Category: salad

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Cooking Class with Iraqi Refugees in Cairo!


Last weekend, I attended an Iraqi cooking class here in Cairo.  The event was a fundraiser for legal assistance for the refugee community in Egypt.  UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, has registered over 9,000 Iraqi refugees in Egypt, and countless other Iraqis are also here.  The Iraqi population in Egypt is highly educated, and many of these doctors, lawyers, and teachers can no longer work in their chosen professions.  Refugee legal aid helps provide refugees with legal protections in Egypt and helps Iraqis prepare their cases for resettlement elsewhere.  While Iraqis do not have permission to work or form self-help associations in Egypt, many Iraqis volunteer or through NGOs to help their community.  Their spirit is impressive.

It was lovely to spend a gorgeous January day taking a break from research and enjoying a the wonderful aromas of fresh herbs, the warmth of an outdoor barbeque, and endless cups of mint tea.  I’m looking forward to getting back to Boston to share the techniques and recipes that I learned.  Meanwhile, here are some photos to make you hungry!

After firing up the crackling grill (did I mention it’s January?), we carefully removed the meat from the skewers using fresh pita bread, which we then used to cover the meat and keep it warm.  The juice-soaked bread was delicious to eat with our fingers later on.

Shish Tawouk, or Grilled Spiced Meat, and Char-grilled Veggies.
Preparing the rice by sauteeing it in oil with onions, then adding the fresh fava beans.
Rice with Dill and Fresh Fava Beans.
Lamb and spices simmering in broth
Lamb stew served traditionally on a bed of fresh pita bread.
Plating the food

Salad with Tomatoes, Cucumbers, Bell Peppers, Scallions, and Mint

After the meat was removed from the grill, the tea kettle was filled with water and tea leaves and placed directly on the coals.   At the end of our meal, we poured this “tea kushari” over fresh spearmint leaves and savored the beautiful day.
All photos Copyright Smart Green Gourmet 2010.
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Arugula Salad with Chicken and Honey-Harissa Dressing

Exotically delicious. I always have some little pieces of chicken left over on the bones after I carve a roast, which are perfect for a salad the next day. Harissa is a North African chili-garlic hot sauce. You can buy it at Middle Eastern supermarkets, at Whole Foods, or make your own.

Try adding sectioned oranges to the salad, and/or maybe a shpritz of lemon or orange juice to the dressing. I give you permission to play with your food.

Salad:
8-10 ounces of arugula, rinsed, spun, and dried
Shredded chicken (leftover from a roasted chicken, or 1-2 shredded legs or breasts)
1 c walnut pieces, toasted
12 dried apricots, chopped

Dressing:
1 T harissa
1 T honey
4 T EVOO
Salt and pepper to taste

1) Toss arugula and chicken in a large salad bowl.
2) Whisk together dressing ingredients. Toss with chicken and arugula.
3) Toss in walnuts and apricots. Serve.

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Arugula Salad with Chicken and Honey-Harissa Dressing

Exotically delicious. I always have some little pieces of chicken left over on the bones after I carve a roast, which are perfect for a salad the next day. Harissa is a North African chili-garlic hot sauce. You can buy it at Middle Eastern supermarkets, at Whole Foods, or make your own.

Try adding sectioned oranges to the salad, and/or maybe a shpritz of lemon or orange juice to the dressing. I give you permission to play with your food.

Salad:
8-10 ounces of arugula, rinsed, spun, and dried
Shredded chicken (leftover from a roasted chicken, or 1-2 shredded legs or breasts)
1 c walnut pieces, toasted
12 dried apricots, chopped

Dressing:
1 T harissa
1 T honey
4 T EVOO
Salt and pepper to taste

1) Toss arugula and chicken in a large salad bowl.
2) Whisk together dressing ingredients. Toss with chicken and arugula.
3) Toss in walnuts and apricots. Serve.

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Arugula Salad with Apples, Walnuts, Watermelon Radishes, and Rose Vinaigrette


A sweet rose vinaigrette pirouettes alongside the spicy kick of arugula and radishes in a salad that dances on your tastebuds.

Does rose vinaigrette smell better than it tastes? You be the judge, but one thing is for sure: your guests won’t stop talking about their sensory experience either way. Rose preserves are available at Turkish and Armenian grocery stores like Arax Market in Watertown. Middle Eastern and Indian groceries are also likely to have it in stock. You might try making this vinaigrette with rose water, which is more widely available at Middle Eastern, Indian, and health food stores.


Use watermelon radishes if you can find them. These tiny jewels, named because they look like watermelons when sliced open, add a burst of beautiful and surprising color to your winter table. I found mine (along with the other salad ingredients) at the Siena Farms stand at the Copley Square Farmers Market in Boston.

What follows below is more of a guideline than a recipe. All amounts can be varied to taste. Experiment with the right amount of rose jam and sweetener that works for you.

Time: 20 minutes
Serves: 6

Ingredients:

For the Salad:
8-12 oz Arugula (or several handfuls), washed, spun, and patted dry
2 apples, cut into 1/2-1″ chunks. (if making the salad in advance, toss cut apples with lemon juice and refrigerate)
2 watermelon radishes, washed, scrubbed, and cut into half-moons
handful walnut pieces

For the Vinaigrette:
1-2T rose preserves
1-2T honey
~4T EVOO
Juice of 1 lemon
Sprinkle of Cinnamon
Salt to taste

1. Toss together salad ingredients except walnuts.
2. Whisk together vinaigrette ingredients, adjusting rose and sweetness to taste.
3. Toss salad with vinaigrette. Sprinkle with walnuts. Serve to delighted and fascinated guests who will ask, “what smells so unbelievably good?”

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Arugula Salad with Apples, Walnuts, Watermelon Radishes, and Rose Vinaigrette


A sweet rose vinaigrette pirouettes alongside the spicy kick of arugula and radishes in a salad that dances on your tastebuds.

Does rose vinaigrette smell better than it tastes? You be the judge, but one thing is for sure: your guests won’t stop talking about their sensory experience either way. Rose preserves are available at Turkish and Armenian grocery stores like Arax Market in Watertown. Middle Eastern and Indian groceries are also likely to have it in stock. You might try making this vinaigrette with rose water, which is more widely available at Middle Eastern, Indian, and health food stores.


Use watermelon radishes if you can find them. These tiny jewels, named because they look like watermelons when sliced open, add a burst of beautiful and surprising color to your winter table. I found mine (along with the other salad ingredients) at the Siena Farms stand at the Copley Square Farmers Market in Boston.

What follows below is more of a guideline than a recipe. All amounts can be varied to taste. Experiment with the right amount of rose jam and sweetener that works for you.

Time: 20 minutes
Serves: 6

Ingredients:

For the Salad:
8-12 oz Arugula (or several handfuls), washed, spun, and patted dry
2 apples, cut into 1/2-1″ chunks. (if making the salad in advance, toss cut apples with lemon juice and refrigerate)
2 watermelon radishes, washed, scrubbed, and cut into half-moons
handful walnut pieces

For the Vinaigrette:
1-2T rose preserves
1-2T honey
~4T EVOO
Juice of 1 lemon
Sprinkle of Cinnamon
Salt to taste

1. Toss together salad ingredients except walnuts.
2. Whisk together vinaigrette ingredients, adjusting rose and sweetness to taste.
3. Toss salad with vinaigrette. Sprinkle with walnuts. Serve to delighted and fascinated guests who will ask, “what smells so unbelievably good?”

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Green Salad with Pomegranate, Peaches, and Pepitas


Sweet late summer peaches and glistening ruby pomegranate jewels pop over a bed of baby spinach where pepitas and sunflower sprouts crunch. High-magnesium pepitas and anti-oxidant pomegranates make this salad burst with nutrition, too. For best results, share with friends. This is more of a list of ingredients than a recipe. All measurements should be done to taste.

Serves: 2-4-6 (depending on the proportions you use)
Time: 15 minutes, including chopping time

Ingredients:
1 pomegranate
baby spinach
sunflower sprouts
2 peaches, diced
handful mint leaves, coarsely chopped
handful pepitas

Vinaigrette:
2 T balsamic vinegar (fig-balsamic vinegar if you can find it)
3 T EVOO
1 T honey
salt and red pepper flakes to taste

1) Cut the pomegranate crosswise into ~4 slices and place the slices into a bowl of cold water. Winnow out the seeds. The pith will float to the top and you can skim it off.
2) Rinse and spin in a salad spinner the spinach, sunflower sprouts, and mint.
3) Toss together the pomegranate seeds and all other salad ingredients in a large bowl.
4) Whisk together the vinegrette and dress the salad.
5) Crunch with glee.

Posted on

Green Salad with Pomegranate, Peaches, and Pepitas


Sweet late summer peaches and glistening ruby pomegranate jewels pop over a bed of baby spinach where pepitas and sunflower sprouts crunch. High-magnesium pepitas and anti-oxidant pomegranates make this salad burst with nutrition, too. For best results, share with friends. This is more of a list of ingredients than a recipe. All measurements should be done to taste.

Serves: 2-4-6 (depending on the proportions you use)
Time: 15 minutes, including chopping time

Ingredients:
1 pomegranate
baby spinach
sunflower sprouts
2 peaches, diced
handful mint leaves, coarsely chopped
handful pepitas

Vinaigrette:
2 T balsamic vinegar (fig-balsamic vinegar if you can find it)
3 T EVOO
1 T honey
salt and red pepper flakes to taste

1) Cut the pomegranate crosswise into ~4 slices and place the slices into a bowl of cold water. Winnow out the seeds. The pith will float to the top and you can skim it off.
2) Rinse and spin in a salad spinner the spinach, sunflower sprouts, and mint.
3) Toss together the pomegranate seeds and all other salad ingredients in a large bowl.
4) Whisk together the vinegrette and dress the salad.
5) Crunch with glee.

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Serendipitous Summer Salad

One hot summer night back in 2007, I combined the freshest, ripest ingredients I could find, a couple bottles of wine, and several good friends. The result was an evening so delicious and memorable that I find myself thinking about it in a homesick and hungry moment almost exactly two years later and thousands of miles away.

Middle Eastern recipes will follow soon enough. In the meantime, try this. Most amounts are up to you; it’s hard to go wrong:

Several handfuls Baby Spinach
1-2 Avocadoes, sliced
1-2 handfuls Blackberries
1-2 handfuls fresh Figs, quartered
1-2 handfuls fresh apricots, sliced
1-2 handfuls Walnuts
1 fresh spring onion (or vidalia, or plain old yellow), sliced into thin rings or half-rings
2T Balsamic Vinegar
1 spoonful Mustard (ideally raspberry wasabi dipping mustard)
Juice of 1 lemon
Maple Syrup, to taste
Salt & Pepper

1) Caramelize the onion. Cook 1 chopped onion and plenty of sea salt in approx 1/2c olive oil (to cover and coat) over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally until browned (but definitely not burned!)
2) Deglaze pan with balsamic vinegar, loosening any bits of onion
3) Still in the pan, add 1 spoonful mustard, lemon juice, and maple syrup to taste.
4) Place greens in bowl. Toss with dressing. Add fruit and toss again.

Variation: Substitute leek for the onion and use frozen blueberries and their syrup in place of some of the maple syrup. Works great in winter when berries are unavailable.

Posted on

Serendipitous Summer Salad

One hot summer night back in 2007, I combined the freshest, ripest ingredients I could find, a couple bottles of wine, and several good friends. The result was an evening so delicious and memorable that I find myself thinking about it in a homesick and hungry moment almost exactly two years later and thousands of miles away.

Middle Eastern recipes will follow soon enough. In the meantime, try this. Most amounts are up to you; it’s hard to go wrong:

Several handfuls Baby Spinach
1-2 Avocadoes, sliced
1-2 handfuls Blackberries
1-2 handfuls fresh Figs, quartered
1-2 handfuls fresh apricots, sliced
1-2 handfuls Walnuts
1 fresh spring onion (or vidalia, or plain old yellow), sliced into thin rings or half-rings
2T Balsamic Vinegar
1 spoonful Mustard (ideally raspberry wasabi dipping mustard)
Juice of 1 lemon
Maple Syrup, to taste
Salt & Pepper

1) Caramelize the onion. Cook 1 chopped onion and plenty of sea salt in approx 1/2c olive oil (to cover and coat) over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally until browned (but definitely not burned!)
2) Deglaze pan with balsamic vinegar, loosening any bits of onion
3) Still in the pan, add 1 spoonful mustard, lemon juice, and maple syrup to taste.
4) Place greens in bowl. Toss with dressing. Add fruit and toss again.

Variation: Substitute leek for the onion and use frozen blueberries and their syrup in place of some of the maple syrup. Works great in winter when berries are unavailable.

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Green Salad with Portobello Mushrooms, Figs, and Rosemary-Yogurt Dressing

Sweet figs, creamy tart yogurt, earthy mushrooms, and crunchy nuts combine in a palate sensaation. You can grill the portobello mushrooms in advance. Or grill a lot of them, use them for another dish, and make this salad with the leftovers.

True yogurt, a local yogurt produced in Vermont, is delicious and Lactose-Free!

Serves: 2 as a main course or substantial first course (easily multiplied)
~6-8 oz baby spinach or other greens, rinsed and dried well
1 onion, diced
~3-4 portobello mushroom caps
5 oz plain yogurt
Zest of 1/2 lemon and juice of 1 whole lemon (zest half the lemon, then juice it)
~10 dried figs, minced
handful of walnuts or hazelnuts
1T olive oil plus more for brushing
pinch dried rosemary (or a 3x larger pinch fresh)
pinch salt
pepper

1. In a small skillet, heat onion and a pinch of salt in 1T olive oil over medium-low heat until onion caramelizes. Stir occasionally. When onions are mostly browned, throw walnuts in the pan to toast for a few minutes.
2. Meanwhile, brush mushroom caps with olive oil. Grill or Broil ~5 minutes; check for doneness. Chop into large pieces.
3. Make the dressing: Whisk together yogurt, rosemary, lemon juice and zest, and salt and pepper to taste.
4, Toss in a large bowl: greens, caramelized onions, nuts, mushrooms, and figs. Slowly add dressing to taste.