The Real Housewife of Santa Monica
Mediterranean Salad

Posts Tagged ‘10 minutes’

Mediterranean Salad

Back from vakay with a longggg to do list. What the heck! Let me get you this yummy salad how-to – still good for those end of summer picnics & BBQ’s. I’m making it tomorrow for the last “Jazz on the Lawn” concert.

I ate something like this in July when I was up at Three Rivers swooning over the hard won success of my dear friend Chris Lynch & her writing partner Meg Howrey. You see, they not only sold their international thriller City of Dark Magic to Penguin Publishing, but they also got the thumbs up for the sequel! Go Lynchie & Meg!!! Two smart broads!

We ate this at a dinner party up there. I couldn’t get enough of this. Neen and I had been wandering aimlessly around Sequoia National Park all day and arrived late & ravenous. How polite of us. With Nina’s help, I tried to replicate it when I got home and I’m please with the result! This salad is so satisfying, tasty & hearty. It’s REALLY easy to make. The most time-consuming part is boiling the grain which takes about 45 mins.

Here’s all you need:

Salad:
1 1/2 c uncooked wheat berries or barley (barley is cheaper & easier to find but I was out)
8 oz feta (depending how much you like)
1/3 c sliced sun-dried tomatoes
1/4 c sliced kalamata olives
parsley to taste
1 avocado

Dressing:
1/4 c olive oil
2-3 TBSP balsamic vinegar
salt
pepper
1/4 c fresh squeezed orange juice (about half an orange)

First, cook your grain according to package directions. You can do this a day ahead and chill in the fridge. Just be sure to drain thoroughly first.

Now drain & chill the barley. You don’t want it hot when you combine your ingredients.

NOTE: I didn’t really measure anything. I just added ingredients and tasted. That’s partly why this is such a simple salad – you can add more of things you like or have.

Combine ingredients in a large bowl.

Stir to combine and add dressing ingredients.

Here’s a rough approximation of the dressing amounts:

1/4 c olive oil
juice of half an orange
2-3 TBSP balsamic vinegar
salt & pepper to taste

Whisk together dressing ingredients. Drizzle about half that on salad & stir to coat thoroughly. Taste & adjust, adding more dressing if needed. I don’t like a puddle of dressing at the bottom of my salad so I start light & add more. The barley will absorb the dressing but I liked this as leftovers for up to 3 days.

Don’t let Maddie’s excitement fool you. She didn’t dig this.

Jazz on the Lawn
Rogelio Mitchell & Friends
Sunday, August 26
5-7PM
Bring a picnic/blanket and/or low chairs!

 

 

5.0 from 1 reviews

Mediterranean Barley Salad
Author: 
Recipe type: Salad
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 

Serves: 4-6
 

Savory, satisfying salad. Perfect for cookouts & side dishes or as a main with some leafy greens!
Ingredients
  • Salad:
  • 1-1/2 c uncooked barley
  • 8 oz feta (depending how much you like)
  • ⅓ c sliced sun-dried tomatoes
  • ¼ c sliced kalamata olives
  • parsley to taste
  • 1 avocado
  • Dressing:
  • ¼ c olive oil
  • 2-3 TBSP balsamic vinegar
  • salt
  • pepper
  • ¼ c fresh squeezed orange juice (about half an orange)

Instructions
  1. Cook barley according to package directions. Drain & chill in refrigerator.
  2. Combine all salad ingredients in a large bowl.
  3. Whisk together the dressing ingredients in a small bowl.
  4. Drizzle about half the dressing over the salad & stir to coat ingredients.
  5. Taste salad & adjust to your tastes including adding more dressing as needed.
  6. Serve with sliced avocado.

Notes
Salad will keep in refrigerator for 2-3 days. Wheat berries or faro make great substitutions for the barley!

Israeli Couscous Salad with Pine Nuts & Parsley

You know those days dinner sneaks up on you yet you STILL refuse to boil noodles again? This is the dish for those days…

Wait: isn’t couscous a form of pasta? D’OH!!!! At least some veggies have snuck in here. Or is it sneaked?

You need:

INGREDIENTS:
1 TBSP butter
2 TBSP olive oil
1/2 c pine nuts
1/2 c shallots (or onion if you have no shallots), finely chopped
1-1/2 c Israeli couscous
1/2 cinnamon stick (or 1/4 tsp cinnamon)
1 dried bay leaf
1-3/4 c vegetable broth (I used vegetarian chicken flavored bouillon)
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 c fresh parsley, minced
1/2 – 1 zucchini, finely chopped (OPTIONAL)
zest of 1/2 lemon
black pepper, to taste
small handful of crumbled feta cheese

NOTE: you can omit the zucchini or substitute any other veg you want to use up: broccoli, carrots, corn, frozen veg, greens (add these just before the broth as they need a shorter cooking time). Just be sure the veg is chopped finely.

This is so easy. I didn’t take pictures of the process as I was in a huge rush to feed the girls.

1. Over medium-low heat, melt butter in a large saucepan. Add pine nuts & stir until golden brown. WARNING: only a minute or two max! Remove from heat & put aside in a small bowl.

2. Using the same saucepan, heat oil over medium heat. Saute shallots until golden (for about 3-4 minutes), stirring occasionally. Add zucchini or whatever other veg you have on hand! Cook for another minute or two. Add couscous, cinnamon stick and bay leaf, and stir often until couscous browns slightly. Yes, the couscous is uncooked when you first put it in!

3. Add broth, bring to a boil, then simmer covered on low until broth has been absorbed and couscous is tender.

4. Remove from heat and stir in parsley, pine nuts, lemon zest & feta. Season with black pepper to taste.

This is REALLY yummy and great the next day!

Maddie is on a high carb diet.

Israeli Couscous Salad with Pine Nuts & Parsley
Author: 
Recipe type: Side
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 

Serves: 2-4
 

Tasty warm salad or side dish! You can adjust the amount of veggie to your liking.
Ingredients
  • INGREDIENTS:
  • 1 TBSP butter
  • 2 TBSP olive oil
  • ½ c pine nuts
  • ½ c shallots (or onion if you have no shallots), finely chopped
  • 1-1/2 c Israeli couscous
  • ½ cinnamon stick (or ¼ tsp cinnamon)
  • 1 dried bay leaf
  • 1-3/4 c vegetable broth (I used vegetarian chicken flavored bouillon)
  • ½ tsp salt
  • ¼ c fresh parsley, minced
  • ½ – 1 zucchini, finely chopped (OPTIONAL)
  • zest of ½ lemon
  • black pepper, to taste
  • small handful of crumbled feta cheese
  • NOTE: you can omit the zucchini or substitute any other veg you want to use up: broccoli, carrots, corn, frozen veg, greens (add these just before the broth as they need a shorter cooking time). Just be sure the veg is chopped finely.

Instructions
  1. Over medium-low heat, melt butter in a large saucepan. Add pine nuts & stir until golden brown. WARNING: only a minute or two max! Remove from heat & put aside in a small bowl.
  2. Using the same saucepan, heat oil over medium heat. Saute shallots until golden (for about 3-4 minutes), stirring occasionally. Add zucchini or whatever other veg you have on hand! Cook for another minute or two. Add couscous, cinnamon stick and bay leaf, and stir often until couscous browns slightly. Yes, the couscous is uncooked when you first put it in!
  3. Add broth, bring to a boil, then simmer covered on low until broth has been absorbed and couscous is tender.
  4. Remove from heat and stir in parsley, pine nuts, lemon zest & feta. Season with black pepper to taste.

Notes
This would be enough for 2 people as a main dish or 4 as a side. Great for leftovers!

Guess where I got this? The back of the Trader Joe’s package!! I don’t trust these things normally but this is great. I just made a few adjustments.



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