Bean Salad A La Parisienne

We continue with our vegan and vegetarian recipes by learning how to prepare bean salad a la parisienne. As the name shows we are preparing this bean salad the French way. In order to prepare 8 servings we need the following:

• 1½ cups dry Great Northern beans
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 3 small cloves garlic (optional)
• 4 sprigs parsley tied with 1 bay leaf
• ½ teaspoon thyme (or 1 sprig tied with parsley and bay leaf)

MARINADE

• ½ cup minced fresh parsley
• 1 green onion with some tops, minced or thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1½ tablespoon lemon juice

How to prepare the bean salad a la parisienne

• Soak beans.
• Simmer beans, salt, onion, garlic, parsley-bay leaf bouquet, and thyme for 1½ hours or until bans are tender but still firm; discard garlic, parsley-bay leaf bouquet and drain bean liquid.
• Toss warm beans with Marinade.
• Chill 1 hour or longer.
• Combine all Marinade ingredients.

Note: In France these beans are served as hors d'oevres in a 4-sectioned dish with the following vegetables also  in the marinade (marinate hot and chill for one or more hours): steamed cauliflowerettes, mixed with cooked potatoes, cubed cooked beets, thinly sliced (marinate separately). Just before serving, slice fresh tomatoes and pour marinade over them too.

Tossed Green Salad Recipe

We now go on to learn the recipe for tossed green salad. For the purposes of this article we are going to prepare 4 servings. To do this we need the following ingredients: -

• ½  head bronze leaf or butter lettuce
• ½ cup watercress leaves
• ¼ cup parsley
• 3-4 leaves French sorrel (optional)
• ½ cup alfalfa sprouts or radish sprouts
• 2 tablespoons imitation bacon bits.
• 3 tablespoons oil herb dressing or Yogurt Salad dressing
  

How to prepare the Tossed Green Salad

• Wash, drain, and chill green vegetables.
• Tear lettuce, cress, parsley, and sorrel, and toss with remaining ingredients just before serving.

Variations: 

1. Two tablespoonfuls of blanched bean sprouts, lentil sprouts, artichoke hearts, cooked whole-kernel wheat, or 1 tablespoonful sunflower or sesame seeds, or chopped olives, can add day-by-day variety.
2. Finely chopped dandelions, escarole, endive, tender Swiss chard, spinach, et cetera, may be added in small amounts (about ¼ cup).

Korean-Style Salad recipe

To prepare korean-style salad we need the following ingredients : -

• ¼ lb. fresh mung bean sprouts
• ½ lb. fresh spinach, washed and stems discarded
• ½ of 5-oz. can of water chestnuts, drained and sliced
• 2 tablespoons imitation bacon bits
• 1 recipe Korean Salad Dressing

How to prepare the salad

• Steam or blanch bean sprouts about 3 minutes or until slightly limp but still crips; drain and chill.
• Tea spinach leaves into bite-sized pieces.
• Toss sprouts, spinach, and water chestnuts.
• Garnish with imitation bacon bits just before serving. Serve with Korean Salad Dressing

California Lettuce Salad

We now learn how to prepare California lettuce salad. To make 6 servings we need the following ingredients:-

• ¼ large head iceburg, bronze,or butter lettuce torn into bite-sized pieces
• ½ cucumber, thinly sliced
• 1 large tomato, chopped
• ⅓ cup chopped purple onion
• ½ avocado, cubed (¾ cup)
• 1 recipe citrus salad dressing
  

Combine all ingredients and toss with dressing just before serving

Note: You won't miss the oil in this salad and neither will your friends.

Variations: 

1. Replace avocado with 1 cup of sunflower-seed sprouts or steamed soybean sprouts.
2. Add mustard or watercress sprouts, or wheat or rye sprouts.
3. Thinly sliced pieces of chilled raw zucchini or jicama may replace the cucumber.

Gazpacho Salad Recipe

Now it is time to learn how to prepare Gazpacho salad. To make 6 servings of this salad we need the following ingredients:-

• 1 medium cucumber
• 4 large ripe tomatoes, peeled
• 1 small red or green pepper
• 2 small onions, thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1½ tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon garlic salt
• 3 tablespoons minced parsley
  

How to prepare the Gazpacho salad

• Peel cucumber, leaving every third strip unpeeled.
• Chop cucumbers, tomatoes, and pepper.
• Combine all ingredients.
• Serve with a steaming dish of beans as an accompaniment for a la king entrees, tofu, and toast; or serve over shredded lettuce, spinach, dandelion, endive, escarole, mixed greens, or over tossed green salad with croutons.

Tabbuli (Lebanese Salad)

Below is the recipe for 6 servings for Tabbuli or Lebanese salad. The ingredients needed for this are as follows:-

• ½ cup bulgur wheat
• 2 large bunches parsley, stems discarded and leaves minced (4 cups)
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh mint (optional)
• ½ bunch green onions, including tops, finely chopped (or ¼ cup chopped onion)
• 2 large tomatoes, finely chopped, with juice
• 1¾ teaspoons salt or more to taste
• ⅓ cup lemon juice or to taste
• ¼ cup olive oil

How to prepare tabbuli

• Soak bulgur wheat 15 minutes in water to cover; bring to a boil and simmer a few minutes.
• Drain wheat and squeeze out; discard excess water
• Toss all ingredients
• Cover and refrigerate 1 to 2 hours before serving.

Note: This is a good make-ahead salad. It keeps 2 or 3 days in refrigerator, covered. The parsley remains crisp and the flavor is improved.

Variation: Add a chopped cucumber, 1 cup chopped romaine lettuce, or spinach.

Simple Raw Food Recipes

There are huge benefits for eating simple raw foods, particularly fruits and vegetables. With simple raw food recipes in vogue nowadays, restaurants have opened up serving only raw foods. One of these restaurants is known as Cafe Gratitude located in California. The cafe has published a cookbook titled, I Am Grateful: Recipes and Lifestyle of Cafe Gratitude. All the recipes in this book are from raw ingredients.                                                                             

While most people will find it extreme to go totally raw, there are huge benefits in including more raw foods in our diet. Raw foods are particularly helpful in providing the body with lots of vitamins, minerals and fiber which may be lost during the cooking process. 

One way you can include raw food in your diet is by trying to eat a piece of fruit with your breakfast and another midway through the morning as a snack. You can also add lots of fresh chopped vegetables to your sandwich at lunch and some Greek yoghurt or salsa. In fact all fruits and most vegetables can be eaten raw.

Below is a video offering some simple raw food recipes, in particular healthy raw desserts..

Surprise Salad Recipe

For those interested in salads as we all should do, I found the following recipe that will spice up your choice of salads. There is nothing that can match food in its raw form.  Cooking for all its benefits results in substantial losses in minerals and other nutrients that our bodies need.

SURPRISE SALAD

The ingredients are as follows: -

1 large red beet, grated

1 large onion, chopped

8 sweet sour cucumbers, chopped

1 bunch fresh dill, chopped

1 tin Nutolene, chopped

4 tablespoons tomato paste

4 tablespoons mayonnaise

4 tablespoons sour cream

Mix all the ingredients and leave for a few hours before serving. Serve on lettuce

leaves with wholemeal toast.

—Hannelore Gorsch, NSW

As usual below is a video on another salad recipe. Enjoy!