Summer Dinner

Jim and Mike visited my humble abode for a lovely dinner earlier in the summer. The boys brought a Southwestern chopped salad with cilantro dressing that I'd seen on Pinterest. The Garden Grazer is responsible for the recipe. This is the first time I've encountered it, but it boasts some wonderful vegetarian recipes.

Southwestern chopped salad

Southwestern Chopped Salad with Cilantro-Lime Dressing

SALAD

Ingredients

Large head of romaine
15 oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 large orange bell pepper
1 pint cherry tomatoes
2 cups corn (I used frozen, thawed)
5 green onions
Creamy Cilantro-Lime Dressing 



Directions
Finely chop romaine, bell pepper, tomatoes, and green onions.
Place all ingredients in a large bowl and stir to combine.
Toss with desired dressing.

DRESSING
Ingredients
1 cup loosely packed cilantro, stems removed and roughly chopped
1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
2 Tbsp. fresh lime juice (about 1/2 lime)
1-2 garlic cloves
1/4 cup olive oil
1 1/2 tsp. white wine vinegar
1/8 tsp. salt

Directions
Puree all ingredients in a blender or food processor until smooth.
Taste and adjust seasonings if necessary.

For the main entree, I made cilantro grilled chicken from Marshalls Abroad, and for sides, potato salad and lentil salad. Unfortunately, I neglected to snap a photo. Sorry! Overall, I thought it was good, but it needs a little kick--like more chiles or ginger or both.

Cilantro Grilled Chicken

{serves 4}

2 lbs chicken tenderloins {about 15 pieces}
1 C honey
4 TBS EVOO
4 TBS soy sauce
3 lemons worth of juice + zest from each
6 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp. sea salt and pepper, each, + more for taste
2 chili peppers, diced with seeds
1 generously large handful of fresh cilantro leaves

Rinse the chicken and pat dry. Set aside. Combine all of the ingredients for the marinade in a medium-sized bowl. Optional: remove about 1/2 C to pour over the top of the chicken once cooked. Toss the chicken in the marinade bowl and either cover and refrigerate, or pour the contents into a freezer bag to marinate. Keep in the refrigerator for aleast an hour, though overnight is best. Cook directly on a heated grill for 3-5 minutes on each side until cooked through and grill marks form. 

Lentil salad

The lentil salad I made hails from A Sweet Pea Chef.

Cold Lentil Salad

1 cup lentils, uncooked
1 tbsp. olive oil
2 tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tbsp. red wine vinegar
2 green onions, chopped
2 tbsp. Italian parsley, chopped
1/4 small red onion, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
kosher salt, to taste
ground black pepper, to taste

Directions

Add enough water to fully cover lentils in a deep pot and cook, covered, over medium-high heat for 30-45 minutes, or until tender (but not falling apart). Drain, rinse with cold water and set aside.

In a small mixing bowl, whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, garlic and vinegar. Set aside.

In a medium mixing bowl, combine cooked lentils, green onions, parsley, red onion and carrot. Drizzle olive oil mixture over salad and toss well. Season to taste with kosher salt and ground black pepper, if desired.

Refrigerate, covered, for at least 30-45 minutes to chill, preferably 2-3 hours to allow flavors to meld.

Lacey at A Sweet Pea Chef was nice enough to compile the health benefits of lentils:

Health Benefits of Lentils

• Lentils are very rich in protein, folic acid, and both soluble and insoluble dietary fiber.
• Lentils are very high in Vitamin C, the B vitamins and contain 8 of the essential amino acids.
• Lentils contain many valuable trace minerals.
• Lentils are one of the highest sources of antioxidants found in legumes.
• Ummm…they are quite tasty.

What does this mean for you?

• Reduced Risk of Heart Disease: Studies have found that people who eat high fiber legumes, like lentils, have a reduced risk of heart disease.
• Stabilize Blood Sugar: Lentils help in regulating blood sugar by providing steady, slow-burning energy and balancing blood sugar levels from the high fiber content.
• Replenish Iron Within Your Body: Lentils are loaded with iron and are great for people who don’t eat red meat (like vegans and vegetarians).
• Healthy Functioning of the Nervous, Digestive, and Immune Systems: Lentils are a great source of B vitamins, most notably folate and niacin (B3).
• Lower Cholesterol: Lentils are a great cholesterol-lowering food due to their high levels of fiber.
• Protein Packed: 26% of the calories in lentils are from protein and they have the third highest level of protein than any other plant food.

Purply potatoes

For the potato salad, I used Deborah Madison's Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone's picnic potato salad with marjoram and pickled onions as a guideline. I'm unusual in that I don't like the mayonnaise- or mustard-based potato salads. I prefer ones with a vinegar base.

Potato salad

Picnic Potato Salad

-1 lg. red onion, finely diced

-1/2 c. apple cider vinegar

-s&p

-1/2 c. olive oil

-3 lbs. boiling or waxy potatoes

-2 Tbsp. Dijon mustard

-3 lg. garlic cloves, pounded or pressed

-3 Tbsp. capers, rinsed

-1 bell pepper, finely diced

-4 celery ribs or 1 fennel bulb, finely diced

-3 Tbsp. chopped marjoram

-1 Tbsp. chopped thyme or lemon thyme

Put the diced onion in a strainer. Bring a kettle of water to a boil and pour it slowly over the onion. Shake the onion dry and put it in a large salad bowl. Add the vinegar, 1 tsp. salt, several grinds of pepper, the oil, and set aside.

Cook the potatoes, then peel and slice them. While still warm, add them to the onion along with the mustard, garlic, and capers. Toss gently with a rubber spatula. Add the bell pepper, celery, and herbs and toss once more. Taste for salt and grind in plenty of pepper.

Full disclosure: I didn't pickle the onions, omitted the marjoram, thyme, and capers, and instead added black olives and dill, although I think thyme would be perfectly lovely in this. Also, rather than slicing, I cubed the potatoes, and I like to buy organic potatoes and leave the skins on.