Barley and Black Bean Salad

Barley and Black Bean Salad

3 cups cooked pot or pearl barley
3-4 cups cooked, drained black beans
1 1/2 cups corn kernels
1 cup peas

1 medium red onion, chopped

2 medium tomatoes, chopped

large handful of cilantro, chopped

2 cloves of garlic, finely minced

1 teaspoon cumin

salt and pepper, to taste

juice of 1 to 1 1/2 limes

1-2 tablespoons olive oil

2 small avocados

Add everything except avocado to a large bowl and toss gently. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Add chopped avocado to salad just before serving.

Serves 6-8.

Tarragon Chicken and Leeks

4 skinless boneless chicken breast halves (about 1 pound)
1 cup sliced leeks (about 2 medium)
3/4 cup evaporated skim milk
1 TBS Dijon mustard
1 1/2 tsp chopped fresh tarragon or 1/2 tsp dried tarragon leaves
1 tsp cornstarch

Spray 10-inch skillet with nonstick cooking spray. Cook chicken breast halves in skillet over medium heat 12 to 14 minutes, turning once until juices run clear. Remove chicken from skillet; keep warm.

Cook leeks in skillet about 3 minutes, stirring frequently, until crisp-tender. Mix remaining ingredients, stir into leeks. Heat to boiling, stirring occasionally. Boil and stir 1 minute until slightly thickened. Add chicken; heat through.

Bulgur and Orange Salad

1/3 cup uncooked bulgur
3/4 cup chopped orange sections (about 1 orange)
3/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/2 cup chopped tomato (about 1 small)
1/2 cup chopped onion (about 1 medium)
2 TBS lemon juice
2 tsp grated orange peel
2 tsp olive oil
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/8 tsp crushed red pepper

Cook bulgur as directed on package except omit salt. Toss bulgar and remaining ingredients in glass or plastic bowl. Cover and refrigerate about 2 hours or until chilled.

Toasted Barley with Mixed Vegetables

1/2 cup uncooked pearl barley
1/2 chopped red onion (about 1/2 medium)
1/4 cup sliced mushrooms
1/4 cup sliced carrot
1/4 cup chopped green pepper
1 TBS chopped fresch or 2 tsp dried dill weed
1/3 tsp salt
1 can (14 oz) chicken broth
1/2 cup chopped green onions (2 to 3 medium)

Spray 10-inch nonstick skillet with nonstick cooking spray. Cook barley in skillet over medium high heat 8 minutes, stirring constantly, until light brown. Stir in remaining ingredients except green onions. Heat to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and simmer about 50 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Sprinkle with green onions before serving.

Zucchini - Cilantro Dip

1 1/2 cups shredded zucchini (about 2 small)
1 cup nonfat cottage cheese
1/2 cup chopped green onions (2 to 3 medium)
2 TBS chopped fresh cilantro leaves
2 TBS lemon juice
1/4 tsp pepper
1 clove garlic, finely chopped

Place 3/4 cup of the zucchini and the remaining ingredients into a blender or food processor. Cover and blend until smooth. Remove from blender and stir in the remaining zucchini. Cover and refrigerate 4 hours. Makes about 2 cups of dip.

Dhal Masala

1 1/2 cup yellow split peas
1/3 teaspoon turmeric
2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup ghee
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 1/2 cup finely chopped onions
1/4 teaspoon red pepper
2 tablespoon chopped coriander leaves



Wash peas well. Place in a bowl, cover with hot water & let sit for an hour. Drain. Place in a large pot, add 4 1/2 cups water & throw in the turmeric. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to medium low, partially cover & simmer for 45 minutes. Remove from heat, beat with a wire whisk till the mixture is finely pureed. Stir in salt & set aside.

When ready to serve, simmer puree over low heat till piping hot. Heat ghee in a skillet over medium high heat. When very hot, add cumin seeds & fry for 10 seconds. Lower heat, add onions & fry for 20 minutes, stirring constantly to prevent burning. Stir in red pepper & immediately pour in to the puree. Garnish with coriander.

Serve with a potato dish, rice & bread.

Dhal with Curry

Ingredients:

1/2 lb. lentils (red, yellow, green or brown), washed
2 cups water, add more as needed
1 large onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
4 T. butter or ghee
1 T. ground coriander
1 tsp. ground turmeric
1 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. American chili powder (like used in Chili con Carne)
2 T. curry powder
apple cider vinegar (don't skip this ingredient - makes ALL the difference!)
salt, to taste

Cook lentils in water until soft (about 1/2hr). Fry onion and garlic in butter or ghee until soft & golden. Mix all the spices together in a small bowl, add vinegar to make a thick paste (add a bit at a time....will take more than you expect). Add spice-vinegar paste to onions & garlic and fry all together, until aromas are fully developed (don't burn). Add the cooked drained lentils, salt to taste and simmer gently for a few minutes, until warmed through. Serve hot over rice or with pita bread.

Curry Mustard

Most of these measurements are approximate, and the recipe only makes a small amount of mustard, but you can obviously increase the amounts as needed. Then again, this stuff is so flavorful that a little goes a long way.

2 tsp. mayonnaise
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
1 tsp. honey
1/4 tsp. curry powder

Mix together well, and add to whatever! Great on sandwiches, but also great on rice and black beans! Also makes a tasty dip for veggies.