the pot and cook about 20-25 minutes or until the water is absorbed and your barley is soft and fluffy. Remove from the heat, uncover and add lemon zest and stir. Leave your barley to cool completely before adding other ingredients.
-While your barley is cooking, heat another pot filled with water and bring to a boil. Lightly salt your water and rinse asparagus. Gently snap off the bottom of your asparagus and drop into the boiling water. Cook for 2 minutes then immediately remove and drop asparagus into a bowl filled with ICE and water. This is called an ice bath and is done to stop the cooking process and shock the asparagus into retaining its vibrant green color. Leave the asparagus until it has cooled and then remove from the water and pat dry with paper towels. Roughly chop at a diagonal angle into 1 inch pieces.
- When your barley has cooled, place it into a bowl and  layer chopped tomatoes, asparagus, walnuts and parsley. You can now add optional toppings. Squeeze lemon juice and sprinkle black pepper on top. Drizzle the olive oil around the edges of the bowl.
*If you are making this ahead of time cover and place in your refrigerator until ready to use.
-Mix when ready to serve and taste to adjust lemon and salt content. Place into a platter and serve.
-Enjoy!

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Looking for more salad inspiration? Try some of my favorites here! I especially enjoy

Mexican Bean and Corn Salad

Pomegranate + Green Bean Lentil Salad

Middle Eastern Tabbouleh 

Arugula and Roasted Beet Salad

Asian Vegan Noodle Salad

Green Bean, Pomegranate and Sweet Potato Lentil Salad

So...maybe I'm on a lentil craze lately, but I can't help myself, the fiber content is just too awesome to ignore. I thought about this recipe a lot before I put it together. I wanted to create a salad that was different yet highlighted seasonal produce at their peak. Many of us are recovering from Thanksgiving and markets in America have readily made sweet potatoes and green beans available, so I put them together with some of my favorite ingredients for this satisfying, unique and unforgettable salad. Every ingredient will have you pausing in delightful surprise...who knew that green beans went well with pomegranates? Or sweet potatoes with lentils? Or that you could throw dates and maple syrup into a savory salad? Apparently I did, and I'm so excited to share it with you! A bonus perk is the fact that its paleo, gluten-free and vegan...score!

This is a sophisticated salad for the developed palette..."frou frou" ;)  The portion is just right for my husband and I to lunch on for a few days before its gone. The leftovers are BEAUTIFUL...nothing soggy or wilted, amazing for a salad! It also tastes great cold or at room temperature, which makes it a great picnic or potluck item to take and leave out without worrying about it going bad.

Serves 2 as dinner or 4 as a starter

Ingredients
---------------
-2/3 cup dry brown lentils or 1 1/2 cups cooked lentils (any color works, I just used brown for color contrast to other ingredients)
-6 cups salted water
-One piece of red onion (optional, but this flavors the lentils while cooking)
-8 ounces (about 2 loosely packed cups) fresh green beans
-1 cup diced sweet potato
-1 cup fresh pomegranate seeds
-4 medjool dates
-2 tablespoons thinly slivered red onion
-2 tablespoons chopped walnuts
-1 teaspoon cumin seeds
-1 scant tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
-1 scant tablespoon maple syrup


To make
------------
-Wash and strain lentils. Place in a a saucepan with salted water and a piece of the onion and bring to a boil. Once mixture is boiling, reduce heat and simmer for about 30-35 minutes, or until the lentils are soft with a slight chew.
-While lentils are boiling, wash, stem and chop green beans into 1/2 inch pieces. Bring another pot of simmering water to a boil and drop green beans into the water. Boil for about 2 minutes then immediately strain from hot water and place into a bowl filled with ice and cold water. This is called blanching the beans and prevents them from over cooking to retain their bright green color and a crisp texture. Let the beans cool in the water for a minute then strain well from the water and place into your serving bowl.
-Heat the same saucepan used to boil the beans and saute (I didn't use any oil but you can if you'd like) the chopped sweet potatoes. Season with salt and pepper and stir frequently. Cook for about 5 minutes, until browned on the outside and softened when you taste a piece. Once these are finished cooking, remove the pot from the stove and allow the sweet potatoes to cool completely, then add them to the green beans.
-Add the pomegranate seeds to your serving bowl.
-Pit the medjool dates and then cut into thin, long slivers. I cut about 7-8 slices from each date. Add the slivered date slices to the serving bowl.
-Chop the red onion and add to the serving bowl.
-Break up the walnuts into small pieces and add to the serving bowl.
-Add cumin seeds then drizzle olive oil and maple syrup to the other ingredients and gently mix the salad. Taste and adjust the salt seasoning. Salt really helps bring out the flavors and cut back on the sweetness, so make sure to season properly.
-Serve cold or at room temperature and enjoy!

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Babbaganoush

Babbaganoush is a versatile salad, dip, appetizer or side dish consisting of roasted eggplant and fresh vegetables. It has gained in popularity as a healthy vegan option in the past few years and there are lots of variations out there. I'm sharing the traditional Middle Eastern way as prepared in Syria. Other versions that are made with tahini are actually an eggplant dip (imtabal) while this is more of a chunky salad. I love having leftovers of this salad sitting in my fridge for a quick lunch. Babbaganoush is a sensory experience of different flavors and textures, and lots of bright colors that enhance any food display.

Serves 2 as a main salad or 4 as an appetizer or dip

Ingredients
---------------
-1 large eggplant (aubergine). Mine weighed 1.25 pounds
-1 cup diced tomato
-1 cup chopped walnuts
-1 cup chopped parsley
-1 cup fresh pomegranate seeds
-2/3 cup finely diced green onions
-1-2 tablespoons pomegranate molasses (plus more to drizzle at the end)
-1 teaspoon lemon zest (or lemon juice, but I like the flavor of zest more)
-salt to taste
-Optional: drizzle of olive oil at the end

To make
------------

Roasted, cooled and ready to be peeled

-Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Wash and dry the eggplant and pierce all around with a knife, creating pockets for the steam to emerge while roasting. Place on a baking pan and put in the center rack of your preheated oven for 45-60 minutes until the peel looks dry and the eggplant is very soft to the touch. Remove from the oven and let it cool before handling. As it cools and the steam emerges it will collapse. If you are preparing this in advance at this point you can refrigerate it for several days.
-Peel the cooled eggplant and place the insides into a mixing bowl. Add the chopped tomatoes, walnuts, parsley, pomegranate and green onions. Add pomegranate molasses, lemon zest and salt. Stir and taste. Adjust pomegranate molasses and salt to your taste.
-Top with a drizzle of pomegranate molasses and optional olive oil. Serve with pita chips or pita bread.
-Enjoy!

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Asian Vegan Pasta Salad

                                    

In honor of National Pasta Day, I made this super quick, ridiculously easy pasta salad recipe...it comes together in whatever length of time it takes you to chop up some veggies, thanks to a store bought sauce from Trader Joe's. I have a more complicated version that is more Thai based, with a fresh dressing but this one is way faster and really yummy, just the way a salad should be!  Since the dressing comes from Trader Joe's Soyaki sauce, there is not need to add any oil :) Feel free to switch out the veggies to suit your taste buds.

Ingredients
--------------
-8 ounces boiled pasta (I used a shiratake pasta that is essentially all fiber and no other carb)
-1 cup chopped kale (I used the mix from Trader Joe's that includes brussel sprouts and red cabbage)
-1 cup chopped carrots
-1 red pepper, diced
-4 green onions (scallion), finely diced
-1 cup chopped fresh mushrooms
-1 cup chopped sugar snap peas
-1 teaspoon ground ginger
-1/4 teaspoon salt
-1 tablespoon black sesame seeds
-3-4 tablespoons Trader Joes Soyaki sauce (similar to a sesame teriyaki)
-1/2 cup chopped cilantro or basil leaves

To make
-----------
-Once your veggies are chopped, toss together and serve!
-Enjoy!

*If making this in advance, mix the pasta with the Soyaki sauce and then layer the rest of the ingredients. Cover and place in refrigerator and toss right before serving.

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Three Bean and Corn Salad

Looking for a quick salad that can either serve as a side dish or a vegetarian entrée? You found it! Making this took me all 1, 2, 3...10 minutes (in fact, you should know that writing this post took me about 5 times as long as making it!). Anyway, I live for these recipes :)  When you pick up the stuff to make this, go ahead and glance at the nutrition labels. The fiber content is outstanding, and the protein is a plus too! Lately I've been trying to vary our food intake with more plant based and less meat centered meals. Growing up in a Middle Eastern household, most of our traditional cooking involves meat, a small portion has chicken, and vegetarian dishes are mainly sides. This salad is inspired by my friend's mother in law, because as soon as I tried her version I went back for seconds and thirds!

Some leftovers tossed with fresh arugula made a quick and nutritious lunch

Yields 8 servings at 3/4 cup each serving

Ingredients
--------------
-15 ounce can red kidney beans
-15 ounce can white kidney beans (also called cannellini beans)
-15 ounce can black beans
-2 cups roasted fresh corn kernels or 1.5-2 cans corn kernels
-1/2 cup diced red onion
-1 cup loosely packed cilantro, finely chopped
-juice from 1 large lemon (about 2-3 tablespoons)
-2 tablespoons olive oil
-1 tablespoon lemon pepper seasoning (optional)
-salt to taste
-1 large avocado, chopped into cubes (about 1 cup)
*optional:
-diced jalapeno for an extra kick
-toss this salad with arugula, kale or any other green you'd like!

*Note: If you are not using lemon pepper, you may need 1 more tablespoon lemon juice and a dash of black pepper.

To make
------------
-Open, drain and rinse in a colander the cans of beans. Once the water has drained, add them into a medium sized salad bowl. Add fresh roasted corn (or rinsed and drained canned corn), red onions and cilantro.
-Add lemon juice, lemon pepper, olive oil and salt. Mix to combine and once everything is well mixed, gently mix in the chopped avocado.
-Serve and enjoy!

Nutritional Information
-----------------------------
Serving size: 3/4 cup or about 6 ounces
Servings: 8
Calories: 196
Fat: 7 grams
Saturated Fat: 1 gram
Trans Fat: 0 grams
Total Carbohydrates: 28 grams
Dietary Fiber: 8 grams
Sugar: 4 grams
Protein: 8 grams

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Spinach and Pomegranate Salad

This salad is so simple to make but it looks and tastes like an elegant starter fit for the fussiest of company! It is loaded with vitamins to boost immunity during the cold/flu season.  My daughter cheers for joy when I make it because she loves the tang of the sumac and the sweetness of the pomegranate...not to mention the fact that it is void of her nemesis: tomatoes ;)

Toss the salad RIGHT before serving, and keep it in the fridge if you are going to prepare it earlier in the day. My experience with salads has taught me that serving them cold will ensure that the salad retains a crisp bite to it :)

 I also use this same recipe for my spinach fatayir (empanadas/pastries) but that will come another day. Stay tuned ;-)

Serves 5 to 6 adults

Ingredients
------------
-12 ounces baby spinach
-3/4 cup fresh pomegranate kernels
-2 tablespoons finely chopped red onion
- 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
-juice of 1 small lemon
-2 tablespoons sumac
-2 tablespoons good quality extra virgin olive oil
-salt to taste

To make
----------
-Roughly chop spinach.
-Add pomegranate seeds, red onion, walnuts.
-Top with lemon juice, sumac, olive oil and salt
-Mix until well incorporated and serve immediately
 -Enjoy :)

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Arugula Salad (Salatet Jarjeer/ Wild Rocket)

I LOVE THIS SALAD. It's so crispy and tangy and refreshing. This is my staple daily salad that I make my family because my daughter really enjoys it and takes a second serving!

I copied this from various restaurants in Syria. It reminds me of summers with my family in the Middle East, which is partly why I like making it so often. The star of this salad is the sumac. Sumac is a small berry that gets dried and ground into a purple spice with a sour taste. I haven't seen this in chain grocery stores, but it is a standard spice in Middle Eastern markets. The rest of the salad is very simple, especially since the arugula is pre-washed, which makes it an ideal candidate for weeknight dinners.

Serves 4 adults

Ingredients
------------
-1 package arugula leaves
-2 large tomatoes, diced
-4 Persian cucumbers, diced
-2 tablespoons finely chopped red onion
-juice of 1 lemon

-2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
-1 heaping tablespoon sumac (purple colored spice found in Middle Eastern markets)
-salt to taste

Assembly
----------
-In a bowl combine the arugula, tomatoes, cucumbers and red onions. Top with lemon juice, olive oil, sumac and salt. Stir to combine and serve immediately to avoid wilting.
-Enjoy :)

Butternut Squash Salad

This recipe is very appropriate for the fall (I know its technically winter, but the weather in California has been bipolar lately) and the colors are just BEAUTIFUL! Red, green, orange, white...so festive. The vinaigrette and butternut squash are served warm, and they slightly wilt the arugula and make everything taste so good.

Serves 6.

Ingredients

------------

-2 cups peeled and cubed butternut squash

-1 tablespoon honey or maple syrup

-2 tablespoons olive oil

-salt and pepper to taste

-4 cups loosely packed arugula

-1/4 cup dried cranberries

-1/3 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

-1 avocado, peeled and cut into cubes

-1/3 cup toasted almonds or walnuts

Dressing

---------

-3/4 cup apple cider or apple juice

-2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar

-2 tablespoons diced shallots

-1/3 cup oil

-2 tablespoons dijon mustard

-salt and pepper

Assembly

-----------

-Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spread nuts on a baking pan and toast for 8-10 minutes. Chop coarsely.

-Toss butternut squash with olive oil, honey, salt and pepper and bake for 25 minutes or until roasted. Add the cranberries during the last 5 minutes of baking.

-While the squash is roasting, heat the apple cider, vinegar and shallots over medium heat until the mixture is reduced to 1/2 a cup. Turn off the heat and whisk in oil, dijon nustard, salt and pepper.

-Toss the arugula with the dressing, and layer the butternut squash and cranberry mixture, avocado, toasted nuts and Parmesan cheese.

-Serve warm or cold and enjoy :)

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Grilled Vegetable and Couscous Salad

I sort of overdid it with the vegetables at my local farmer's market, and now I'm looking for creative ways to use them!

I've had a salad in the past that combined roasted veggies with couscous and I liked it a lot. After searching the internet for a good recipe, I didn't find one I was crazy about, so I basically made this up.

This looks very pretty because of the various colors. Feel free to play around with the veggie mixture, add or omit whatever you want. Other good additions would be artichoke hearts, corn, grilled onions or roasted garlic.

This salad has a bit of a Moroccan feel to it because of the couscous and coriander, but I'm not claiming any authenticity!

This can be served warm or cold. Serves about 4 adults.

Ingredients

------------

-2 cups arugula leaves (fresh spinach or baby spring mix also work)

-1 cup cooked couscous

-3 baby Japanese eggplants, thinly sliced

-1 medium sized yellow squash, thinly sliced

-1 medium sized zucchini, thinly sliced

-1 cup sliced mushrooms

-1 sliced red bell pepper (optional)

-1 cup baby tomatoes

-1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese

Dressing

---------

-1 finely diced shallot

-zest and juice of 2 lemons

-2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

-1/3 cup olive oil

-1 teaspoon coriander

-1 teaspoon paprika

-salt and pepper to taste

Assembly

----------

-Season the vegetables with salt and pepper and roast in an oven or on a grill. I used my GeorgeForeman grill.

-Layer the arugula, couscous and vegetables on a serving dish. Top with feta cheese.

-Drizzle the dressing over the salad, toss ingredients together and serve!

Arugula and Roasted Beet Salad

This is my new favorite salad. All thanks goes to Giada for this one! A testament to the goodness of this recipe is that I only altered one thing, which is rare for me ;-) Its funny that I'm so obsessed with this dish because I'm not a huge fan of beets. Something about their soft texture and sweetness never appealed to me, but after reading the ingredients for this salad and roasting the beets, I love them!

The presentation of this salad is beautiful because it is so colorful with the green arugula, purple beets, white feta and green avocado! Everyone who's tried this recipe has really loved it, so I REALLY recommend this one :)

Ingredients

---------------

-7 ounce package of arugula (I've also made this with mixed baby greens)

-1/3 cup cranberries

-1/3 cup diced walnuts

-1 large beet, peeled, boiled, and sliced (I'm sure you can use canned, but I haven't tried it)

-1/2 cup feta cheese, I used a Mediterranean seasoned type(Giada uses goat cheese, but I can't stand goat, so I use feta)

-1 sliced avocado (Giada uses only 1/2 of one)

Dressing

-----------

-1/3 cup balsamic vinegar

-1/3 cup olive oil

-1 tablespoon honey

-Salt and pepper to taste

-3 tablespoons shallots (about 1 medium sized shallot). If this is hard for you to locate, red onions are a good substitute

To make

-----------

-Mix 1-2 tablespoons of dressing with beets. Spread onto a baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes. I've used my toaster oven for this to avoid preheating the oven, and it worked great.

-In a serving bowl, mix the arugula with cranberries and walnuts. Toss with dressing.

-Layer the beets on top of the arugula, then layer the cheese and avocados.

-Serve and savor every bite as you enjoy this scrumptious salad!

Couscous Salad

I LOVE making salads! Especially when its a hearty dish, and includes all the food categories...like this one! I learned this from my friend Sarah, who altered the recipe from a cooking show.

Since its a salad, there is little heat involved, so your kitchen can stay nice and cool during these hot summer days. For a vegetarian or lighter version, skip the chicken.

Serves 2 people for a main meal and 4 people as a side dish.

Ingredients

---------------

-1 cup prepared couscous (boiled according to instructions on box)

-1/2 cup diced tomatoes

-1/2 cup diced cucumbers

-1 cup garbanzo beans

-1 cup cooked and cubed chicken (optional)

-1/2 cup diced marinated artichoke hearts

-1/3 cup diced green onions

Dressing

------------

-1/2 cup marinade from artichoke hearts

-1/4 cup white vinegar

-1/2 cup fresh minced mint

-salt and pepper to taste

Assembly

-------------

-Toss all the ingredients together and season with salad dressing.

-Serve!

Stay tuned for a SUPER AMAZING salad recipe coming your way...

Tabbouleh

This is a classic, 100% authentic Syrian salad. It is typically very time consuming when made for a large family, but thanks to my friend, the food processor, the prep time is chopped in half ;)

Some people add lettuce or finely chopped cucumbers, but I've just listed the basic traditional recipe. Feel free to experiement! I've made this with spinach instead of parsley, and you can barely taste the difference :)

Ingredients

------------

-1/4 cup bulghur #1

-juice of 2 lemons

-2 large tomatoes, chopped finely

-4 green onions, chopped finely

-2 bunches of American parsley (if chopping in a food processor)  or Italian parsley (if chopping by hand)

-2 tablespoons dried mint (or fresh)

-1 teaspoon paprika (for color)

-salt to taste

-2-3 tablespoons olive oil

optional:
-1 cup finely diced cucumber

Assembly

----------

-Combine bulghur and lemon juice in a bowl. Let the bulghur soak up the lemon juice for about 30-45 minutes.

-Add the tomatoes, green onions on top of the bulghur mix. This lets the juice from the tomatoes be soaked into the bulghur

-Soak the parsley in water, and then drain and rinse. Repeat this process 3 times or until your water is clean. Once it is clean and well drained, place in batches into the food processor. Chop by pulsing in 3 second intervals until the parsley is finely chopped. Be careful not to turn it into mush. (Alternatively, you can use Italian parsley and finely chop by hand with a sharp knife. Either works :)

-Place chopped parsley on top of the tomatoes and green onions. Add 2-3 tablespoons olive oil, mint, salt and dash of paprika. Add optional cucumber. Toss together and serve!

Mexican Salad

I made this with chicken on top for dinner. Great news everyone: It's almost fat free! The only fat comes from the chicken, and chicken breast add lots of protein without too much icky fat. The dressing goes well as a sauce for chicken or meat dishes too!

I didn't include measurements for the ingredients because you can alter the quantity to fit your liking.

Ingredients

------------

-shredded romaine lettuce

-diced cucumbers

-diced cherry tomatoes

-finely diced green onions (use the white part in the salad and save the greens for the dressing)

-black beans

-corn (optional, I didn't use it)

-cooked chicken breast strips (or a shredded rotisserie chicken)

-fresh salsa (this comes in a container, found in the refrigerated section of a grocery store, NOT the jar)

Dressing

---------

-1 cup fat free plain yogurt

-1/2 cup packed cilantro

-1 clove garlic

-green tips of green onions

-salt to taste

-seeded jalapeno (optional)

**you may want to use 1 tablespoon sour cream or mayonnaise to thicken dressing**

Assembly

----------

-Layer the ingredients in the listed order: lettuce, cucumbers, tomatoes, green onions, black beans, corn, chicken, fresh salsa

-Blend dressing ingredients using an immersion blender (or use a normal blender). If the sauce is too liquidy (yes, that is a real word in kitchen talk), add a tablespoon of sour cream or mayonnaise. Drizzle the dressing on top of the salad

-Garnish with optional shredded cheddar cheese and tortilla strips (I didn't do this, because it will obviously add fat :P)

Sunflower Seed and Everything Else Salad

I made this salad up with a certain craving in mind...something tart, sweet and nutty, and very hearty! I kept the dressing very simple, and it helped pronounce the flavor of the ingredients.

This will feed 4 adults for lunch, or provide 6 generous portions to accompany a main meal.

Ingredients

-------------

-3 cups (or 6 ounce bag) of 7 lettuce blend (or European style blend...any of the fancy stuff is fine...probably even romaine)

-1 pear, cut into small cubes

-2 Persian cucumbers, finely diced

-1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, quartered

-1 avocado, cubed

-1/4 red onion, minced

-1/2 cup carrots, finely chopped

-1/2 cup orange cranberries (if you don't have orange flavored, normal cranberries will do)

-1/2 cup sunflower seeds

-1/2 cup Mediterranean seasoned feta cheese (or plain feta)...next time I'm trying this with goat cheese

Dressing

--------

-juice of 1 lemon

-zest from 1/2 a lemon

-3 tablespoons olive oil

-salt to taste

-fresh cracked black pepper

To make

---------

-toss all the ingredients together
-mix in dressing right before serving