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Bulgur Salad

  • August 19, 2022

Summertime is the season for barbecues, picnics and salads, but you may be looking for something different than the ubiquitous potato, macaroni or tomato salad. If you’ve ever eaten the middle Eastern dish of tabbouleh, you’ve had bulgur, a cracked wheat grain from kernels that are parboiled and dried before packaging. As a result, bulgur takes just a few minutes to cook, making it the perfect, easy grain when you want something different and don’t have much time. Just bring some water to a boil, dump in the bulgur, place the lid on top, turn off the heat and wait ten minutes. Fluff it with a fork, and you’re ready to use it — either hot with condiments, or in this case, cold with a lot of veggies and salad dressing. It’s like an artist’s canvas waiting for your creativity. In this case, I added chickpeas, cucumbers, peppers, tomatoes, scallions and parsley, plus some sheep’s milk feta cheese, then tossed it with a simple oil and vinegar dressing. It’s a great side dish, but could be a whole meal in itself, since it’s got the chickpeas and feta for protein, along with the vegetables. So try it and bring it to your next party or make it just for yourself. It lasts for a few days in the fridge, so you can enjoy the leftovers for lunch.


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Bulgur Salad
Author: 
 
Ingredients
  • 2 cups bulgur
  • 5 cups water
  • ½ cup cucumber, finely diced
  • ½ red pepper, minced
  • 3 scallions, sliced thinly
  • a dozen cherry or grape tomatoes, cut into quarters
  • 6 ounces sheep's milk feta, cut into small pieces
  • 1 15 ounce can chick peas, drained and rinsed
  • a bunch of parsley, minced
  • ½ cup olive oil
  • ¼ cup vinegar (I used white balsamic)
  • salt, pepper to taste
Instructions
  1. Bring the water to a boil.
  2. Add the bulgur, turn off the heat and put a lid on the pot.
  3. Let it sit for 10-15 minutes, then fluff with a fork and place in a bowl to cool.
  4. When the bulgur is cool, add the rest of the ingredients and mix well with the oil and vinegar.
  5. Adjust seasonings if more salt or pepper is needed.
 

Barley, Pomegranate and Orange Salad

  • February 10, 2020

While searching for a recipe to serve at my recent book group dinner, where the book was set in Israel, I naturally thought of  Yotam Ottolenghi, the pre-eminent Israeli chef whose cookbooks (and restaurants in London) are a treasure trove of Middle Eastern cooking.  I was surprised to find a salad using bulgur, since I associated the grain mostly with soups. Since pomegranates are a favorite of mine, the recipe was calling my name. Although not included in Ottolenghi’s recipe, I felt the urge to add the oranges — both blood oranges and cara cara oranges — since they were in season and added more color and flavor. The celery leaves are crucial in this recipe, and unfortunately most celery in supermarkets has scant leaves. If you’re lucky enough to find a locally grown bunch of celery, you’ll more likely to find leaves on the ends of the stalks. But even with the supermarket celery, I managed to pluck enough leaves to add to the recipe. This salad is delicious even several days after making it, so keep it in mind for a do-ahead recipe to take to a party.

Click here to connect with me on Instagram and find out what Ciao Chow Linda is up to in the kitchen (and other places too.)

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Barley Salad
Author: 
 
Recipe adapted from Yotam Ottolenghi's book "Plenty"
Ingredients
  • 1 cup pearl barley
  • 6 celery stalks (leaves picked and reserved), cut into dice
  • ¼ cup olive oil
  • 3 tablespoons sherry vinegar
  • 2 small garlic cloves, crushed
  • ⅔ teaspoon ground allspice
  • salt, black pepper
  • 3 tablespoons chopped dill
  • 3 tablespoons chopped parsley
  • ½ cup pomegranate seeds
  • sections from 2 oranges (I used one cara cara and one blood orange)
Instructions
  1. Cook the barley according to package directions.
  2. Usually, it is simply placed in a pot and covered with water, then boiled for about 30 minutes.
  3. Drain the barley and transfer to a mixing bowl.
  4. Add the celery, olive oil, vinegar, garlic, allspice and salt and pepper.
  5. Stir, then leave to cool completely.
  6. When it's cool, add the herbs, celery leaves, pomegranate seeds and orange sections.
  7. Squeeze the juice from the remaining pulpy part of the orange that's left into the bowl and mix.
  8. Serve.
 

Shrimp and Corn Salad

  • July 29, 2019

Corn is at its peak right now where I live so it was a perfect time to make this delicious salad, using shrimp caught wild in the U.S.  I tried duplicating this dish at home that I ate last week at a new restaurant in town and I think I got pretty close. The weather’s been a scorcher too, so something cold for dinner just felt right. The corn is scraped off the cobs and eaten raw, and I didn’t even have to cook the shrimp since my fish market sold it already cooked. Just toss everything together in a bowl with mayonnaise, lemon juice, some herbs and seasonings.

The recipe makes enough for four people with normal appetites (or two ravenous adults) so I had enough for myself and to take to a friend who’s been diagnosed with a serious health problem, and her partner.

If you’re in the Princeton, N.J., please do stop by the restaurant for either breakfast or lunch – The Blue Bears. Not only did I love my meal, but the restaurant’s mission also captured my heart – “to sell diverse, freshly made meals everyday and to provide sustainable and meaningful jobs for adults with intellectual and development disabilities.”

Click here to connect with me on Instagram and find out what’s cooking in Ciao Chow Linda’s kitchen each day (and more)

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Shrimp and Corn Salad
Author: 
Serves: 4
 
Ingredients
  • ½ pound boiled shrimp, chilled
  • 2 ears of corn, raw and stripped of the kernels
  • 2 scallions, sliced thinly
  • 2 Tablespoons minced red onion
  • 2 stalks of celery, minced
  • grated rind of ½ lemon
  • 1 teaspoon lemon juice
  • ⅓ cup mayonnaise
  • ¼ cup minced parsley
  • salt, pepper to taste
Instructions
  1. Slice the shrimp in half lengthwise.
  2. Place all ingredients, including shrimp in a large bowl and mix thoroughly until everything is combined.
  3. Chill in refrigerator for at least an hour to help blend flavors.
  4. Serve over lettuce.
 

Corn, Avocado and Radish Salad

  • July 24, 2017

 If your weather has been anywhere near as hot as what we’ve had in New Jersey this past week, turning on the oven to prepare dinner is about as appealing as donning a ski parka in a sauna.

Naturally, cold dishes like salads come to the rescue when the temperatures are too hot to cook, but not just any old “lettuce-and-tomato” cold salads.
I was inspired to make this after seeing something similar online from Helena, who goes by the handle @brat_h_ on Instagram.
Helena used grilled corn, and I heartily endorse that approach, although I had a leftover ear of boiled, but delicious, Jersey corn needing a home.
I added and deleted a few things from her dish, based on what I had on hand. One thing I didn’t have was the chipotle powder she used, so I mixed a little paprika and cayenne together. I also subbed fresh oregano for the cilantro, since my husband isn’t a cilantro fan, and we’ve got plenty of oregano flourishing in the garden. As you can tell, you can make the salad your own depending on what’s available to you.
Scatter all the ingredients across a bed of mixed lettuces that have been seasoned with your favorite vinaigrette.
Then drizzle on some of the dressing and decorate with the red currants, if you can find them.
If not, try to find some tiny red cherry or grape tomatoes to give the dish a really festive look.

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You can also connect with Ciao Chow Linda here on Facebook, here for Pinterest or  here for Twitter.

 

Corn, Avocado and Radish Salad 
Ingredients for salad:
1 ear of corn, boiled or roasted, removed from the cob
 1 ripe avocado, sliced
2 red radishes, sliced thinly
1/2 green pepper, sliced thinly
red onion, sliced thinly
fresh red currants (if you can find them)
mixed lettuces, dressed lightly with your favorite salad dressing (I like to use extra virgin olive oil, white balsamic vinegar, a little honey, a little Dijon mustard, plus salt and pepper.)
Creamy Dressing:
1/3 cup mayonaaise
1/2 cup sour cream
grated zest from 1 lime
juice from 1/2 lime
a sprig or two of fresh oregano leaves, minced
1/4 tsp. paprika
dash of cayenne pepper
salt, pepper
Mix all the ingredients for the dressing together in a jar.
Toss the lettuces with a light amount of the oil and vinegar dressing (the creamy dressing will add another layer, so you don’t want to overdo it on the oil and vinegar dressing). Arrange the lettuces on a platter, then place the rest of the ingredients on top of the lettuce, in an “artful” way.
Drizzle dabs of the creamy dressing on top.

Summer Melon Salad with Prosciutto and Mint Vinaigrette

  • July 14, 2017
With temperatures hovering in the 90s here in the Northeast, who wants to turn on the oven or slave over a hot burner?
Not I, and probably not you.
When I saw this beautiful salad in Coastal Living magazine, I knew this would be perfect for one of those steamy days as we’ve had this week. Picking a ripe melon is difficult, but I let both the cantaloupe and the honeydew sit on the counter for a few days to be sure they were at their peak.
The combo of sweet melon in season, with fragrant salty prosciutto isn’t a new one, but the mint vinaigrette takes it to a new level.
Got a partner with a he-man appetite who requires a heftier meal? Then just add a couple of hard-boiled eggs on the side, a hunk of good cheese, or both.
Breadsticks are always a good idea too, especially when they’re covered in lots of seeds.
Want more Ciao Chow Linda? Check out my Instagram page here to see more of what I’m cooking up each day.
You can also connect with Ciao Chow Linda here on Facebook, here for Pinterest or  here for Twitter.

 

Summer Melon Salad with Ham and Mint Vinaigrette
recipe from Coastal Living
printable recipe here
2 Tbsp. sherry vinegar (I used white balsamic)
1 Tbsp. minced shallot
1/2 Tbsp. honey
1/4 tsp. kosher salt
3 Tbsp. olive oil
2Tbsp. chopped fresh mint, divided
1 small cantaloupe (about 3 lb.) halved lengthwise
1 small honeydew melon (about 3 lb.) halved lengthwise
2 oz. (I used 1/4 lb.) thinly sliced prosciutto
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1. Whisk together vinegar, shallot, honey and salt in a small bowl. Add oil in a slow, steady stream, whisking until incorporated. Stir in 1 tablespoon chopped mint. Set aside.
2. Remove and discard seeds from 1 half of each melon; cut each into 2-inch-wide radial spokes, about 6 slices each. Reserve remaining melon halves for another use.
3. Using a sharp knife, follow the natural curve of the melon to remove the rind.
4. Arrange melon pieces and prosciutto slices on a platter. Drizzle vinaigrette over the top; sprinkle with black pepper and remaining 1 tablespoon mint.

Arugula and Fennel Salad

  • May 28, 2014

 It’s here and it crept up on me – bathing suit season, that is. ugh. Is it too late to start dieting now? Oh forget it – there’s just too much good gelato in my future. But it can’t hurt to have a light salad or two for lunch or dinner. I’ve always loved raw fennel and raw mushrooms in a salad, but this one is kicked up a notch with the addition of chive flowers and pink peppercorns – not original ideas to be sure, because almost everything’s been done before. But I did get inspired to use those pink peppercorns after seeing Lori’s salad here, and to throw in those chives after seeing Stacey’s dish here.

You’ll need a mandolin to cut the fennel thin enough, but we careful of those thumbs and fingers. Shave the parmesan with a cheese plane, crush the pink peppercorns, and toss in some chive flowers or  tiny thyme blossoms. And don’t worry about those few extra pounds — enjoy the gelato.

 

Arugula Fennel Salad
printable recipe here
 
arugula – one small bunch
one small bulb of fennel
shaved parmesan cheese, as much as you like
sliced raw button mushrooms – about 6 or 8, depending on size
Dressing:
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
 a little less than 1/4 cup white balsamic vinegar
a small bit of honey (1 t. or so)
a small squirt of Dijon mustard
salt, pepper
pink peppercorns, smashed
chive blossoms, thyme blossoms
aged balsamic vinegar, optional
Mix all the dressing ingredients in a jar. Wash the arugula and toss with enough of the dressing to coat.
Slice the fennel thinly using a mandoline. Careful not to cut yourself. Toss the fennel with a bit of dressing and place over the arugula. Wash the mushrooms and slice thinly. Scatter them over the salad, then shave parmesan cheese over everything. Decorate with chive blossoms and/or thyme flowers.
Drizzle a little aged balsamic vinegar over the salad, if you have it. Otherwise, it’s fine just as is.

Avocado-Beet-Blood Orange Salad

  • February 19, 2013

 It’s that short period of time when blood oranges are in season and I can’t get enough of this beautiful citrus fruit. Of course, you can squeeze it and have yourself a perfectly delicious glass of sweet juice, but I love to use it in savory recipes too. When arranged on a plate with some chioggia beets, avocado and radishes, it makes a colorful, flavorful and healthy salad – just the right thing after all that holiday indulgence.

I topped it off with a few pistachios and bits of parsley and baby arugula to add even more texture and color.  It’s not necessary, but if you’ve got an olive oil that’s infused with blood orange, so much the better for the dressing. I live near a store that sells many varieties of flavored olive oils but if you don’t, you can order some online here. You’ll be surprised at how much extra oomph it can impart to a salad.

 

Avocado-Beet-Blood Orange Salad
for two servings
two large beets – I used chioggia since red beets wouldn’t have provided enough contrast with red oranges
1 avocado
2 radishes
2 blood oranges
2 T. of pistachios
baby arugula
parsley leaves
Dressing:
1/4 cup blood orange flavored olive oil or a little more
1/8 cup white balsamic or sherry vinegar
salt, pepper
1/8 t. honey
1/8 t. of Dijon mustard
Scrub the beets, coat with olive oil and roast in a 375 degree oven for one hour. Cool, peel and slice into rounds.
Peel the avocado and slice.
Wash and slice the radishes.
Peel the blood oranges and slice into discs.
Arrange the vegetables and blood oranges on a plate, then tuck in some arugula leaves and parsley leaves here and there. Drizzle the dressing on top, then scatter the pistachios over everything.

Avocado and Pomegranate Salad

  • January 11, 2009

There’s a line in Shakespeare’s “All’s Well That Ends Well,” in which one of the characters says: “Go to, sir; you were beaten in Italy for picking a kernel out of a pomegranate.”

For this recipe, which requires dozens of pomegranate seeds, there’s no worry about being beaten in Italy. There’s only the time-consuming task of removing those seeds from those pesky, pulpy membranes. The rest of the recipe is a snap.

What you’ll end up with is a healthy and unusual salad that’s colorful as a Christmas wreath and delicious too. It requires only two ingredients – avocados and pomegranates, plus some olive oil and lemon juice as a dressing. It comes to you via my friend Anna Rosa, who spends a lot of time in Italy, but has never once been beaten for plucking a seed from a pomegranate.

Here’s the recipe:

Peel two avocados and cube. Mix in a bowl with seeds from one pomegranate. Toss with olive oil and lemon juice to taste.