koko's corner

Bountiful Beautiful Salad

Bountiful, Beautiful Bean & Barley Salad
Serves 6-8

1 cup frozen peas (do not thaw)
2 to 3 carrots, scrubbed and chopped into 1/4-inch dice
1/2 pound chilled, cooked green beans
1 1/2cups cooked or canned beans (preferably chickpeas or kidney beans; canned beans should be rinsed well and drained)
4 cups pearled barley, cooked and chilled
3 scallions, derooted, whites and 2 inches of green sliced
1 small unwaxed cucumber, quartered lengthwise and sliced
1/2 to 3/4 cup minced fresh herbs
About 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 to 2 lemons, halved
Coarse salt and freshly cracked black pepper
Lettuce leaves, for serving
Red and yellow cherry tomatoes, for serving
Crumbled feta or ricotta salata cheese, for serving (optional)

Bring a medium-size pot of water to a boil. Place the peas in a colander in the sink, then drop the carrot pieces into the boiling water and cook briefly, until their color brightens, about 30 seconds. When the carrots are ready, drain them over the peas (if you like, place a bowl beneath the colander to trap the carrot cooking water for a stock). Rinse the carrots and peas with cold water, and drain well. In a large bowl, combine the carrots and peas with the green beans, chickpeas, barley, scallions, cucumber, and herbs. Toss together well. Drizzle with the olive oil and squeeze the lemons over the salad (through a strainer to catch the seeds, or pick them out if you don’t mind fiddly work). Season with salt and pepper, toss again, and add more oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper to taste—whatever you think it needs. But the beauty of this dish is that it is not swimming in dressing; the good grainy flavors and the vegetables are not obscured.
Serve the salad on lettuce leaves, surrounded by cherry tomatoes and sprinkled with crumbled feta, if you like. Serves 6 to 8 Note: If you buy your pearled barley in a box, simply prepare it according to the package directions. If you purchase it in bulk, however, follow these basic cooking instructions: Combine 1 cup pearled barley and 2 cups water in a medium-size pot and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer, cover, and let cook for 30 minutes. After the time is up, turn off the heat and let the barley sit, still covered, until the grain is soft and tender, another 10 minutes.

Source: Bean by Bean Cookbook

Kohlrabi Slaw with Fennel & Apple

1 medium fennel bulb with fronds
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
2 teaspoons whole-grain mustard
2 teaspoons minced shallot
1 teaspoon honey
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
1 medium kohlrabi, peeled and cut into matchsticks
1 small apple, cored and cut into matchsticks

Chop enough fennel fronds to equal 1/4 cup. Thinly slice the bulb.
Whisk oil, vinegar, mustard, shallot, honey, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Add the fennel and fronds, kohlrabi and apple; gently stir to coat.

Source: Eating Well

Sesame Tuna Salad

YIELD  4 servings

TOTAL TIME

 25 minutes

1/4 cup rice vinegar or lemon juice

3 tablespoons canola oil

2 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce

1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil

1 1/2 teaspoons sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger

2 5- to 6-ounce cans water-packed chunk light tuna, drained

1 cup sliced sugar snap peas or snow peas

2 scallions, sliced

6 cups thinly sliced napa cabbage

4 radishes, julienne-cut or sliced

1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves

1 tablespoon sesame seeds

Freshly ground pepper to taste

Whisk vinegar (or lemon juice), canola oil, soy sauce, sesame oil, sugar and ginger in a small bowl. Combine 3 tablespoons of the dressing with tuna, peas and scallions in a medium bowl.
Divide cabbage among 4 plates. Mound one-fourth of the tuna mixture (about 1/2 cup) in the center of each plate and garnish with radishes, cilantro and sesame seeds. Drizzle with the remaining dressing (about 2 tablespoons per salad) and season with pepper.

Source: Eating Well Magazine

Almost Classic Five-Bean Salad

¼ pound green beans, tipped, tailed, cooked tender-crisp and cut into 1-inch lengths

¼ pound yellow wax beans, tipped, tailed, cooked tender-crisp, and cut into 1-inch lengths

1½ cups (one 15-ounce can) tender-cooked black beans, very well drained

1½ cups (one 15-ounce can) tender-cooked chickpeas, very well drained

1½ cups (one 15-ounce can) tender-cooked kidney beans, very well drained

1 red onion, sliced paper thin

1 red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and minced

1 stalk celery, chopped

1 recipe Mariam’s Sweet-and-Sour Dressing (recipe follows)

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Place the beans and veggies in a large bowl, add the dressing, season with salt and pepper to taste, and toss to combine. Cover and refrigerate for at least 12 hours or up to 2 days. Serve with a slotted spoon to drain off the dressing. Pretty durned simple, yes? Serves 6 to 8 as a side dish or 8 to 10 as a buffet item

Mariam’s Sweet-and-Sour Dressing Still plenty sweet but way less so than some of the traditional bean salad dressings, this is from Mariam, an old friend of my mother’s. For extra sprightliness, replace the vinegar with freshly squeezed lemon juice, or go east with rice wine vinegar and a little grated fresh ginger.  

1 cup packed dark brown sugar

1 cup cider vinegar

1 cup any mild vegetable oil, such as corn, canola, or peanut

1 tablespoon prepared yellow mustard (preferably American-style “ballpark,” not Dijon)

1½ teaspoons salt

1½ teaspoons celery seed

Combine the brown sugar and vinegar in a 1-quart jar with a tight-fitting lid. Shake well and let stand for 10 to 15 minutes. Shake again; the sugar should dissolve into the vinegar. Add the remaining ingredients, shake well again, and serve over mixed beans. Makes about 2½ cups

Note:

This is a freshened-up version of the well-known multibean salad with its very sweet dressing. I can live with canned dried beans, but not canned green or yellow beans; hence I cook those up nice and fresh for this one

Bean by Bean Cookbook

Summer Bean Breakfast with soft-boiled eggs and Green Goddess Dressing

Serves 4

For the dressing:

3/4 cup Greek yogurt (preferably whole milk)
4 medium scallions, ends trimmed, chopped
1/2 cup coarsely chopped cilantro (about 1/4 bunch)
1/2 cup coarsely chopped parsley (stems and all, about 1/4 bunch)
1/4 cup chopped fresh dill
1 small shallot, chopped (about 2 tablespoons)
2 tablespoons fresh-squeezed lemon juice
1 teaspoon sherry vinegar
1/2 cup mayonnaise

For the salad:

Sea salt or kosher salt
1 pound green beans, stem ends trimmed, cut into 3-inch long pieces
8 ounces sugar snap peas
8 ounces edamame in their pods, thawed if frozen
4 large eggs
4 small French radishes
Lemon juice

Make the dressing: Place the yogurt, scallions, cilantro, parsley, dill, shallot, lemon juice, and vinegar in a food processor fitted with the blade attachment or blender. Pulse, scraping down the sides as needed, until smooth. Add the mayonnaise and process or blend until smooth. Transfer to a container and refrigerate.

Bring a 3-quart pot of water to a boil. Add 2 tablespoons salt. Make an ice bath by filling a large bowl halfway with ice and adding some water. Blanch the green beans in the boiling water for 1 minute. Use a slotted spoon to transfer to the ice bath. Blanch the sugar snap peas for 1 minute, then transfer to the ice bath. If using thawed, pre-cooked edamame, there's no need to cook them. For fresh edamame, blanch 3 to 4 minutes, then transfer to the ice bath.

Drain the beans and pat dry with a clean kitchen towel. Shell the edamame from their pods.

Steam or soft-boil the eggs 6 to 8 minutes, then immerse in the ice bath for 10 minutes. (6 minutes will yield a very soft yolk, 7 yields a jammy yolk, and 8 yields a just-set yolk.)

Slice the radishes lengthwise, then toss with a pinch of sea salt and a squeeze of lemon.

To assemble: toss the blanched beans with the radishes. Peel and halve an egg. Sprinkle with sea salt. Drizzle the salad all over with the green goddess dressing. I find this salad needs plenty of salt; serve with a small bowl of sea salt alongside.

Corn and Blueberry Salad

Ingredients

• 6 ears fresh sweet corn, husked
  1 cup fresh blueberries
  1 cucumber, sliced
  1/4 cup finely chopped red onion
  1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
  1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely chopped
  2 tablespoons lime juice
  2 tablespoons olive oil
  1 tablespoon honey
  1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

Directions

1. In Dutch oven bring salted water to boiling. Add corn. Cook, covered, 5 minutes, or until tender. When cool enough to handle, cut corn from cobs.

   In a serving bowl combine corn, blueberries, cucumber, red onion, cilantro, and jalapeño. For dressing, in screw-top jar combine lime juice, oil, honey, cumin, and 1/2 tsp. salt. Cover; shake well to combine.

   Add to salad; toss. Cover and refrigerate overnight (up to 24 hours).  Makes 6 to 8 servings.

   Better Homes and Gardens

Can't Beet it Slaw

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon grated ginger
  3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  1 teaspoon coconut aminos
  1/4 teaspoon cracked black pepper, or to taste
  Dash of sea salt
  3 tablespoons olive or avocado oil
  2 cups beets, peeled and julienned
  1 large Granny Smith apple, cored and julienned
  1 small jicama, peeled and julienned
  3 celery ribs, thinly sliced on the diagonal
  1 tablespoon sunflower seeds
  Torn cilantro leaves, to taste (optional)

Directions

1. For the dressing
   Combine the ginger, lemon juice, coconut aminos, black pepper, and salt in a small mixing bowl. Whisk in the oil and set aside.

   For the slaw
   In a large bowl, combine the beets, apple, jicama, and celery. Toss in the prepared dressing and refrigerate until ready to serve. Toss with sunflower seeds, cilantro leaves and serve.

   4 servings

Mexican Watermelon Salad

Ingredients

• Ingredients

  For the Smoky Lime Pepitas
  1 cup raw pepitas
  1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil or avocado oil
  ¾ teaspoon Diamond Crystal brand kosher salt
  ½ teaspoon smoked paprika or ancho chili powder
  ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
  Juice from1 medium lime

  For the Mexican Watermelon Salad
  ¼ cup thinly sliced red onions
  1 small seedless watermelon about 5 pounds, cubed
  1 English or Japanese cucumber cut into ½-inch slices
  ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
  1 teaspoon ancho chili powder
  ½ teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt
  ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
  2 medium limes finely grated zest and juice
  2 tablespoons fresh mint leaves

Directions

1. 1. Let’s make the spiced pepitas first! Preheat the oven to 325°F with the rack placed in the middle position. In a medium bowl, combine the pepitas, olive oil, salt, paprika, cayenne, and lime juice. Mix well.
   2. Spread the seasoned pepitas in a single layer on a parchment-lined rimmed baking sheet. Toast the seeds for 12 to 15 minutes in the oven, stirring at the halfway point, until fragrant and crunchy.
   3. Cool to room temperature. Reserve ¼ cup for this recipe, and keep the rest in a sealed container for up to 1 week to munch on.
   4. While the pepitas are in the oven, soak the onions in a bowl of ice water for about 10 minutes to take the bite off ’em.
   5. In a large bowl, combine the watermelon, cucumber, drained onions, olive oil, chili powder, salt, cayenne pepper, lime zest, and lime juice. Toss to mix. Taste for seasoning, and adjust as necessary.
   6. Garnish with fresh mint leaves and toasted pepitas. Serve immediately!

   Michelle Tam Ready or Not Cookbook

Tomato Salad

Ingredients

• 4 tomatoes, sliced
  1 cucumber, thinly sliced
  juice 1 lemon
  2 tablespoons olive oil
  1 tablespoon parsley, finely chopped
  1 teaspoon mint, finely chopped or ½ teaspoon dried mint
  ½ teaspoon salt
  ¼ teaspoon black pepper
  a few black olives
  Garnish pinch cumin

Directions

1. On a large plate arrange the tomato and cucumber slices decoratively.
   In a cup mix the lemon juice, oil, parsley, mint, salt, and pepper.
   Pour this dressing over the tomatoes and cucumbers and chill for 1–2 hours.
   Just before serving arrange some black olives on the plate. Sprinkle with the cumin and serve.

   Middle Eastern Cookery, Arto der Haroutunian

Mango Cabbage Slaw

Ingredients

4 servings
30 minutes total time

• 1/4 cup thinly sliced shallot or red onion
  Juice from 2 limes
  2 mangoes, peeled, pitted, and thinly sliced
  1/2 small cabbage, cored and thinly sliced
  1/4 cup fresh mint leaves, thinly sliced
  1 jalapeño pepper, thinly sliced (optional)
  Kosher salt
  Freshly ground black pepper.

Directions

1. In a small bowl, soak the thinly sliced shallots in the lime juice with a cube of ice for at least 10 minutes
   When you’re ready to assemble the salad, toss the mango and sliced cabbage into a large bowl.
   Add the soaked shallots and lime juice.
   Add the mint and jalapeño pepper (if you want the slaw to pack heat).
   Season with salt and pepper to taste, and toss well.

   From Ready or Not Cookbook: Michelle Tam & Henry Fong