Refreshing Vegetable Salad

Ah! yet another warm day today. The temperature is around 70 degrees today and happy to have warm weather instead of the cold freezing weather. It has been a pretty warm all this week. So, for a change made this colourful and crisp medely of summer veggies, bursting with flavor. Between impromptu games of tag and catch, everyone can help lay out the refreshing salad. Enjoy!!

Ingredients: Zucchini – 2 medium (chopped) Asparagus – 10 Red bell pepper – 1 (chopped) Yellow bell pepper – 1(chopped) Orange bell pepper – 1 (chopped) Green bell pepper – 1 (chopped) Red onion – 1 medium (chopped to bite size pieces) Tomato – 1 big (chopped to small pieces) Corn – ½ cup Blue cheese – 2 Tb spoon (optional) Dressing: Red wine vinegar – 2 Tb spoon Olive oil – 1 Tb spoon Salt Pepper

Garlic -2 (finely grated) Cilantro – 2 Tb spoon Basil leaves – 1 Tb spoon

Method:

• Heat a pan and add chopped zucchini and fry for few seconds on high heat.
• Fry asparagus too and then cut them to one inch pieces.
• Fry corn too in a similar manner.
• Mix all the veggies in a bowl.
• In a bowl, mix red wine vinegar, olive oil, salt, pepper, cilantro and basil leaves together.
• Add the dressing to the veggie bowl.
• Give a stir and serve at room temperature with a little cheese on top.

This simple salad on its way to SWC- Salad under 15 minutes at Cooking Station hosted by Lakshmi . PS: Another way of trying this salad:

• Chop zucchini to very small pieces.
• Add all chopped veggies to it and mix the dressing.
• Keep it refrigerated for 1 -2 hours and serve chilled with cheese on top.

I have not added the green pepper and cheese as I dint have them. I don’t like the raw taste of zucchini, so I have fried them. You can add any vegetables you like. When you are frying the veggies you can add salt and pepper to them individually. Do not over fry the veggies and make them mushy and soft. Just fry for few seconds on high heat so that they are still crunchy.

Lentil - Wild Rice Salad

Every time I make rice (especially Basmati Rice) in a rice cooker, it sticks to the bottom and I have to scrape it out. So, due to all the scratches at the bottom, I bought a new rice cooker. I got a receipe book along with it.. This receipe caught my eye, as it said salad with rice and lentil ..Hmm..When I went through the ingredients..it looked simple and healthy too.. When I made and served it to my hubby, he din't believe that it is a salad.. It tasted Yumm..

Ingredients for Salad Wild Rice – 1 cup Brown Lentils – ½ cup Green Onions (chopped) – 3 Celery stalk (diced) – 1 Red bell Pepper (diced) – 1 Water – 4 cups Salt Dressing: Extra- Virgin Olive oil – 1/3 cup Red Wine Vinegar – 2 Tb spoon Dijon Mustard – 2 tsp Ground black pepper – ¼ tsp Fresh Italian parsley – 1 Tb spoon (I used Cilantro / coriander leaves) Fresh Lemon thyme (minced) – 2 tsp Sweet marjoram (minced) – 2tsp ( I have not used this) Method:

• Place the wild rice, lentils and water in the rice cooker.
• Cook for one hour.
• Then add green onions, celery and red bell pepper.
• Close the lid and continue cooking until rice is tender for about 15 minutes.
• Remove the salad and place in a serving bowl. Cool to room temperature.
• In a small bowl, whisk together oil, vinegar, mustard, black pepper and fresh herbs.
• Drizzle the dressing over the rice and lentil salad and toss well.
• Serve at room temperature or chill for up to 4 hours before serving.

I would like to send my Lentil - Wild Rice Salad to MLLA hosted by Srivalli. My Legume Love Affair was originally started by Susan of The Well Seasoned Cook.

PS: I have used Uncle Bens Wild rice. I did not use the seasoning that came along with it. Uncle Ben rice is a mixture of wild rice and long grain rice.