Category: Side Dishes

Moroccan Kale, Lentil and Farro Salad with Lemony Dill Dressing

moroccan salad

If you follow my blog, you know by now that I am an avid salad lover. I enjoy finding new ways to make salads anything but boring. Today’s recipe is no exception. Chewy lentils and ancient farro pair with sweet raisins over kale tossed in a lemony dill dressing in this Moroccan adventure of a salad. It is a great salad/grain 2-for-1 side dish to pair with meat or as a vegetarian entree.

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Moroccan Kale, Lentil and Farro Salad with Lemony Dill Dressing

Yield: 4

Ingredients

  • 4 c chopped kale
  • 1/3 c red lentils, cooked according to package
  • 1/3 c farro, cooked according to package
  • 1 carrot, sliced thinly
  • 1/2 c raisins
  • 1/2 c yellow cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 1/3 c soft herbed goat cheese
  • for dressing
  • 2 tbsp chopped dill
  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • juice of half a lemon
  • 1/4 tsp cracked black pepper

Instructions

  1. cook farro and lentils according to package instructions. During the last 5 minutes add carrot slices to water with farro or lentils to lightly soften.
  2. allow farro and lentils to cool slightly.
  3. whisk together dressing ingredients.
  4. toss kale in dressing, reserving some dressing for the top of the salad.
  5. lay kale out on a platter. Top with carrots, raisins, tomato, goat cheese, lentils and farro.
  6. pour remaining dressing over top of salad. Top with extra cracked pepper.
http://freshandfit.org/moroccan-kale-lentil-and-farro-salad-with-lemony-dill-dressing/

Sweet N’ Tangy Carrot Slaw

Sweet N Tangy Carrot Slaw

Today’s recipe is for sweet n’ tangy carrot slaw. The classic carrot salad calls for much more mayonnaise so I substituted, you guessed it, yogurt! Now, I am a fan of fat and recommend eating the highest quality fats in your diet (grass-fed, organic). But, for a side dish I like to keep the fat down whenever possible so you can have an abundance of whatever else you might be pairing it with. I also don’t think the yogurt makes the recipe less flavorful, so why not shed a few grams of fat and have an extra helping? Sounds like a win win to me!

4 c grated carrots
1/4 c toasted almonds, chopped
1 apple chopped
1/3 c raisins
1/4 c coconut, shredded unsweetened
1 tbsp organic mayonnaise
1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar
1 tsp honey
2/3 c plain yogurt

Combine carrot, apple, raisins, coconut in a medium sized bowl.

Stir in yogurt, mayonnaise, vinegar, and honey.

Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Creamy Kidney Bean Salad

creamy kidney bean salad
Kidney bean salad is something most of us only think about during the summertime. But it makes a satisfying, high protein, high fiber dish any time of year. This creamy kidney bean salad is also a wonderful lunch on its own to keep you full until dinner. I recommend buying an organic brand of mayonnaise, eggs and yogurt. I used less mayo in this dish and added plain yogurt to up the nutrition and offer a boost of probiotics. Enjoy!

1 can of red kidney beans
2 celery stalks thinly sliced
1 hardboiled egg chopped
1/4 c organic mayonnaise
1/3 c plain yogurt
Sea salt and pepper to taste

Combine kidney beans and celery in a medium bowl.

Stir in mayo and yogurt. Season with salt and pepper.

Add chopped hardboiled egg and stir to combine.

Makes 2 Servings

Baby Portobello and Greens Casserole

Baby Portobello and Greens

An earthy and rustic side dish best describes today’s recipe. It could take the place of a salad or any hot vegetable dish. Made up of sweet onions and hearty portobello mushrooms, with a bubbly cheese on top, this dish is sure to be a crowd pleaser. It is also a wonderful offering for the vegetarians in your life.

2 large bunches of kale or mustard greens, stems removed and leaves coarsely chopped
1 medium white onion sliced into rings
8 oz sliced baby portobellos
1 cup shredded Swiss, Gruyere or Jarlsberg cheese
2 tbsp butter
1/3 c heavy cream
1 tbsp minced garlic
1/2 tsp thyme
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp basil
sea salt and pepper to taste

Melt 2 tbsp butter in a medium Dutch oven. Add sliced onion, cover and cook stirring occasionally until onions start to soften, about 7 minutes.

Add garlic and mushrooms and stir. Allow cook 5 minutes longer.

Add heavy cream, half the cheese, and seasonings. Stir well.

Add greens and combine until wilted.

Turn on broiler. Add remainder of cheese and season with sea salt and pepper. Broil until cheese is browned and bubbly.