WHEAT BERRY SALAD

I really like free things. I’m the girl who tries multiple flavors at the frozen yogurt place, has a collection of toothpicks in hand at a farmers market and shoves all toiletries in my bag when leaving a hotel. Whoever said 'there is no such thing as a free lunch', has never been to Costco/Sam's Club on the weekend. When POM Wonderful sent me a box of 100% POM juice, I felt all blog efforts had paid off. I’ve seen the nubby bottles in the produce section, but breeze right past, as juice doesn’t tickle my fancy. I will start by saying it makes a refreshing slushy after a short stint in the freezer. This grain salad however, packed with bold flavors, is a perfect way to take advantage of the end of cherry season. Wheat berries are easily found at Whole Foods or a local health food store. They look like plump brown rice, but have a nuttier flavor.

The recipe below makes a great vegetarian side dish, and Hugh mentioned he thought it would be great along side of a burger. I made this for a dinner party at my parent’s house and added some crispy, salty bacon into the final toss. I hate to admit this, seeing as bacon doesn’t have a seat in the Sprouted Kitchen, but it was a layer of flavor that put this salad over the edge. The recipe below does not include the pound of crispy bacon I added in for my parent’s party, but if you partake in eating little piggies, just make sure it’s extra crispy. Eish, can't believe I suggested that.

WHEATBERRY SALAD WITH ARUGULA, CHERRIES AND POM DRESSING // Serves 4

1 Cup Wheat Berries

3 Cups Arugula

2 Cups Bing Cherries, pitted and cut in half

1 tsp Kosher Salt

Zest of one Lemon

POM DRESSING // This will look like a lot of dressing and seasoning, but the wheat berries are very dense and soak up a lot of the liquid from the dressing while in the fridge. Use less if you prefer, but it is what gives the wheat berries any flavor.

1 Shallot, roughly chopped

Big Handful of Fresh Fennel Fronds or Dill, Chopped

3/4 Cup Soft Goat Cheese

1/3 Cup POM, 100% Pomegranate Juice

2 tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil

½ tsp. Cumin

1/2 tsp. Kosher Salt

2 tsp. Fresh Ground Pepper

Rinse the wheat berries in a strainer. Bring 4 cups of water to a boil, add the wheat berries. Boil for about 45 minutes or until tender and split open a bit, add water if they dry out before cooking. Put them in a large mixing bowl.

While the wheat berries are cooking, make your dressing. In a processor or blender, add the shallot, fennel frond/dill, POM, cumin and pepper. Blend to combine. Add the goat cheese and olive oil and give another whirl.

While the wheat berries are still warm add the dressing and mix. Let it cool for a few minutes. Add the arugula and cherries (and bacon if you please) and mix again. At this point, add the lemon zest and taste for salt and pepper. Don't be shy with the seasoning.

~You can either serve at room temp, or chill in the fridge to let the flavors saturate and serve it as a cold side salad.

EMERALD SALAD

Earlier this week I had some lady friends over for dinner. I enjoy cooking for other people, but it’s definitely a bit of a challenge to make things that will please all taste preferences.

If you're over the age of five, there's a good chance you're alright with broccoli and everyone loves the flavor of leeks, even if they've never technically purchased one. So we're off to a good start with this one...

You can only cram so much on the grill, so these veggies are fit for the oven. If the chopping is done before hand, this salad requires little time and attention while you are finishing the rest of your meal. As far as entertaining goes, I like to make things that I can prepare as much as possible ahead of time, so I don't have to leave friends to work. Not only was this big bowl of green-ness a crowd pleaser, but it saves well, so you can throw in a protein of choice and take it for lunch. I had enough leftover to fill a family size tupperware and ate the entire thing the following day. True story, I am a known veggie-binger.

I improved the original with a bit of good quality feta cheese. It's pretty salty, so no need to add salt elsewhere. I'll say it again, using good ingredients yields a better end product. I don’t consider myself a brand snob, but sometimes the generic grocery store cheese will not suffice. And neither will their yogurt, salad dressing, pesto or dark chocolate. or ice cream. OK...only sometimes a brand snob.

EMERALD SALAD // Serves 4

1 lb. Broccolini

1 lb. Broccoli

1 Lemon, zest and juice

1 Large Leek

3 tbsp. Olive Oil

2 tsp. Black Pepper

3 Cloves Garlic

6 oz. (about 3 Cups) Fresh Spinach, roughly chopped

3/4 Cup Flat Leaf Parsley, Chopped

3/4 Cup Sliced Almonds, toasted

1/2 Cup Feta Cheese

Oven set to 475'

1. Cut the broccoli and broccolini into roughly two inch chunks, on a bias. Using the white and light green parts of the leek, slice length wise and rinse out the dirt. Slice thin. Toss the veggies with the olive oil, pepper and lemon zest.

2. Slice the garlic cloves as thin as possible, no mincing. Add the broccoli mix to a large roasting pan. You don't want to cram them in a dish as they will end up steaming in their own moisture. Give them space. Sprinkle the garlic slices on top so they feel the direct heat in the oven.

3. At this point, you could cover and wait until you're getting ready to eat. Or, pop that pan on the top rack of the oven for 12 minutes.

4. Pull out the baking pan, and toss in the spinach, almonds, parsley and lemon juice. Toss in the pan so the heat wilts the spinach and the dressing it's created, distributes. Put in your serving dish and crumble the feta cheese on top.

* This may seem like a lot of parsley, but it's a lot of broccoli. I tend to make things how I like them, use less if you're not partial to the parsley kick. You and Hugh can be friends.

STRAWBERRY TOFU CHOPPED SALAD

I admit that I am a sucker for the convenience of store-bought salad dressing. Who wouldn’t be intrigued by the bazillions that you can find in the store? There are a few good ones out there, but I feel much better making it myself. For simple vinaigrette, you probably have all you need at home, and for this recipe, the addition of gorgonzola cheese will make you impress yourself. Homemade dressing makes all the difference.

Salads are my favorite food, so this will be one of many my friends. The greens of choice here are packed full of vitamins, the arugula gives the spice contrast to the sweet berries, the cabbage has enough crunch and fiber to keep you satiated, and the basil adds an aromatic factor. As a matter of fact, you should go plant some basil in your yard right now. It's inexpensive, easy to maintain and produces a bounty of leaves. Maybe I am partial because it is the only item flourishing in my mini vegetable garden right now, but all the more reason to encourage you to plant your own! Do it.

STRAWBERRY TOFU CHOPPED SALAD // Serves 2 as an Entree

4 Cups Organic Arugula, Chopped

1 Cup Savoy Cabbage, sliced thin

1 Cup Fresh Basil, sliced thin

2 Pints Strawberries (from one of those stands or farmers market please!)

1 Cup Toasted Pecans, Chopped

1 Extra Firm Tofu (cut in half and drained between paper towels)

/Gorgonzola Vinaigrette/

5 oz. Gorgonzola Cheese

1/4 Cup Olive Oil

1/2 Cup Cider Vinegar

2 tbsp. Finely Minced Shallot

1 tsp Black Ground Pepper

1 tsp. Garlic Salt

1. Mash the gorgonzola cheese and shallot into the olive oil. Add the pepper, garlic salt and slowly whisk in the vinegar. You will probably have extra, save it for another use (dip some raw veggies or a steamed artichoke).

2. Rinse and spin the arugula and cabbage, put in a large bowl. Chop the strawberries thin, length wise, then width wise and add to bowl. Add chopped pecans and basil.

3. Heat grill. In a small dish, mix the olive oil, lemon pepper and oregano.

4. After letting some of the water drain from the tofu, dredge it in the oil mixture on both sides. Put it on the grill, save remaining mixture. Grill for 7 minutes on both sides and lay it back in the mixture.

6. Toss the salad with desired vinaigrette and cut the tofu into cubes for the top.

** You could also use grilled chicken, or eliminate the protein and have it as a side.