Ingredient Title Chef Category

He-man salads

There are still a few men hopping around who regard salads as "rabbit food." Most of them have hopped into their graves, vastly overweight, of course. My Dad was a non-lettuce eater, but fortunately he liked hearty, salad meals that satisfied his appetite without filling his arteries with fat. My mother often made salads based upon healthy grains because they were low-cost, nutritious and kept well, even the leftovers were good.

Lentils are one of the most over-looked and under-rated of our legumes. The vegetarians in India practically live on lentils and rice. Seldom is a meal served without some form of red or yellow lentil dahl.

Dahl may not be your dish, but this very nutritious and delicious cheese and lentil salad satisfies both your appetite and your need for protein. You can use regular (brown) lentils or green lentils. If cooking lentils up to 2 days ahead, pour into a bowl and season; cover and chill. When cool, add toppings, cover and take the salad off to dinner, chilled. It is great for picnics or buffets.

Lentil & Goat Cheese Salad

No goats in your grocery store? Can't find a shevre or feta? Any sharp cheese can be substituted.

2 cups (1 lb) dried lentils, washed
1 cup finely chopped onion
1 cup diced carrot
1/2 cup diced celery
4 teaspoons minced garlic, or less
1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 cup olive oil

Dressing:

1/4 cup red wine vinegar
2/3 cup goat cheese, crumbled (or more)
1/3 cup thin sliced green onions, including tops
1/3 cup chopped Italian (flat-leaf) parsley
1/3 chopped fresh basil or crushed dried basil, to taste
Pepper

Rinse and drain lentils; put into a large kettle. Add onion, carrot, celery, garlic, salt and 1 quart water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer until lentils are tender to bite, about 30 minutes. Drain liquid from lentil mixture and save. Pour lentil mixture into a bowl and stir in oil and vinegar. Let stand until cool, 45 to 50 minutes; stir occasionally. Add a little of the reserved cooking liquid and mix. Sprinkle cheese, onions, parsley and basil over lentils. To serve, mix and season to taste with salt and pepper. Makes 8 servings.

Very Wild Rice Salad

With figs and nuts, this salad makes a great lunch that can be prepared a day or more ahead.

4 cups water
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup wild rice (6 oz) or a mixture of white and wild rice
1/2 cup chopped dried figs
1/3 cup chopped toasted pecans
1/3 cup chopped roasted unsalted cashews
2 tablespoons finely chopped celery
2 tablespoons finely chopped red onion

Dressing:

2 tablespoons raspberry vinegar or red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 garlic clove, minced
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon sugar
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup olive oil

Combine 4 cups water and salt in medium saucepan and bring to boil. Add rice. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and summer until rice is tender, about 45 minutes. Drain well. Cool. Transfer rice to large bowl. Mix in figs, pecans, cashews, onion tops, celery and red onion. Dressing: Mix vinegar, lemon juice, garlic, mustard and sugar in blender. With blender running, gradually mix in both oils. Pour dressing over rice mixture and toss. Season with salt and pepper. Makes 6 servings.

Wheat Berry & Basamati Rice Salad with Vegetable(s)

Wheat berries have a delicious nutty flavor but they take at least one hour to cook. You can shorten that by soaking overnight in water to cover. Cook a batch ahead, drain and freeze. Just a handful added to a salad adds flavor, crunch and nutrition.

1 firm eggplant, trimmed and peeled, cut into 1/4-inch slices OR substitute mushrooms or roasted vegetables, or use all three
2 teaspoons coarse salt
Olive or vegetable oil for frying
1 garlic clove, finely chopped or pressed
1 cup balsamic rice
Water
Kosher salt
1 cup diced tomato, cored and seeded
1/4 cup diced red onion
1/4 cup chopped Italian parsley (flat leaf)
1/4 cup snipped fresh basil
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar, or more
Pepper

Soak the wheat berries in 4 cups water overnight, drain. Cook wheat berries, uncovered in 1 quart simmering water until tender, 30 to 45 minutes. Drain. (The berries can be made up to 2 days ahead and refrigerated, or cook and keep in freezer to sprinkle on salads of any kind. Layer slices of eggplant in colander sprinkling each layer lightly with salt. Place a small plate on top and weigh it down with something heavy (like a 28 oz. can of tomatoes). Place a shallow bowl under the colander and let it stand at least 3 hours. Blot the eggplant and press dry between paper towels or a cloth. (I use old newspaper with a single layer of paper toweling. Stack the slices and cut them into 1/4-inch strips. Heat 1 teaspoon olive oil in pan and stir to coat. Add rice and stir to coat. Add 1 3/4 cups cold water and 1 teaspoon salt; heat to boiling. Stir once; cover and cook over medium low heat until water is absorbed and rice is tender, about 15 minutes. Uncover and let stand without stirring. Heat about 1/2-inch olive oil in large skillet until hot enough to sizzle a crust of bread. Fry eggplant in two batches (or mushrooms), stirring gently to keep strips separate, until they are a dark golden brown. Remove from oil and drain on double thickness paper towels or brown paper bag. Sprinkle lightly with salt. Combine 1/4 cup olive oil and garlic in large skillet; heat stirring just until the garlic sizzles. Add rice and wheat berries. Stir until blended and heated through, about 2 minutes. Meanwhile combine tomato, onion, parsley, basil, vinegar and pepper in large bowl. Add rice and wheat berry mixture. Toss to blend. Add the eggplant and stir just until blended. Taste and correct seasonings adding more vinegar, salt and pepper, to taste. Makes 6 servings.

Hop to it and make a make-ahead salad!

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