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!

Hearty Stuffed Peppers

It is zucchini time at The Delectable Kitchen.  The CSA to which I belong has been delivering a bountiful crop of zucchini lately.  Sometimes if I don’t use the zucchini right away, I find that it gets a bit bitter with age.  The best way to mask the slightly off-flavor is to combine it with other, bolder, flavors.  A stuffed pepper is a great way to incorporate vegetables and grains into a really tasty mélange.

Usually when I make stuffed peppers I’ll use brown rice as the starch.  This time around, I was looking for something different to bind the mix.  A long time ago I purchased a bag of mixed grains from Trader Joe’s.  It has languished on the pantry shelf for almost a year.  A mix of couscous, orzo, quinoa and beans, it suddenly seemed perfect for an appearance in a stuffed pepper.  I’m happy to report that it was a success!  The varying textures of the mixed grains create a unique balance of tender and firm, which compliments the softer blend of vegetables.  Of course, you can use your favorite starch… white rice, brown rice, even torn pieces of fresh bread!  Just make sure to slightly undercook the grains, since they’ll continue to cook inside of the pepper.  Impossible not to be delectable!

Hearty Stuffed Peppers
½ zucchini, shredded
¼ onion, finely diced
½ green bell pepper, finely diced
2 whole green bell peppers
1 cup ground turkey, cooked
½ cup rice or barley or your favorite grains, slightly undercooked
1 tsp thyme
½ tsp oregano
½ tsp parsley
2 cloves garlic, minced
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp ground pepper

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Slice off the top eighth of the whole green bell peppers.   Discard the seeds and set the large peppers aside.  Dice the remaining pepper tops (making sure to remove the stem) and place in a large bowl.  Add the remaining ingredients and mix until well incorporated.  Scoop the mixture into each of the two large bell peppers.  Place in a baking dish and cover with foil.  Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the peppers are tender and the filling is hot.  Serve alongside a refreshing cucumber salad and a loaf of crusty bread.  So 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.