Spring Couscous Salad (vegan)

Recipe from Yasmeen Ali 

Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen
Yield: 2-3 servings 

Now this is what I call a beautiful spring salad! It is loaded with bold, fresh flavors of mint, parsley, arugula and onions.  I love the crunch of the pistachios and garlicky “marinade” that is tossed in just before serving.  Because I keep Sumac Onion Salad in the fridge on a regular basis, I used that instead of the red onion/lemon mixture listed in the recipe. Both have the same lemony flavor, so either will work.  I’m sure any greens will be dandy in this salad as well as any nuts or seeds.  Za’atar and sumac are spices that can be found in most supermarkets or specialty stores.

Red Onions (I used Sumac Onion Salad in place of this.) 
½ small red onion, thinly sliced
4 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice 
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 teaspoon kosher salt 

Couscous & Greens
1 cup fresh English peas (frozen, thawed peas will also work)
1 cup pearl couscous (plus 1½ cups water and 1 teaspoon kosher salt)
1 cup arugula, roughly chopped
½ cup firmly packed parsley, finely minced
½ cup firmly packed mint, finely minced
½ cup roasted pistachios, roughly chopped 

Marinade
4 Tablespoons olive oil
3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced 
2 teaspoon za’atar* 
½ teaspoon ground cumin 
1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste 
Sumac for serving, if desired

Instructions
Start off by blanching* the peas in boiling water. Drain the peas and set aside, and then cook the couscous in the same pot you used for the peas. 
Cook the couscous. Pour the couscous and 1½ cups water into the pot, along with 1 teaspoon salt. Bring to boil on high heat, then reduce to low, partially cover the pot, and let simmer for 8-10 minutes or until all the water is absorbed. Cover the pot and let it sit off the heat for 5 minutes. Then fluff with a fork and toss with 1-2 teaspoons of olive oil to prevent the couscous from sticking.
Prep the onions. To a bowl, add in the onions, lemon juice, zest, and salt. Toss together and set aside. 
While the couscous cooks, prep the herbs, arugula, and pistachios. Once the couscous is done, add it to the bowl of onions, along with the arugula, herbs, and pistachios. 
Make the marinade. Rinse and pat dry the pot you used for the couscous and add in the garlic and olive oil (I like to use the same pot to save on dishes). Gently fry the garlic over medium heat until it just starts to brown. Remove from the heat and stir in the zaatar, cumin and kosher salt.
Toss and serve. Pour the marinade over the salad and toss to combine. Season to taste with sumac and kosher salt, if desired.

Notes
*If you can’t find za’atar, mix together 1 tsp each sumac, sesame seeds, dried oregano, dried thyme, cumin, coriander, and 1/4 tsp kosher salt.
*To blanch to the peas, place them in boiling water for 1½ minutes.  Drain and rinse with ice cold water. 
 

Blueberry and Mint Iced Tea

Serves 4
Recipe from Good Eatings
Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen

Not only is this pretty to look at, it’s very refreshing and perfect on a hot summer day.    

4 cups + 2 cups water
2-3 Tablespoons sugar, depending on your preference
6 peppermint tea bags (I used Trader Joes Candy Cane Green Tea.  It’s decaf.)
1 cup frozen blueberries
1 small lemon, sliced thinly
A handful of fresh mint sprigs

Boil 4 cups of water. Add the tea bags and the sugar.  Steep for at least 5-10 minutes.
In the meantime add the blueberries to a bottle or jar and use a utensil to smash them up a little.
Once the tea has steeped remove the teabags. Pour in the remaining 2 cups of cold water to start the cooling process. Then pour the tea into pitcher making sure to submerge the blueberries.
Leave in the fridge for 3-4 hours to chill.  Serve the tea over ice.
Add the lemon slices and fresh mint sprigs to the mixture just before serving and enjoy well chilled.

Asparagus & Crispy Beans With Mint & Parmesan

Recipe from Food 52 Genius Recipes (Allison Arevalo)

Husband-Tested in Alice's Kitchen

Makes 4 generous servings

I was inspired by this recipe. Roasting cannelloni beans is pretty genius. They are crispy on the outside and creamy on the inside. The roasted beans are tossed with arugula, fresh mint, blanched asparagus and Parmesan shavings. The original recipe called for high quality anchovies, but though I like them, I already had salmon in the freezer. So I roasted and flaked it to top off the salad. We enjoyed it with some grapes and homemade Zucchini Parmesan Loaf (also thawed from the freezer) This was a delicious, healthful and easy to make dinner.

1 (15 ounce) can cannelloni beans, drained and rinsed

Kosher salt

8 ounces fresh asparagus

6 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (you could use less)

Freshly ground black pepper

4 ounces arugula

3 ounces shaved Grana Padang or Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

1 cup chopped fresh mint

1 (1.6 ounce) can or jar of anchovies, drained, fillets rolled into little spirals OR 2 small salmon fillets

Flakey sea salt (I use Maldon.)

Heat the oven to 375F.  Place a clean dry towel on the counter.  Place the beans on the towel and allow them to dry while the oven is preheating.  It’s really important that the beans be completely dry before roasting.  Bring a pot of water to boil and add 1 Tablespoon salt to the boiling water.  Add the asparagus.  Blanch for 1 minute.  Drain and then quickly plunge the asparagus into ice water to cool.  Cut into bite sized pieces (about 2 inches.) Once the beans have dried, place them on a large rimmed baking sheet.  Drizzle with 3 Tablespoons oil and season with 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and a few grinds of black pepper.  Toss gently to fully coat.  Spread them out into an even layer.  If you’re using salmon fillets in this recipe, you can add the fillets to the baking sheet to cook along with the beans.  Roast the beans for 20 minutes, until browned and crisp.  Remove and cool to room temperature.  

In a large bowl, place the arugula, asparagus, cheese, mint, and beans.  Right before serving, slowly drizzle in about 3 Tablespoons olive oil and gently toss.  Spread the salad on a large platter and scatter around the anchovies or flaked cooked salmon.  Garnish with flaky sea salt. Serve.

Colorful Beet Salad with Carrot, Quinoa & Spinach

Recipe from http://cookieandkate.com

Adapted and Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen

2 main meal size servings OR 4 side salad servings

We were scheduled to have a new oven and stovetop installed today, so I figured I’d better make something for dinner that I could prepare in advance and just toss together.  I had cooked quinoa in the freezer.  So, I thawed that.  I had steamed the edamame and toasted the pepitas the day prior.  The vinaigrette was made in advance too.  It took only a few minutes to shred the beet and carrots.  Then all that I had to do was put it all together and plate it.  This salad was not only a beauty, but it was absolutely delicious and full of nutrition.  (I didn’t have an avocado, but that would have taken it over the top.) This is good enough for serving at a party.  

Salad

2 cups cooked quinoa (I used multi-colored quinoa.)

1 cup cooked edamame (Follow package directions.)

1/3 toasted pepitas or toasted and chopped almonds

1 medium raw beet, peeled and shredded (I used a yellow beet.)

2 carrots, peeled and shredded

2 cups packed baby spinach or arugula, roughly chopped

1 avocado, peeled and cubed

Vinaigrette

3 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar

2 Tablespoons fresh lime juice

2 Tablespoons olive oil

1 Tablespoon minced fresh mint or cilantro

2 Tablespoons maple syrup or honey or agave nectar

½ to 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard, to taste

¼ teaspoon kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Toss all the salad ingredients in a large bowl.  Drizzle with the vinaigrette.  (I didn’t use all the vinaigrette, just enough to lightly coat the salad ingredients.)  To make this vegan, use maple syrup or agave nectar.  To make this nut free, use pepitas.

How to Prepare Quinoa

1 cup uncooked quinoa

2 cups water for cooking

Cooked quinoa will keep for three or four days in the refrigerator. You can also freeze cooked quinoa. Just 1 cup of uncooked quinoa will yield almost 4 cups cooked.  Place 1 cup of uncooked quinoa in a sieve (strainer.) Quinoa has a bitter coating that must be rinsed off.  An effective method for rinsing off the bitter coating is to place the quinoa seeds in a fine-meshed strainer and run cold water over the quinoa while gently rubbing the seeds together in your hands. Place the rinsed quinoa in a saucepan and add 2 cups water. Bring the cooking liquid to a rolling boil. Turn down the heat to a simmer. Place a tight-fitting lid on the saucepan. Cook for 15 to 20 minutes. (Set a kitchen timer to 15 minutes so you won't forget to check for doneness.)  Fluff the cooked quinoa with a fork.

To toast pepitas: Place 1 cup pepitas (pumpkin seeds) on a rimmed baking sheet.  Roast at 375 until golden and fragrant, 6-8 minutes (you’ll hear them popping).  Cool completely on the baking sheet.  (Can be made ahead and stored at room temperature in an airtight container.)

Nutritional Information: (1 of 4 servings) 344 calories; 20 g fat (2.2 g sat. fat); 0 g cholesterol; 207 mg sodium; 34.7 g carbohydrates; 8 g fiber; 12.3 g sugars; 10.3 g protein

Lemon Mint Freekeh Salad (Vegan)

Recipe from Bob’s Red Mill

Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen

Makes 8 side servings or 4 main servings

Freekeh is a new food at our house.  It’s a whole grain full of fiber. It’s prepared like most whole grains, cooked in boiling water or broth. (Store uncooked freekeh in the fridge.)  Lemon Mint Freekeh Salad makes a great and filling lunch.  While the freekeh cooks and then cools a bit, prepare the lemony pesto and the rest of the salad ingredients. 

2½ cups water

1 cup Bob’s Red Mill Cracked Freekeh

2 cups fresh parsley

1 cup fresh mint

2 teaspoons lemon zest

½ cup fresh lemon juice

½ cup toasted pine nuts

¾ teaspoon kosher salt

½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1/3 cup olive oil

15 oz. cooked chickpeas (if canned, rinse and drain)

2 medium red bell peppers, diced

2 large tomatoes, diced

Bring water to a boil in a saucepan.  Add the freekeh, cover and reduce the heat to medium-low. Simmer until water is absorbed, about 20 minutes.  Drain any excess liquid and let freekeh cool for 30 minutes.  In a food processor or blender, puree parsley, mint, lemon zest and juice for 15 seconds.  Add the pine nuts, salt and pepper and puree until smooth, another 15 seconds.  With the machine running, slowly drizzle in olive oil.  Continue to process until smooth.  In a large bowl, toss the herb pesto with the freekeh, chickpeas, red bell peppers and tomatoes.  Serve immediately or chilled. 

How to Prepare Basic Freekeh:

Bring 2½ cups water and ½ teaspoon salt to a boil.  Add 1 cup cracked freekeh, cover and reduce the heat to medium-low.  Simmer until liquid is absorbed, about 20 minutes.  Remove from heat and let stand, covered , for 5 minutes.  Makes 4 servings (about 3 cups.)