ONCE upon a time, in a kingdom of boring food, the word "salad" meant chopped iceberg lettuce studded with bits of tomato and, if you were lucky, some cucumber.
Thankfully, those days are gone. Variations on the salad theme are plenty. A popular trend is to make a grain the star of the show, such as quinoa, couscous (though technically it's a pasta rather than a grain), spelt, barley, bulgur and more.
Grain salads are a good way to add substance to a dinner of fish or chicken, or they can be a vegetarian meal option all on their own.
QUINOA SALAD WITH CUCUMBERS AND FETA CHEESE
Make this a couple of hours ahead of serving to allow flavours to develop.
1½ cups quinoa, rinsed well 3 cups water
2 cups diced, peeled and seeded English cucumber
1 red bell pepper, cored and chopped
¼ cup thinly sliced green onions
¼ cup finely chopped red onion
¼ cup each finely chopped fresh dill and cilantro
½ cup pitted Kalamata olives, sliced or left whole, plus additional whole olives to
garnish
2 ?3 cup crumbled Feta cheese
Halved cherry or grape tomatoes to garnish
Dressing:
1 ?3 cup olive oil
¼ cup balsamic vinegar
2 Tbsp honey
1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Place quinoa and water in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil; reduce heat, cover and simmer for 15 minutes or until water is absorbed. Place in a large bowl, fluff with a fork and allow to cool to room temperature. While quinoa is cooling, whisk together all dressing ingredients until well blended.
Pat the chopped cucumber dry with paper towels; add the chopped vegetables, herbs, olives and cheese to the cooled quinoa and toss gently to combine. Drizzle the dressing over top and toss gently. Taste and adjust seasoning if desired. Cover bowl and refrigerate until serving; garnish with halved tomatoes, additional olives and a sprinkling of chopped cilantro. Makes six servings.
BARLEY SALAD WITH CHICKEN AND CURRIED YOGURT DRESSING
This is particularly good served slightly warm.
1 cup chopped cooked chicken
1¼ cups pearl barley, rinsed
1 cup cooked, shelled edamame (frozen variety is fine)
6 dried apricots, chopped
1 small red bell pepper, chopped ½ cup sliced almonds, toasted
6 Tbsp plain Greek-style yogurt
3 Tbsp mayonnaise
1 tsp curry powder (use more or less according to taste)
Juice of half a lemon Salt and freshly ground pepper
Rinse the barley several times in cold water. Place in a medium saucepan and cover with three to four inches of water and a large pinch of salt. Bring to a boil over high heat; reduce heat and simmer for about 20 minutes, or until barley is soft but still slightly chewy.
Drain in a colander and set aside. In a large bowl, whisk together the yogurt, mayonnaise, curry powder and lemon juice until well blended. Add the barley, chicken, edamame, red pepper and apricots. Stir gently until ingredients are well coated with the dressing. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle toasted almonds over top and serve right away. Makes four-six servings.
COUSCOUS SALAD WITH Roasted Vegetables
2 cups couscous
2 cups boiling hot chicken stock 6 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
½ cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes
3 Tbsp purchased basil pesto
3 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
Salt and freshly ground pepper
½ cup shredded Parmesan cheese Roasted vegetables:
2 small zucchini, sliced
2 small yellow summer squash, sliced
1 red pepper, seeded and cut into pieces
8 brown mushrooms, quartered
2 cloves of garlic, minced
½ cup of sliced red onion
2 cups of sliced asparagus (tough ends
removed, cut into 1½-inch pieces) Olive oil and balsamic vinegar
Put the couscous in a large bowl; pour the hot stock over top and stir gently to evenly moisten couscous. Cover bowl and let sit until liquid is absorbed and couscous has softened, about five to 10 minutes. Leave bowl covered and set aside. Preheat oven to 400 degrees; place all vegetables, except asparagus, on a greased, rimmed baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil; toss gently to combine.
Roast for 10 minutes, then add the asparagus and roast for an additional 15 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Sprinkle cooked vegetables with a little balsamic vinegar. Fluff the cooked couscous with a fork; mix together the olive oil, sun-dried tomatoes, pesto and balsamic vinegar. Pour mixture over couscous and toss to mix evenly. Taste and add salt and pepper as required. Add the roasted vegetables and toss to combine; sprinkle shredded Parmesan over top. This can be served warm or at room temperature. Makes eight servings.
Angela Shellard is a self-described foodie. She has done informal catering for sports and business functions. Contact: ashellard@ hotmail.ca.
