salads

Healthy food Harvey won’t eat

You can really put anything in a quinoa salad, depending on your taste. (photo from flickr / Marco Verch Professional Photographer)

Until recently, I had a very casual relationship with healthy foods. Neither me nor the veggies/tofu/fruit could commit. But now we’re besties. Not that I have eschewed chips, Cheezies and chocolate, by any means. I’m just branching out.

For decades, my meals could be described as culinary grenades just waiting to go off. If I tried to make something new, it was sure to result in one of two things: either Harvey or I would end up with food poisoning, or the meal would be so unspeakably disastrous that we’d have to go out for dinner or order in.

Then the pandemic happened. With restaurants closed and/or my anxiety in high gear about being around crowds who might spread COVID, we ate at home almost all the time. It came down to this: I could spend eternity eating the same three dishes, or I could start expanding my culinary repertoire (I use the word repertoire lightly). In hindsight, I could have boycotted the kitchen entirely. As it was, I was relying on Harvey to pick up the slack more than half the time, and I didn’t feel that was fair. What I’m trying to say is that I basically kitchen-shamed myself. Looking at friends’ food posts on Instagram and Facebook made me feel unspeakably inadequate. How had I gotten to my late 60s without being able to easily conjure up at least a dozen go-to dishes for dinner on any given night? That’s a rhetorical question, by the way.

Whereas I used to consider my dearth of cooking skills a life choice, now I realize how essential those skills are. Plus, I got tired of eating chicken, beef, fish. There are only so many ways to jazz up that same limited rotation. It was getting old, and so am I.

Enter quinoa, or what a nutritionist I knew once described as “the most complete non-animal protein on the planet.” It’s high in fibre, low in sodium, high in calcium, potassium, iron, magnesium and zinc. And it’s naturally gluten-free. Basically it’s a superfood. Just remember to rinse and drain quinoa well before cooking in order to remove any saponins, which have a bitter, soap-like taste.

It took awhile to be convinced of quinoa’s intrinsic goodness, especially given its unusual smell while cooking. But little by little I warmed up to it, and now it’s indisputably one of my favourite foods. Harvey, however, would rather have the combo platter of a colonoscopy and a dental implant than eat quinoa. We all make choices.

One of my favourite quinoa dishes is a simple salad that could also serve as a main dish, depending on how much stuff you add to it. To make enough for two solid meals, I’ll use about two cups of cooked quinoa (Google directions for cooking), diced cucumber, fresh blueberries and fresh mint, cut up. In the summer I add diced up mango. I’ve also been known to add canned chickpeas, diced tomatoes and pine nuts. I’ve seen recipes that include bell peppers, red onion, grated carrots, dried cranberries, and a variety of herbs. You can really put anything in there, depending on your taste. To boost the animal protein content, you could add tuna, salmon or chicken as well.

What elevates this salad to the next level is the dressing you put on it. In my pre-cooking days, I used to think that olive oil was enough to render any salad palatable. Expanding my dressing and sauces repertoire has resulted in much yummier salads. Here are four dressing options I use regularly.

HONEY MUSTARD DRESSING

1 tbsp grainy Dijon mustard
2 tsp honey
2 tbsp olive oil
juice of 1/2 a lemon
salt and pepper to taste

Combine mustard, honey and lemon juice and whisk them together. Then whisk in the olive oil. Voila!

SESAME GINGER DRESSING

1/2 tsp ground ginger
1 1/2 tbsp maple syrup
2 1/2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tsp white vinegar or rice wine vinegar
1 tsp sesame oil
1/2 tsp sesame seeds
juice of 2 limes

Whisk all ingredients together and enjoy this savoury dressing.

LEMON DRESSING

1/4 cup olive oil
grated zest from 1 medium lemon
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 medium clove garlic, minced
1 tsp grainy Dijon mustard
1 tsp honey
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp ground black pepper

Whisk ingredients together and enjoy!

CAPER VINAIGRETTE

1 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tsp grainy Dijon mustard
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tbsp capers, drained and chopped (or more, to taste)
3 tbsp finely chopped flat leaf parsley
1/4 cup plus 2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp ground pepper
1/4 tsp salt

Combine all ingredients. This one is a very versatile dressing. I often use it on baked salmon and it’s delicious. It works well on chicken, too. I love capers, so I always add loads, but that’s a taste thing.

Check out Food and Wine magazine’s online suggestions for five ways to dress a quinoa salad at foodandwine.com/grains/quinoa/5-ways-dress-quinoa-salad. They venture into more unusual flavour profiles than I’d be willing to try, but for those of you who are more culinarily adventurous, go for it!

Quinoa is the true tabula rasa of foods, since it’s rarely eaten on its own, and it’s never usually the star of the show. It gets its street cred from its supporting cast of veggies, fruits, proteins and dressings. It can be cast for breakfasts, lunches, dinners or snacks, and it’s equally happy served hot or cold. Unlike some prima donna foods, it doesn’t complain about about uninvited guests. It plays well in the sandbox, and you rarely have to call its parents to come pick it up from school for bad behaviour. I have only good things to say about quinoa, even though it sometimes gets an undeservedly bad rap. And, bonus, it lasts well in the fridge for a good week, unadorned. Case closed. Eat your quinoa.

Shelley Civkin, aka the Accidental Balabusta, is a happily retired librarian and communications officer. For 17 years, she wrote a weekly book review column for the Richmond Review. She’s currently a freelance writer and volunteer.

Add a spinach salad to menu

Spinach may have originated 2,000 years ago in Persia but it is native to central and western Asia. Now widely popular, there are many tasty ways to prepare it. In addition, its health benefits are many, especially if eaten raw, so here are a few recipes for a healthy new year.

MY FAVOURITE SPINACH SALAD
(4 servings)

4 cups fresh, chopped spinach
6-8 halved cherry tomatoes
2 medium, sliced kohlrabi
2 grated hard-boiled eggs

dressing
1/2 tsp minced onion
1 crushed garlic clove
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 tsp sugar
1/8 tsp paprika
dash dry mustard
dash celery seeds
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tbsp + 1 tsp olive oil
1 1/2 tsp water

In a salad bowl, combine spinach, cherry tomatoes, kohlrabi and eggs. Set aside.
In a jar, combine dressing ingredients, close and shake well.
Dress salad just before serving.

CRUNCHY SPINACH SALAD
(4 servings)

4 cups torn spinach
1 cup fresh bean sprouts
1/2 cup sliced and drained water chestnuts
2 chopped hard-boiled eggs

dressing
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 1/2 tbsp red wine vinegar
2 1/2 tbsp ketchup
1 1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce

In a salad bowl, combine spinach, bean sprouts, water chestnuts and eggs.
In a bottle or jar, combine dressing ingredients. Cover and shake well to mix.
Before serving, pour dressing over salad and toss.

SPINACH SALAD DRESSING
(This salad dressing recipe is from P.J. Clarke’s in New York, which was founded in 1884. The bar was once a saloon owned by Patrick J. Clarke, an Irish immigrant who was hired in the early 1900s and, after about 10 years working there, bought the bar and changed the name. It has had other owners since then and now has multiple locations.)

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1 large egg yolk or 1 tbsp mayonnaise
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp dry mustard
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/4 tsp sugar
1 small chopped garlic clove
1 cup olive oil

Blend all ingredients except oil in a food processor until smooth.
With motor running, add oil in a stream and blend. Transfer to a jar, cover and keep chilled until serving.

Sybil Kaplan is a journalist, editor of nine kosher cookbooks (working on a 10th) and a food writer living in Jerusalem. She has written the kosher restaurant features for janglo.net since 2014 and leads weekly English-language Shuk Walks in Machane Yehuda.

Picnic sandwiches and salads

(photo from vancouversnorthshore.com)

The sandwich as we know it was created in England in 1762 by John Montagu, the fourth Earl of Sandwich, a British statesman and gambler. He asked for a serving of roast beef to be placed between two slices of bread so he could eat with his hands and not have to get up from the table when he was playing cards or gambling. Here are some sandwiches good for your table – or a picnic.

MIDDLE EASTERN PITA SANDWICH
(makes eight sandwiches)

1 15-ounce can chickpeas
1 tbsp lemon juice
1/4 cup chopped onions
1 minced garlic clove
2 tsp vegetable oil
1/4 cup tahini
1/2 cup toasted sesame seeds
8 pieces pita
shredded lettuce
sliced olives
chopped tomatoes
chopped dill pickles

Drain chickpeas and reserve three tablespoons of liquid.
Place chickpeas, liquid and lemon juice in a blender or food processor and blend until pureed.
Heat oil in a frying pan and sauté onion and garlic until tender.
Combine pureed chickpeas, onion-garlic mixture, tahini and sesame seeds in a bowl.
Split pita and fill with chickpea mixture. Add any of the accompaniments: lettuce, olives, tomatoes and/or pickles.

TUNA SANDWICH
(makes two cups)

6 tbsp cream cheese
1 cup sour cream
7/8 cup flaked tuna
2 tbsp finely chopped onions or scallions
2 tsp horseradish
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce

Beat cream cheese and sour cream in a bowl until fluffy.
Add tuna, onion, horseradish and Worcestershire sauce and blend.
Let stand in refrigerator at least two hours. Remove and spread on bread or rolls.

GAZPACHO SANDWICHES
(makes eight servings)

8 round hard rolls
butter or margarine
4 medium or 6 small thinly sliced tomatoes
2 thinly sliced cucumbers
4 tbsp minced green peppers
2 tbsp minced onions
oil-and-vinegar dressing

Cut tops from rolls and remove some bread from the tops and bottoms, leaving a thin shell. Spread sides of rolls with butter or margarine.
Put tops and bottoms together, wrap airtight and refrigerate.
In a bowl, combine tomatoes, cucumber, green peppers and onion. Add enough dressing to moisten well and toss. Cover and refrigerate at least one hour.
Fill roll bottom with gazpacho mixture, replace tops and cut in half. Serve at once.

* * *

Many people think of potato salad as a good accompaniment for summer picnics, but they can also be used as a meat or poultry accompaniment at the dinner table, as well. In Europe, often, potato salad is served warm with vinegar and oil and herbs as a dressing, while Americans add mayonnaise. Here are a few of my favourites.

CREAMY POTATO SALAD WITH LEMON AND FRESH HERBS
(This recipe is adapted from one in Bon Appetit magazine. It makes four servings.)

1 1/2 pounds baby red potatoes
1 1/2 tbsp rice vinegar
salt & pepper
3/8 cup mayonnaise
1 to 2 green onions, thinly sliced
half a celery rib, cut into 1.5-inch slices
1 tsp dry parsley
1 tsp dry basil
1 tbsp chopped fresh dill
3/4 tsp grated lemon peel

Drain cooked potatoes and let stand 20 minutes.
Cut potatoes in small pieces and place in a bowl. Toss with vinegar, salt and pepper.
Add mayonnaise, onion, celery, parsley, basil, dill and lemon peel and toss. Cover and chill until ready to serve.

DIJONNAISE POTATO SALAD
(makes three cups)

1/2 cup light mayonnaise
2 tbsp Dijon mustard
2 tbsp cider vinegar
1 tbsp fresh or 1/2 tsp dry dill or parsley
salt & pepper to taste
1 pound cooked, cubed red potatoes
1/2 cup minced celery
1/4 cup minced green onions

In a bowl, combine mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, vinegar, dill or parsley, salt and pepper.
Add potatoes, celery and onions. Cover and chill until serving.

NIÇOISE POTATO SALAD
(The original Niçoise salad came from Nice, France, in the 19th century; it had tomatoes, anchovies and olive oil. In a 1903 French cookbook, artichokes, red pepper, black olives and a vinaigrette were added. Over the years, tuna, hard-boiled eggs and green beans also have been added. This recipe makes four servings.)

1 1/2 pounds cooked and drained red potatoes
1/4 pound cooked green beans in one-inch pieces
2 ribs cut celery
1 sliced red pepper
1/2 sliced red onion (optional)
1 1/2 tbsp Dijon mustard
1 6.5-ounce drained can tuna packed in olive oil
10 pitted, sliced black olives
8 halved cherry tomatoes
3 cut up hard-boiled eggs
minced tarragon or chives

dressing
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
3 rinsed & dried anchovies
3 tbsp minced fresh or 1 1/2 tsp dry tarragon
salt and pepper to taste

Combine olive oil, lemon juice, wine vinegar, anchovies, tarragon, salt and pepper in food processor or blender and mix until smooth.
Place potatoes in bowl, add dressing and toss.
Add green beans, celery, red pepper, red onion, Dijon, tuna, tomatoes, eggs, tarragon and chives. Toss gently and serve!

Sybil Kaplan is a journalist, lecturer, book reviewer and food writer in Jerusalem. She created and leads the weekly English-language Shuk Walks in Machane Yehuda, she has compiled and edited nine kosher cookbooks.

Summer salads for lazy days

A peach salad not only looks pretty, it’s like a cold culinary shower on a hot day. (photo from pickpik.com)

Recently, I was food-shamed. Not for binge eating. Or for eating too much junk food. But for not eating enough vegetables. Guilty as charged. But seriously? In my own defence, I have a gut (or at least part of one) that doesn’t play nicely in the sandbox with all vegetables. Truth to tell, it can be somewhat of a bully.

Just to set the record straight, I wasn’t always veggie averse. A few short years ago, I could wolf down Caesar salads, corn on the cob and sautéed kale like nobody’s business. It’s mostly a distant memory now, though. But I can still share the love, even if I can’t eat all the food.

Being a bit of a COVID weeny, I’m not entirely comfortable going out to restaurants yet, so I continue to make do at home. Until recently, when the beautiful fresh veggies and fruits started showing up at the party, my fallback positions were fish, chicken and beef; the occasional pasta dish. It was getting a tad dull. So I’m thrilled that I now can eat lighter and fresher.

Here are a few of my favourite lazy summer salads. Nobody likes easy recipes quite like I do. My rule of thumb is this: if a recipe calls for a foodstuff or piece of equipment that a) I’ve never heard of, or b) I don’t know how to pronounce, there’s no way on earth I’m trying it. Hence, lazy-girl recipes are my specialty. The following are not only super-healthy, but they’ll hit the spot on days when you just don’t feel like cooking for real. And what better time to take advantage of all the fresh seasonal fruits and veggies available everywhere in Vancouver? This first salad not only looks pretty, it’s like a cold culinary shower on a hot day.

PEACHY SUMMER SALAD

peaches, diced
Roma tomatoes, diced
can of corn niblets, drained
red or sweet onion, finely diced
fresh mint or basil, chopped or cut chiffonade
blueberries

Throw together a vinaigrette from olive oil and balsamic vinegar and, voilà, you’ve got yourself a refreshing, easy salad that’s a surefire crowd-pleaser. If, however, you’re a card-carrying carnivore like me, you might want to follow it up with an eight-ounce ribeye chaser.

Another summer fave is Sunomono salad. It’s a cold Japanese salad made of rice vermicelli noodles swimming in a rice wine vinegar dressing, if you will. You can add almost about anything to jazz it up, but, being a purist, I only like to throw in some thinly sliced English cucumber and maybe a bit of shredded carrot. If you crave protein, imitation crab will jack it up a notch. There are a variety of recipes for the dressing, but this is my no-fail go-to.

SUNOMONO SALAD

3/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup rice wine vinegar
1/2 cup sugar
small squeeze of lemon juice
few drops of soy sauce
rice vermicelli noodles

Shake the first five ingredients together in a jar, then pour it over cooked and rinsed, cold rice vermicelli noodles. Don’t add too much dressing to each bowl, as it’s quite concentrated – just add enough to cover the noodles. Leftovers can stay in the fridge for a day or two. Sunomono is obviously too flimsy to be a main dish, but it makes a great starter or side dish and goes with everything, particularly fish. Think of it as a Japanese palate cleanser.

For a heartier salad that can double as a main dish (depending on your appetite), I’m a big fan of cold orzo salad. Since this salad is pasta-based, it’s much more filling than just a bowl full of veggies or fruit. And, with the bold-flavoured ingredients, it’s got a depth to it that belies its simplicity.

COLD ORZO SALAD

8 oz orzo pasta
1/2 cup pitted Kalamata olives, roughly chopped (or more, to taste)
4 oz baby spinach (split in two bunches)
6 oz feta cheese, roughly crumbled
1/4 cup pine nuts, lightly toasted on the stove or in the toaster oven (optional)
1/4 cup red onion, finely chopped (optional)
3 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar (or less, to taste)
1 tbsp red wine vinegar (you can substitute lemon juice or regular vinegar)
salt and pepper to taste

Cook the orzo eight to 10 minutes for al dente, or a bit longer if you like it softer. Drain and rinse with cold water.
Puree half the spinach and one tablespoon of the olive oil in a blender. Put cooled orzo in a big bowl and stir in the pureed spinach/olive oil mixture until the orzo is well-coated with the spinach puree.
Roughly chop the other half of the spinach. Lighty mix the chopped spinach, feta cheese, pine nuts, Kalamata olives and red onion in with the orzo.
Make the dressing in a small jar by combining the remaining two tablespoons of olive oil with the balsamic vinegar and the red wine vinegar. Put the lid on the jar and shake it to mix well, or whisk it all together in a small bowl. Pour over orzo mixture and gently mix till it’s all incorporated.
Chill the salad for at least an hour before serving to let the flavours meld.

To round out your meal, buy or make a simple rosemary focaccia. I make one from scratch (in a cast-iron pan) that’s to live for. Sure, it’s easier to buy one, but, if you really want to dazzle your dining companion(s), I suggest putting in the extra effort. Believe me, the effort/reward ratio is huge.

I found my recipe online at flavorthemoments.com/one-hour-rosemary-focaccia-bread and the only things I leave out are the garlic and parmesan, but it’s up to you. You could also add chopped Kalamata or green olives to it, but keep in mind it calls for coarse kosher salt sprinkled on top, so it’s already high in sodium. The focaccia turns outs camera-ready gorgeous and tastes heavenly straight out of the oven, dipped in EVOO (extra virgin olive oil). I mean, who doesn’t love fresh bread? With the hot weather right around the corner (that’s the optimist in me), now might not be the best time to bake bread, but that’s your call. If you ask me, it’s totally worth it.

So, give yourself a break, throw together a salad for dinner and call it a day. If your spouse, partner or you are still hungry after all that, do what I do – order in pizza.