Sweet and Salty Bulgur and Cauliflower Salad {Recipe Redux}

This month’s topic for Recipe Redux, a group of registered dietitians who write a blog post about a healthy recipe all on a single theme, is all about whole grains. Exotic grains were encouraged for the recipes, but instead, I chose a common pantry staple—bulgur wheat—and added some out of the ordinary flavors.

Bulgur is traditionally reserved for tabbouleh, the lemony parsley and grain salad recipe that everyone has memorized they’ve made it so often. I love the hearty flavor and chewy texture of bulgur, but wanted to do something completely different with it.

For crunch (and because it is so incredibly beautiful at the farmers’ market this time of year), I added finely chopped raw cauliflower (done in the food processor; quick and easy), for sweetness, I used golden raisins plumped in warm orange juice, and for a bit of salty tang, I threw in a handful of chopped green olives. It all came together to make a salad that has humble ingredients but fantastic flavor.  Scroll to the end of the recipe for links to more healthy grain recipes from my fellow Recipe Reduxers.

Sweet and Salty Bulgur and Cauliflower Salad

Serves 6

2/3 cup water

1/8 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 cup fine grind bulgur wheat

1/4 cup orange juice

1/4 cup golden raisins

1/2 of a small head of cauliflower (about 12 ounces for 1/2 a head), trimmed and cut into chunks

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons white wine vinegar

1 teaspoon honey

3/4 teaspoon ground cumin

1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

6 large green olives, pitted and chopped

1/3 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley

Bring the water and salt to a boil in a small saucepan. Remove from the heat and stir in the bulgur. Cover and let stand 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, bring the orange juice to a simmer in another small saucepan. Remove from the heat and add the raisins. Cover and let stand until cool.

Place the cauliflower in a food processor and pulse until finely chopped (be careful not to over process, you don’t want it pureed).

Whisk together the oil, vinegar, honey, cumin, and pepper in a large bowl. Add the bulgur and the raisin mixture and stir to combine. Stir in the olives and parsley. You can serve the salad at once, or cover and refrigerate it for up to 3 days.

Each serving: 18 g carbohydrate, 123 calories, 5 g fat, 1 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 3 g fiber, 2 g protein, 109 mg sodium

Carb Choices: 1; Exchanges: 1 starch, 1 fat

Crispy Potato and Spinach Salad with Parmesan

The new potatoes are finally in here at the farmers’ markets in New York. Which, of course makes me long for my mom’s homemade potato salad, full of mayonnaise and hard boiled eggs, onion, and celery, and sprinkled with paprika on the top. I will definitely make this version before summer is over (maybe lightening the mayo with some fat-free Greek yogurt), but I thought I’d satisfy my current potato salad craving with something a little lighter.

For this salad, I slice the potatoes thin and sauté them in a nonstick skillet in a bit of olive oil until they’re brown and crispy. I put them on plates, then top them with a spinach salad dressed with a sharp red wine vinaigrette and tossed with shards of salty Parmesan cheese. It’s the perfect balance of crispy potatoes, bitter greens, and rich cheese.

I used spinach in this salad, because that’s what I had on hand. I think arugula or watercress would be even better, but any salad greens you have on hand would work. And if your potatoes are freshly dug, just wash off the dirt, no need to peel. Don’t go overboard on the portion, though. Three ounces of potatoes (1 small) have about 15 grams of carbs, or 1 Carb Choice.

Crispy Potato and Spinach Salad with Parmesan

Makes 2 servings

Potatoes

2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil

2 small potatoes (about 3 ounces each), scrubbed and thinly sliced

1/8 teaspoon kosher salt

Pinch of freshly ground pepper

Salad

2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon red wine vinegar

Pinch of kosher salt

Pinch of freshly ground pepper

3 cups spinach, arugula, or other greens

2 tablespoons shredded Parmesan cheese

To make the potatoes, heat a large nonstick skillet over medium high heat until hot, about 2 minutes. Add the oil and tilt the pan to coat the bottom.

Add the potatoes, keeping them well-spread in the pan for even browning. Cook, turning the potatoes as they brown, until tender, about 6-8 minutes.

Meanwhile, to make the salad, whisk together the oil, vinegar, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. When the potatoes are done, divide them evenly between 2 plates. Add the spinach to the dressing and toss to coat. Top the potatoes with the spinach and sprinkle with the Parmesan. Serve at once.  

Each serving: 18 g carbohydrate, 179 calories, 11 g fat, 2 g saturated fat, 4 mg cholesterol, 3 g fiber, 4 g protein, 263 mg sodium

Carb Choices: 1; Exchanges: 1 starch, 2 fat

Summer Lentil Salad

My CSA started up last week and the local Jackson Heights Greenmarket is in full swing. It’s the time of year when there is way more produce in my refrigerator than I will ever find the stomach space to use. Neighbors don’t think you’re too weird if you show up at their door with the gift of a head of Bibb lettuce. They get used to it as the season progresses.

One of the ways I like to use fresh produce is to cook some lentils or dried beans and use those to make a salad with all the produce I have. The lentils or beans are a good source of protein and an excellent source of fiber—and they’re delicious with almost any vegetable you add to them.

The salad I made today uses what I had on hand. This recipe is just a blueprint really, to use whatever is fresh and fabulous at your farmers’ market this time of year. You can add almost anything: diced carrots, radishes, turnips, bell peppers, jicama, kohlrabi, cucumbers, green onions, halved cherry tomatoes, and any herb that you have on hand.

One rule of thumb I will mention is that when you’re making salads with high carb ingredients like these lentils, dried beans, whole grains (like wheat berries or barley), or whole wheat pasta use the same amount of fresh vegetables in the salad as you do of the lentils, beans, grains or pasta. In this recipe, 1 cup of dry lentils will make about 2 cups of cooked lentils, so make sure you add about 2 cups of vegetables to the mix. This not only prevents carb overload, but it insures that you have a flavorful, colorful, and crunchy salad. And if, like me, you are up to your eyeballs in lettuce, serve the lentil salad on top of fresh greens. Ah, the joys of summer!

I will point out my flavor-infusing cooking method for lentils in this recipe. They cook so quickly (in about 15 or 20 minutes) that they need to go into an already flavorful cooking liquid so they can absorb as much flavor as possible. I simply simmer a small halved onion, a stalk of celery, a crushed garlic clove, and a bay leaf in salted water for about 15 minutes before I add the lentils. That way, the lentils are cooking in a vegetable broth that’s really going to give them an additional layer of flavor. Another trick: once they are just done, tender, yet firm to the bite, and still holding their shape, I pour the lentils, liquid, and the onion/garlic/bay leaf mixture into a 13 x 9 baking dish and let the lentils cool in the cooking liquid to absorb even more flavor. Set the dish in front of a fan to cool if you’re in a hurry.

Lentil and Vegetable Salad with Goat Cheese

Makes 6 servings

To cook the lentils

3 cups water

1 small onion, cut in half

1 stalk celery, cut in 3-inch pieces

1 clove garlic, smashed

1 bay leaf

1 tablespoon kosher salt

1 cup French green lentils, picked over and rinsed

To make the salad

3 tablespoons sherry vinegar or white wine vinegar

2 tablespoons olive oil (or, if you have it, walnut oil is lovely)

1/8 teaspoon kosher salt (you don’t need much, since the lentils were cooked in salted water)

1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 small turnip, peeled and diced

1 carrot, peeled and diced

1 cucumber, peeled and diced

1 green onion, minced

3 tablespoons chopped fresh dill

3 ounces crumbled goat cheese (crumble it while it’s cold, so a little bit can go a long way)  

To cook the lentils, combine the water, onion, celery, garlic, bay leaf, and salt in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, and simmer, covered, about 15 minutes. Add the lentils, return to a simmer, and cook just until the lentils are tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Pour the lentil mixture into a large shallow dish and let cool to room temperature. Drain the lentil mixture and discard the onion, celery, garlic, and bay leaf.

To make the salad, whisk together the vinegar, olive oil, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. Add the lentils, turnip, carrot, cucumber, green onion, and dill and stir to combine. Serve the salad at once, or store refrigerated for up to 3 days. The salad tastes better at room temperature, so if you do make it ahead, let it sit out of the refrigerator for about 30 minutes before serving. Taste the salad before serving; it may need another splash of vinegar to brighten the flavor. Sprinkle the salad with the goat cheese just before you serve it.

Each serving: 21 g carbohydrate, 177 calories, 7 g fat, 3 g saturated fat, 11 mg cholesterol, 5 g fiber, 10 g protein, 255 mg sodium

Carb Choices: 1 1/2; Exchanges: 1 starch, 1 veg, 1plant-based protein, 1/2 fat

Asian Chicken Salad

                Today I had a craving for a crunchy salad but I wanted something salty, too, so I made this fresh Asian Chicken Salad for lunch. The dressing and marinade are made with salty Asian fish sauce, tart lime juice, and spicy chili-garlic paste. It’s a refreshing but filling springtime lunch. If you’re watching your sodium, this salad—or anything made with Asian fish sauce—is definitely an occasional treat.

The pretty greens in my salad are from my local farmers market, from Monkshood Nursery and Gardens in Stuyvesant, New York. Any greens will work here—you can try mesclun, baby spinach, bibb lettuce, or romaine.

Asian Chicken Salad

Makes 2 servings

marinade and dressing

2 tablespoons Asian fish sauce

1 teaspoon grated lime zest

3 tablespoons lime juice

2 tablespoons cold water

1 tablespoon canola oil

1 teaspoon sugar

1 clove garlic, crushed through a press

1/4 teaspoon chili-garlic paste

salad

2 (4- to 5-ounce) boneless skinless chicken breasts

1 teaspoon canola oil

8 cherry tomatoes, halved

4 cups mixed salad greens of any type

2 radishes, thinly sliced

2 green onions, thinly sliced

1/2 carrot, peeled and shredded

1/2 of a hothouse cucumber, peeled and thinly sliced

1/2 cup fresh cilantro sprigs

To make the marinade and dressing, combine all the ingredients in a small bowl and whisk until the sugar dissolves.

Place the chicken in a small shallow dish and add 2 tablespoons of the marinade. Turn the chicken to coat, cover snugly with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 2 hours and up to 8 hours. Cover and refrigerate the remaining marinade, which will be used as a dressing on the salad.

To make the salad, heat a medium nonstick skillet over medium-hgih heat. Add the canola oil and tilt the pan to coat the bottom. Remove the chicken from the marinade and discard the marinade. Place the chicken in the skillet and cook until the juices run clear, 3 to 4 minutes on each side. Transfer to a cutting board and let stand about 5 minutes.

While the chicken cooks, combine the tomatoes, greens, radishes, green onions, carrot, cucumber, and cilantro sprigs in a large bowl and toss to combine.

To serve the salads, drizzle the tomato mixture with about 2 tablespoons of the reserved marinade and toss to coat. Divide the mixture among two plates. Top evenly with the chicken. Drizzle the chicken with the reserved marinade and serve at once.  

Each serving: 12 g carbohydrate, 251 calories, 10 g fat, 1 g saturated fat, 63 mg cholesterol, 4 g fiber, 27 g protein, 1181 mg sodium

Carb Choices: 1; Exchanges: 2 vegetable, 3 lean protein, 1 1/2 fat

Great Find: Whole Wheat Pearl Couscous

I’ve seen whole wheat pearl couscous at my local supermarket, but just got around to trying it this weekend. I’m sold on it. It’s delicious, is a good source of fiber, and cooks in boiling water in less than 10 minutes.

This is my first experiment, but the couscous would be good not only in springtime salads such as this one, but in soups, too. It would make an easy side dish on its own tossed with a little olive oil, salt, and pepper, or you could fancy it up with sautéed onions and garlic and some fresh herbs. A great find for making healthy meals in a hurry!

Pearl Couscous and Cucumber Salad

Makes 4 servings

3/4 cup whole wheat pearl couscous

1 medium lemon

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Pinch of freshly ground pepper

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

2 radishes, diced

1 thin scallion, thinly sliced

1/2 of a hothouse cucumber, peeled and diced

1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley

Bring a medium saucepan of water to a boil and stir in the couscous. Return to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer until the couscous is tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Drain in a colander and rinse under cold running water until cool. Drain well.

While the couscous cooks, grate the zest from the lemon and place it in a medium bowl. Squeeze the juice from the lemon and add to the zest. Add the salt and pepper, then slowly whisk in the olive oil. Add the radishes, scallion, cucumber, and parsley. Add the couscous and toss to coat. Serve at once or cover and refrigerate up to 2 days.

Each serving: 23 g carbohydrate, 149 calories, 4 g fat, 1 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 4 g fiber, 5 g protein, 150 mg sodium

Carb Choices: 1 1/2; Exchanges: 1 1/2 starch, 1 fat

Note: Use your imagination and what’s on hand to vary this easy salad. Add canned garbanzo or cannellini beans; canned tuna or salmon; diced chicken or shrimp; diced bell pepper, fresh fennel, or summer squash; or crumbled feta cheese.