Grains and Beans, Raw Veggies

Here are a 3 good recipes for some food groups that are not as easy to incorporate into our menus: raw vegetables, beans, grains, nuts. The adults get to eat well in our house, the kids wish I'd just stick to Macaroni and Cheese mixed up with wieners.

Mexican Slaw (copied from De Cero Taqueria menu)
Shredded Red Cabbage
Grated Jicama
Lime Juice
Chopped Jalapeno
Honey

I don't have any measurements just throw some together and taste it.

Chickpea and Rice Salad w/ Moroccan Spiced-Dressing(from Pamela Morgan's Flavors our first and favorite household cookbook.) Her directions are very particular, long and helpful so I am abbreviating a bit.

Cook up 1/2 cup of wild rice (she adds a little soy sauce and molasses to the cooking water)
Cook up 1/2 cup of brown rice

DRESSING: Toast the dressing spices till fragrant for a few minutes in small heavy skillet over low heat:1 tsp each: (ground) turmeric, coriander, curry powder and nutmeg

Then toss the spices with 1/4 c. olive oil, 1/4 rice wine vinegar, 2 Tbsp honey, 2Tbsp sugar.

In a large bowl combine the dressing with the drained hot rices, and add 1 15-oz can rinsed and drained chick-peas, 1/2 cup golden raisins, and 1/3 cup sliced unblanched almonds, toasted.

Serve at room temperature. The salad can be made a day ahead of eating but then wait to add the almonds right before serving.

I made this last week for a ham dinner and ate about half of it in the morning right after I made it, it is so good!

Lentil Soup from the New Moosewood Cookbook
(I changed the fresh tomato part to canned b/c it is no longer summer.) This soup is very flavorful, I didn't think it would be that great but it is.
3 c. dry lentils
7 c. water
2 tsp salt
6-8 medium garlic cloves, crushed
2 c. chopped onion
2 stalks celery chopped
2 med carrots sliced or diced
optional, 1/2 to 1 tsp. basil, 1/2 tsp thyme, 1/2 tsp oregano
lots of ground black peper
(a can of chopped tomatoes)
red wine vinegar to drizzle on top

1; Place lentils, water and salt in a kettle. Bring to a boil, lower heat to slowest possible simmer and cook partially covered for 20-30 min.

2 Add vegetables (except tomatoes), herbs and black pepper. Partially cover and let simmer another 20-30 min, stirring occasionally

3 Add tomatoes and cook for 5 min more

4 Serve hot with a drizzle of vinegar on top of each steaming bowlful