Salads

Grilled Summer Squash Salad with Rye Berries and Sun-Dried Tomato Vinaigrette

September 3, 2019 by Kristi 4 Comments

grilled summer squash salad wit rye berries and sun-dried tomato vinaigrette — *Grilled Summer Squash Salad with Rye Berries and Sun-Dried Tomato Vinaigrette*

I can’t believe it’s September already! This might go down on record as the fastest summer in history…gone in the blink of an eye. But before I get ahead of myself trading in tomatoes and zucchini for butternut squash, I’ve got a delicious grilled vegetable salad for these late summer days. Zucchini, yellow summer squash, red onions and rye berries drizzled in a tangy, flavorful sun-dried tomato vinaigrette….so easy and filling enough to be a meal in and of itself.

I am a big fan of whole grain salads like this one. Just a handful of rye berries (or barley, wheat berries or farro) brings welcome texture and heartiness that turns this otherwise side dish into an easy vegetarian main. It would also make a nice accompaniment to grilled chicken or addition to the neighborhood potluck. The choice is yours!

This recipe comes together quickly with the exception of the cooked grains. If you plan to use rye berries I definitely recommend soaking them overnight. They will cook more quickly and evenly that way. I made this a few times over the last week and tried cooking the rye berries without soaking them first and they took well over an hour to become tender. With an overnight soak it was more like 50 minutes of cooking time. If you really want to get a jump on things I would suggest making the cooked grains the day before you plan to serve the salad. They will happily wait in the refrigerator for you until you are ready to use them.

Before the season for cozy sweaters, football games and ALL things pumpkin spice begins in earnest, make the most of that late summer produce. Give this salad a try!

Grilled Summer Squash Salad with Rye Berries and Sun-Dried Tomato Vinaigrette

A hearty grilled vegetable salad with zucchini, summer squash, red onions and rye berries.

Author: Kristi
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 8 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Yield: 4 servings 1x
Category: salad
Cuisine: Nordic, Scandinavian

Scale

Ingredients

1 1/4 cups cooked rye berries (see below)

1 large red onion, peeled and cut into ½ inch thick rounds

3 medium zucchini and/or yellow summer squash cut on the bias into ½ inch thick slices

⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for brushing vegetables

Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

1 garlic clove, minced

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

⅓ cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes

2 tablespoons chopped kalamata olives

¼ cup chopped fresh basil, plus whole basil leaves for garnish

¼ cup sliced almonds, toasted

Instructions

Combine garlic and vinegar together in medium bowl. Let sit for 10 minutes. Slowly whisk in olive oil. Add sun-dried tomatoes, olives and basil and combine. Add 1 tablespoon of the vinaigrette to the cooked rye berries and stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Heat the grill. Place the onion rounds, zucchini and summer squash on a baking sheet in a single layer. Brush with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
When grill is heated, clean and oil the grates. Place vegetables on the grill and cook until grill marks appear and vegetables are tender, about 3-4 minutes per side.
To assemble salads, place a few slices of summer squash on the bottom of the plate and spoon on a little vinaigrette. Follow with a spoonful of rye berries. Add a few more grilled vegetables on top. Drizzle with a little more vinaigrette. Sprinkle almonds on top, garnish with basil leaves if desired and serve.

Notes

To cook rye berries: Place 1/2 cup rye berries in a bowl with plenty of cold water. Cover and soak overnight at room temperature. Drain and rinse. Bring a medium size pot of water to a boil. Add salt. Add rye berries. Simmer vigorously until grains are pleasantly tender but still have a little bite to them, about 50-60 minutes. Drain and set aside to cool slightly.

*Feel free to substitute farro, barley or wheat berries for the rye berries if you can’t find them. Cooking times will vary.

Keywords: zucchini, summer squash, grill, salad,

Chickpea Salad Smørrebrød

June 26, 2019 by Kristi Leave a Comment

This may come as a shock, but the life of a food blogger is not nearly as well-nourished as you might think. Generally on the days when I’m testing recipes, I’m grabbing a small bite of something here, a little taste there, and the next thing you know it’s 3:00 and I’ve nibbled my way through the day. This leaves me feeling depleted and less than energetic by late afternoon. The obvious antidote to this is lunch, something nourishing that will sustain me through the afternoon hours. But preparing a midday meal for myself isn’t always as easy as sounds. When I’m involved in a project, the last thing I want to do is stop and take the time to make something to eat, just for me.

Perhaps I need to think of preparing a nourishing, easy lunch just for me as a deliberate act of self care, a gift to my future self who would otherwise be famished and cranky by 3:00. So often we think that if we are not preparing food for our families or the people we love, why bother? Instead we opt for a handful of chips, a bowl of cold cereal or leftovers from a Tupperware container while we stand at the refrigerator with the door open. When we are busy or simply alone in the kitchen, it is easy to send ourselves the message that we are not worth the effort.

But of course we are worth the effort. We are deserving of nourishment, each and every day, regardless of whether there is anyone else around or not. Preparing a meal for ourselves doesn’t have to be complicated; simple and delicious will do. What we need are recipes we can turn to for a quick and easy lunch, hopefully with some components that can be prepared ahead of time so that making a nutritious, energizing midday meal becomes as easy as grabbing a tub of hummus and a bag of pita chips.

This Chickpea Salad Smørrebrød is just that sort of thing. Creamy, herby and fresh, this salad is essentially a vegetarian version of a classic tuna or chicken salad. Piled high on rye bread and fresh greens, it makes an amazing open face sandwich. And if you are the kind of person who always has a can of chickpeas in the pantry, you probably have most of these ingredients around the house already. The salad keeps nicely in the fridge for a couple of days so feel free to make it ahead of time. If you want to make it vegan, simply skip the butter on the bread and substitute vegan mayonnaise for the mayonnaise and skyr combination.

Show yourself some love the next time you are hungry and alone in the kitchen but feel “too busy” to nourish yourself. Whip up a batch of Chickpea Salad, just for you. Heap it on top of toasted bread and fresh greens. Maybe even set a place at the table for yourself, sit down and enjoy your own company. It’s a nice little reminder that you are worth the effort.