Salads & Soups Back to The Members Page  Warm Lentil Salad (from Graham Kerr's Creative Choices Cookbook) Ingredients: 2 tsps. light oil with a dash of toasted sesame oil 1 medium onion, peeled and chopped 1 tbsp. chopped fresh garlic 1 tsp. cumin 2 tsps. fresh chopped oregano (or 1 tsp. dried oregano) 1 tsp. dried basil 1 tsp. dried thyme 1/2 c. water 1 c. dried lentils 1 - 14 1/2 oz. canned low-sodium tomatoes, pureed 1/2 c. chopped fresh parsely 1/2 c. chopped green onion 1/4 c. lemon juice 2 tbsps. fresh chopped cilantro (optional) 1/4 tsp. salt Garnish: 4 c. chopped fresh spinach or romaine letture 2 Italian (Roma) tomatoes, chopped Preparation: Heat 1 tsp. of oil in a large heavy saucepan over medium heat and cook the onion, garlic, cumin, oregano, basil and thyme until the onions are translucent (about 5 minutes). Add the water and lentils, cover, bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Add the tomatoes and simmer until the lentils are tender but not mushy. Most of the liquid will be gone. Remove from the heat and pour into a bowl. Stir in the remaining tsp. of oil, the parsely, celery, green onion, lemon juice, cilantro, salt, and toss well. Serve on a bed of shredded greens sprinkled with the shopped tomatoes. This makes a side salad for six or a main-dish salad for four.  ORIENTAL WILD RICE SALAD Vinaigrette: 3 tbsp. wine vinegar (I use Apple Cider vinegar) 1/2 tsp. salt 1/4 tsp. pepper (more if you're a pepper lover) 2/3 c. olive oil 2 tbsp. Dijon mustard 3 tbsp. lemon juice (fresh squeezed is best) 3/4 tsp. crushed rosemary Salad: 1/3 c. olive oil 2 c. uncooked wild rice 4 c. chicken broth (I use vegetarian broth) 2/3 c. sliced water chestnuts (I use the whole can) 1/2 c. sliced red bell pepper 1/4 c. minced shallots (splurge, they are worth it in this recipe) salt and pepper to taste (I don't use anymore than what's in vinaigrette) 3/4 lb. fresh snow peas 1/2 lb. mushroom, sliced Parsley for garnish Vinaigrette: Combine all ingredients in covered container, shake well and chill. Salad: Heat oil in saucepan, add rice and broth, cook until rice is tender about 45 minutes. Transfer to bowl and mix with 1/2 c. vinaigrette. Add the water chestnuts (I cut these in half again) red pepper, shallots and salt and pepper. Chill for one hour. Steam the snow peas until slightly crisp (2 minutes, no more), rinse with cold water to stop the cooking and cut into 1-inch pieces. Add mushrooms and mix with 1/2 c. of vinaigrette. Make well in center of rice, mound the peas and mushrooms in it. Garnish with parsley. Makes 8 servings.  "GOOD FOR YOU" VEGETABLE SOUP WITH PESTO SOUP: 1 cup onions, chopped 4 T. olive oil 2 - 32 oz. cans of tomatoes 3 qts. of water 1 1/2 T. salt (I use half this amount) 1/2 to 3/4 cup barley 1 1/2 zucchini, chopped 1 yellow squash, chopped 1 1/2 cup each chopped carrots and fresh green beans (frozen may be used) 1/2 cup chopped celery leaves PESTO: 5 to 6 garlic cloves, crushed 5 T. dried sweet basil 2 T. tomato paste 1/2 cup parmesan cheese 6 T. olive oil SOUP PREPARATION: Sauté onions in olive oil till soft and golden, add tomatoes, barley, water and salt. Bring to boil, then simmer for 45 minutes. Add carrots, beans, celery, zucchini, squash and simmer uncovered for 20 minutes or until vegetables are tender. PESTO PREPARATION: Pound garlic and basil into a paste, add tomato paste and cheese. Beat in oil, one tablespoon at a time. SERVE: Ladle soup into bowls, stir pesto into soup (a heaping teaspoon), sprinkle with cheese. Serve with crusty french bread and a good red wine. Serves 8 to 10. IMPORTANT: Store any remaining soup and pesto in separate containers. DO NOT mix and store as the pesto will give the soup an unpleasant flavor.  SORREL In France everyone knows about sorrel, and the standby of quick sorrel soup. People often wonder if it's spinach with lemon juice. It is half way between vegetables and flavoring. Wild sorrel is Rumex Acetosa. Garden or French sorrel, Rumex scutatus, is far more succulent, the acidity muted to a pleasanter level. French sorrel is easily grown. It needs no special gardening skills, and asks only of a patch of modestly reasonable soil. Year after year it returns in the spring. Keep it well picked, so you are never left with only the older stronger leaves, and it will continue to grow until the hard frosts. A few chopped leaves add zest to a green salad. A larger quantity can be cooked down to fill omelettes, like spinach, to make soups and sauces. The handful noted in the following recipes is approximate, as a general guide it is 4 to 5 ounces. To get used to the term handful, start by gauging the size of a half or one pound bunch of spinach at the grocery store. The young, bright leaves that are barely unfurled have a sharp taste, when the leaves are big and dark green, they are stronger and have a coarser taste. When cooking, use a mix of both. When you bring in the sorrel, wash it well and tear off any blemished edges. Remove the stalk and rib by folding the leaf in half the long way and pulling the stalk off and up the leaf. You will have long strings of sorrel stalk if you don't pull the rib off. MARGARET COSTA'S GREEN SOUP (From Jane Grigson's Vegetable Book) 4 medium potatoes, peeled and diced 1 medium onion, chopped 4 cups of vegetable or chicken stock salt, pepper, grated nutmeg pinch of sugar (optional) 2 handfuls of sorrel, washed and de-ribbed Coon onion and potatoes in stock. Add seasonings. Bring to a boil, turn down to a simmer and cook until the potatoes are done. Puree the soupein teh blender with the sorrel leaves, until smooth and bright green. Return to the pan and check seasonings. DO NOT BOIL THE SOUP AFTER THE SORREL HAS BEEN ADDED - SORREL WILL BECOME DARK GREEN AND LOSE SOME OF ITS FLAVOR. This is the basic soup. Toppings and Options: You can add 1/4 cup of heavy (whipping) cream. Or a dollop of plain yogurt or sour cream. Sprinkle with chives. Serve it hot or cold. It will thicken a bit when cold. Serve with bread cubes, croutons, or garlic toast.