Hardy Spring Salad

When fresh greens come, they really come! Not complain’….just say’n. For me, I so enjoy a fresh salad on a warm spring day. Having picked a bucket full of spinach and kale, I needed to find ways to use them. After all, who wants the fruits of their labor to go into the compost? Not me!

The inspiration for this salad came while out and about and stopping for some dinner. Eating out is a treat, especially if I really enjoy the experience and the food. Many times, I try to duplicate it once I’m home because I enjoyed it so much I wanted to have those flavors again. This recipe is definitely different, but delicious, nevertheless. Let me know if you like it.

Hardy Spring Salad 

Ingredients:

• ½ cup organic black lentils

• ½ cup organic quinoa

• 1 ½ cups water

• 1 tsp salt

• 4 cups chopped kale and spinach

• 1 small onion, chopped

• 1 tomato, diced

• 1 can organic chickpeas, drained and rinsed

• Feta cheese

• Small bunch of fresh cilantro, chopped

 Directions:

1. Add 1 ½ cups water and salt along with lentils into a medium pot.  Cook on medium until just boiling.  Reduce heat.  Cook for 10 minutes, then add quinoa. Continue cooking until lentils and quinoa are tender, about 15 minutes or until liquid is absorbed

2. While lentils are cooking, chop kale and spinach into small pieces, set aside.

3. Chop onion and tomato, set aside.

4. Remove lentils and quinoa from the pot and add to a large salad bowl.

5. Add 4-5 TBSP dressing (see below), mixing well.  Allow to cool for about 5-10 minutes.

6. Drain and rinse chickpeas.

7. Assemble salad into a large bowl from bottom to the top as follows:

   a.     Lentils and quinoa

   b.     Kale and spinach

   c.     Chickpeas

   d.     Onion and tomato

   e.     Cilantro & Feta

8. Sprinkle dressing over salad, keeping some to add to preferred taste

9. Serve immediately.  Left overs will keep for 2-3 days.

Dressing:

• ½ cup olive oil

• ¼ balsamic vinegar

• 2 TBSP mustard

• 2 TBSP honey

• ¼ tsp garlic powder

Combine all ingredients and serve.

Polenta Casserole

I can’t begin to tell you how much I love Moosewood.  For those who don’t know what Moosewood is, it’s a restaurant located in Ithaca, NY.  Home of Cornell University and Ithaca College, Moosewood is best known for their vegetarian menu that is derived new each day.  Ingredients are purchased locally and in season to bring out the best in each dish served.  While visiting friends in Ithaca, I entered Moosewood because it was on the top ten things to do while there.  After dinner, I purchased five cookbooks.  I kept two and gave each of my three daughters a cookbook of their own. The best part is the ingredients are “normal” goods a typical cook will have on hand.  To me, that is key to ease of preparing meals in a timely manner. 

I’ve made this dish many times, and it’s a family favorite.  Over the course of preparation, I have omitted some of the cheese as it calls for more.  Fee free to add more if you like, I’m trying to cut down on cheese as a personal preference.  Dairy is a known inflammatory agent which has been linked to many chronic diseases.  By the way, it is still delicious without the extra calories and fat of the extra cheese!

Polenta Casserole

Polenta:

• 4 cups water

• ½ tsp salt

• 2 TBS olive oil

• ½ tsp dried oregano

• ¼ tsp red pepper flakes

• 1 ½ cups cornmeal

• (½ cup shredded Parmesan cheese)

Vegetables:

• 2 garlic cloves, minced or pressed (set aside for at least 10 minutes)

• 2 TBS olive oil

• 2 cups chopped onions

• 1 tsp salt

• ½ tsp dried oregano

• ¼ tsp ground black pepper

• 3 cups stemmed and chopped kale or spinach or combination of both

• 3 cups sliced mushrooms, white or cremini

• 1 cup shredded mozzarella or mild provolone cheese, or a mixture of both (2 cups in original recipe)

• 1 cup diced fresh tomatoes

• 1/3 cup fresh basil

• (½ cup shredded Parmesan cheese)

Directions:

Put the water, salt, olive oil, oregano, and red pepper flakes in a heavy-bottomed pot and bring to a boil.  Whisk in the cornmeal as you pour into the boiling water in a steady stream. Bring back to a boil; reduce the heat to a very low simmer, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the texture is smooth and creamy, 15-20 minutes.  Remove from the heat and stir in the Parmesan cheese, if using.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and oil a 13x9x2-inch baking pan.  Spread the polenta evenly in the pan and set it aside while you prepare the vegetables.

In a large pot or skillet on medium heat, warm the oil.  Add the onions, garlic, salt, oregano, and black pepper, cover and cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Stir in the mushrooms and cook covered, about 5 minutes.  Add greens, still until combined.  Cook, covered, until the greens have wilted.  Remove from heat and set aside.

Assemble instructions:

Sprinkle ½ cup of mozzarella over the polenta. Spread the cooked vegetables evenly on top.  In a small bowl, mix together the tomatoes and basil and then spread the mixture on top of the cooked vegetables.  Finally sprinkle the remaining ½ cup mozzarella evenly over the tomato-basil layer. 

Cover the casserole dish and bake for 10 minutes.  Uncover and bake until the cheese is golden brown and the casserole is thoroughly hot, about 10 more minutes.  Let the casserole sit for 10 minutes before serving.

Serves 6-8

Prep time: 45 minutes

Baking time: 20 minutes

Adapted from Moosewood Restaurants Favorites