Mango Lentil Salad with Feta

On a recent trip to Costco, my first in a very long time, I was dazzled by a crate of one dozen mangos.  Yes, 12 greenish-pinkish fragrant mangos, just nearing their ripeness.  Nirvana in a cardboard box!  Of course, after I got home and the warehouse daze wore off, I realized that I have 12 mangos that need to be eaten very quickly.  Yikes!  Plato was right when he said that necessity is the mother of invention.  Challenged with 12 mangos all nearing their peak at the same time, I’ve sliced mangos into sauerkraut, served mangos with sausages… and was inspired today by my sister-in-law.

My sister-in-law is an ardent fan of lentils.  Lentil soup is one of her signature dishes (and I hope one day she’ll agree to guest-blog about it).  A few months ago I followed her lead and purchased a mountain of lentil beans, but I didn’t really feel inspired to use them until today.  Scanning the pantry closet, faced with the challenge of using yet another mango, my eyes fell upon the little brown beans.  Thrown together with a tasty but not too salty feta cheese, the sweetness of the mango balances nicely against the neutral background of the lentils.  This salad is easy and fast to make, and serves as a delicious side dish or main course.

Mango Lentil Salad with Feta
1 large mango, peeled and cut into large chunks
15.5 oz can lentils, rinsed and drained -or- 1¾ cups lentils cooked and cooled
½ small red onion, diced
½ tsp olive oil
½ tsp balsamic vinegar
1 Tbs cilantro, chopped
¼ tsp cayenne pepper
½ tsp ground cumin
sea salt, to taste

In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, vinegar, cilantro, cayenne and cumin.  In a large bowl combine the chopped mango, lentils and red onion.  Toss the dressing into the lentil mixture.  Sprinkle with additional chopped cilantro and sea salt.  Serve room temperature or chilled -- and enjoy!

Autumnal Chicken Salad

One of my favorite options for leftover roast chicken is homemade chicken salad.  You can really tailor it to your mood and your refrigerator’s contents.  Curried chicken salad or chicken & grape salad, even chicken salad with oranges… anything goes!  I happened to have a smattering of random items in my pantry and decided to throw them together for a taste of autumn – today!  Easy and delicious.

Autumnal Chicken Salad
4 tbs mayonnaise
¼ tsp celery salt
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Pinch of dried mint
2 cups cooked chicken breast, cubed
½ cup walnuts, chopped
1 apple, cubed
½ cup dried cranberries
¼ cup leek, thinly sliced

In a large bowl mix the mayonnaise, celery salt, pepper and mint.  Add the chicken, walnuts, apple, cranberries and leek.  Mix until thoroughly combined.  Chill for an hour, then make a sandwich with good bread or, alternatively, serve atop romaine lettuce for a healthy lunch.

Garden Bounty Coleslaw

Summer is the perfect time for coleslaw.  Just about any combination of veggies tastes good in a slaw.  My kitchen is overrun with fresh veggies, thanks to my local CSA membership.  But what to do with all that cabbage?  It’s too hot to make stuffed cabbage.  Ditto for cabbage soup.  Cole slaw is the best option.  The cool crunch of the cabbage, combined with the equally crunchy bell peppers and onion make this colorful salad a great accompaniment to turkey burgers (my favorite) or just about any grilled entrée.  Use the sliced cabbage as your base and throw in any veggies you have on hand.

Garden Bounty Coleslaw
¼ cup mayonnaise
¼ cup sour cream
1 tbs sugar
2 tbs freshly squeezed lemon juice
½ tsp celery salt
¼ tsp ground black pepper
5 cups sliced or shredded cabbage
1 carrot, grated
1/3 cup sliced red bell pepper
1/3 cup sliced green bell pepper
1/3 cup sliced red onion

In a large bowl, thoroughly combine the mayonnaise, sour cream, sugar, lemon juice salt and ground black pepper.  Add the veggies and toss carefully to combine.  Chill for at least two hours, then serve with your next sandwich, burger or barbecued chicken.  Delicious!

Mexican Bulgur Salad with Citrus Jalapeno Vinaigrette

Chilled salads, to me, are usually reserved for the heat of summer.  A spoonful of cold and crunchy goodness is the best lunch on a torrid August afternoon.  So I surprised even myself when I found Cooking Light’s recipe for a bulgur salad in my recipe folder and had the urge to make this right away – in the bitter cold of February.  And, yes, I’m so glad that I did!

This was my first experience with bulgur.  If you haven’t tried it yet, I would describe the taste and texture as quite similar to brown rice.  And you’ll love it in this dish!  I wanted to diminish the spiciness, so I opted for regular Monterey Jack instead of cheese with jalapeno peppers.  The slightly crunchy texture of the beans and zucchini contrast nicely with the softer cheese and bulgur wheat.  The vinaigrette could have used a little more of a citrus kick, so next time I might increase the amount of juices.  How about you – what is your favorite way to prepare bulgur?

Mexican Bulgur Salad with Citrus Jalapeno Vinaigrette
(adopted from Cooking Light)
1 cup uncooked bulgur or cracked wheat
1 cup boiling water
¼ cup orange juice
¼ cup lime juice
2 tbs minced, seeded jalapeno pepper
1 tbs olive oil
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp ground cumin
1 ½ cups diced zucchini
1 cup corn kernels
¾ cup (approx 3 oz) diced Monterey Jack cheese (or Monterey Jack cheese with jalapeno peppers)
3 tbs fresh cilantro, minced
1 (15 oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed
lime wedges and additional cilantro, for garnish

Add the bulgur to the pot of boiling water.  Cover and let stand for 30 minutes.  Meanwhile, in a small bowl whisk together the orange and lime juices, jalapeno pepper, olive oil, salt and cumin.

In a large bowl mix the zucchini, corn, cheese, cilantro and black beans.  Add bulgur and toss gently to combine.  Pour the juice mixture over the bulgur salad and again toss gently to combine.  Serve warm or chilled, as desired.  Garnish each serving with a lime wedge and sprinkle with additional cilantro.