Festive Three Grain Salad Food

FESTIVE THREE-GRAIN SALAD

Steps:

• In a large saucepan, combine wheat berries and water; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, covered, 10 minutes. Stir in barley; simmer, covered, 5 minutes. Stir in rice; simmer, covered, 40-45 minutes or until grains are tender. Drain; transfer to a large bowl. Cool to room temperature., Add apple, pomegranate seeds, green onions, carrot, celery and parsley to wheat berry mixture; toss to combine. In a small bowl, whisk dressing ingredients until blended. Pour over salad; toss to coat. Serve immediately or refrigerate and serve cold.

BIG FESTIVE SALAD

Steps:

• For the candied nuts: In a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, toast the pistachios and hazelnuts until fragrant, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the brown sugar, salt, vanilla and 1 tablespoon water directly to the pan with the nuts and stir to coat them. Cook until the sugar has dissolved, about 1 additional minute. Transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet and allow to cool, 12 to 15 minutes.
• For the dressing: Combine the olive oil, vinegar, maple syrup, mustard, salt and pepper in a mason jar. Secure the lid and shake to combine. Set aside.
• For the salad: Spread the arugula, kale and spinach over a large round platter, leaving space in the center of the platter (it should look like a holiday wreath). Top the greens with the radicchio. Arrange the mandarin segments over the greens. Sprinkle with the pomegranate seeds, cranberries, blueberries and cooled candied nuts.
• Lastly, sprinkle with the Parmesan, creating the look of snow. Shake the dressing one more time and pour it into a serving bowl. Place the bowl in the center of the platter and serve.

THREE-GRAIN SALAD

Steps:

• In 2-quart saucepan, heat water and wheat berries to boiling. Reduce heat to low. Cover; simmer 10 minutes. Stir in brown rice and barley. Cover; simmer about 50 minutes longer or until grains are tender. Drain if necessary.
• In small bowl, mix dressing ingredients.
• In large bowl, mix cooked grains and remaining salad ingredients. Pour dressing over salad; toss. Cover; refrigerate 1 to 2 hours or until chilled.

FESTIVE RICE SALAD

Steps:

• Rinse the rice under cold running water until the water runs clear. Drain thoroughly.
• Place the rice, chicken broth and water in a heavy saucepan with a tight-fitting lid. Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring gently to keep the rice from sticking to the bottom of the pan.
• When the water is boiling rapidly, stop stirring, cover the pan with the lid and turn the heat down to low. Let cook, without lifting the lid, for 20 minutes.
• Remove from the heat, lift the lid to release the steam, and replace it immediately. Let stand, covered, for 10 minutes and serve.
• Meanwhile, crush the garlic with the salt making a rough paste. Add the garlic paste to the vinaigrette and let stand for at least 15 minutes to combine flavors.
• Add the vinaigrette to the cooled rice and toss with the vegetables.

THREE GRAIN SALAD WITH GRAPEFRUIT

Steps:

• Separately cook and cool your grains, measure out about 4 1/3 cups worth total.
• Supreme the grapefruit over a large bowl, catching the juices.
• MIx the grains into the grapefruit segments and their juice.
• Add the diced chile, parsley, onion, celery, dried sweetened cranberries (craisins), cranberry juice, red wine vinegar, olive oil, brown sugar, rosemary, and salt to taste. Sometimes I leave out the salt entirely, especially if I've used any in my grain cooking water.
• Stir and mix thoroughly.
• Taste and adjust seasonings.
• Chill.

MEDITERRANEAN GRAIN SALAD

Steps:

• In a heatproof bowl, mix bulgur with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1 cup boiling water. Cover, and let stand until tender but slightly chewy, about 30 minutes.
• Drain bulgur in a fine-mesh sieve, pressing to remove liquid; return to bowl. Add tomatoes, parsley, shallot, vinegar, and oil. Season with salt and pepper, and toss. Top with cheese.