Fresh & Crisp

Salads

Legume Salad

1
Trim the lower ends of the cilantro stems, untie the bunch, and wash. Chop the cilantro and set aside.
2
Drain the canned garbanzo beans and cannellini beans and add them to a large bowl.
3
Cook the green lentils: place them in a pot with water to cover by about 1/4 inch. Set over medium-low heat, uncovered, until just cooked through — be careful not to overcook, or they'll fall apart. Drain and rinse gently with cold water.
4
Once the lentils have cooled, add them to the large bowl.
5
Wash the cucumber (peel it if you like — the skin can be a bit thick). Cut it in half lengthwise, cut each half into three or four sections lengthwise, then cut those into small squares.
6
Add the cucumber to the bowl.
7
Cook the quinoa: place it in a small pot with water to cover by about 1/4 inch. Set over medium-low heat, uncovered, until cooked through (you'll notice the white part showing). Drain carefully in a strainer with small holes and let it cool.
8
Add the quinoa to the large bowl.
9
Cut the tomatoes in half and add them to the bowl.
10
Add the black olives to the bowl.
11
Add the cilantro to the mix.
12
Add the lemon juice, along with salt and pepper, and mix well with the rest of the bowl's contents.
13
Refrigerate before serving, if you'd like.
14
Crumble the feta cheese on top of the salad.

Photo coming soon

1
Wash the potatoes and place them in a pot, with water covering them by about 1/4 inch over the top.
2
Place the covered pot over medium-low heat until the potatoes are fully cooked. You can gently poke the center of each potato with a fork to see if it easily goes through.
3
Once the potatoes are fully cooked, remove from heat, place in a strainer, and rinse with cold water. Let them sit until cool.
4
Peel the potatoes and cut into large squares, then place in a large bowl.
5
Wash the dill, trim the bottom ends of the stems, and chop into 1-inch lengths. Add the dill to the potatoes.
6
Cut the lemons in half, remove the seeds, and squeeze the juice into a small bowl.
7
Add the olive oil, salt, and pepper to the lemon juice and whisk.
8
Add the juice mixture to the bowl with the potatoes and dill, and mix well.
9
Place the salad into a serving bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Photo coming soon

1
Wash the eggplants and poke holes in several places with a sharp knife — this will prevent them from exploding on the grill.
2
Wash and dry the tomatoes and the jalapeño pepper.
3
Peel and dice the onion and set aside.
4
Wash all the herbs and chop into 1/4-inch pieces, then add them to the chopped onion.
5
Place the eggplants, tomatoes, and jalapeño on the grill over medium-low heat. Cover the grill to let them cook through.
6
Once one side is grilled, turn them over so all sides grill evenly without burning.
7
Place the grilled jalapeño and tomatoes in a bowl. Place the grilled eggplants in a deep dish.
8
Gently remove the skin and core from the tomatoes. Place the tomatoes in a separate bowl and cut into small pieces (do not discard the juice).
9
Remove the skin and stem from the jalapeño, add it to the bowl with the chopped tomatoes, and cut it into small pieces.
10
Cut the eggplants in half lengthwise and flip each half over, without separating them.
11
Gently remove the flesh from each half of the eggplant with a spoon and add it to the bowl with the tomatoes and pepper. Shred the eggplant with a fork and spoon, making sure it doesn't include any of the skin.
12
Add the chopped onion and herbs to the mix, along with the olive oil, salt, and pepper. Mix well.
13
Transfer the salad to a serving bowl.

My staple salad, which I serve with almost every dish.

Photo coming soon

1
Wash the lettuce, tomatoes, and cucumber thoroughly and set aside.
2
Cut the romaine hearts into 2-inch pieces and place them in a large bowl.
3
Slice or cut the tomatoes into 1/2-inch-thick pieces and add to the bowl.
4
Peel the cucumber and cut it lengthwise in half, leaving the bottom intact, then slice it into 1.5-inch pieces and add to the bowl.
5
Slice half of the red or white onion lengthwise, from root to top, coring out the root, then add to the bowl.
6
Sprinkle the crushed dried mint over the salad, add the olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and pepper, and mix well.

You can cut the ingredients to whatever size you prefer — this is just how I do it.
This salad is best served immediately, to prevent the ingredients from becoming soft.