The great thing about this salad is that it’s just rough parameters–you can throw pretty much watever veggies you have on hand and it will still be great.  Eggplant? Sure! No cucumbers? No problem.  Big fan of carrots? Toss them in.  Want a more substantial dish with protein? Throw in a can of chickpeas.  Love cheese? Mix in some feta.  Get the idea–it’s very adabtable and always tasty.

Oh, and to give credit where credit is due, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention my trusty sous chef–my dear husband.  He loves this salad enough to help with the chopping, which cuts down the prep time even further.  Plus, I can be sneaky and make him chop the onion!

Israeli Salad

1 green pepper
1 red pepper
1 yellow pepper
1 orange pepper
1 onion
1 cucumber
2 tomatoes
1 Tbs fresh parsley, chopped
1 Tbs olive oil
1 tsp lemon juice
Salt and Pepper to taste

1.  Dice peppers, onion, cucumber and tomatoes.  Combine in salad bowl.

2.  In small bowl, whisk together olive oil and lemon juice.  Drizzle over chopped veggies.  Season with salt and pepper to taste and sprinkle parsley over salad.

3.  Let sit for 15 mins. to allow flavors to combine.  Serve and enjoy!

This recipe for Chard and Red Pepper Gratin is adapted from the one at the New York Times and it makes for a tasty, albeit a bit fiddly, dinner side. I totally cheated and served it with a roasted chicken from Henry’s, but that made it a do-able weeknight dinner.

Chard and Red Pepper Gratin

1 generous bunch Swiss chard

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped

1 red bell pepper, diced

2 plump garlic cloves, minced

Salt and pepper

3 large eggs

1/2 cup low-fat milk

3 ounces Swiss cheese, grated (3/4 cup)

1/2 cup Arborio rice, cooked*

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

3 tablespoons dry breadcrumbs**

1. Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil. Strip the leaves from the stalks and rough chop, but hold onto the stalks. When the water comes to a boil add the chard leaves and blanch for about 1 minute, just until tender. Transfer immediately to a colander and run under cold water. Let sit for a couple minutes to cool, then squeeze out excess water and chop fine.

2. Preheat the oven to 375º F. Brush a 2-quart baking or gratin dish with olive oil.

3. Trim both ends off the chard stalks, then dice. Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large, heavy nonstick skillet over medium heat and add the onion. Cook, stirring, until tender, about 5 minutes. Add the diced chard stalks, diced red pepper, and 1/2 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring often, for 5 to 8 minutes, until the vegetables are just tender. Add the garlic, stir together for a minute or so, until the garlic is fragrant, and stir in the chard. Stir together for 30 seconds to a minute, just to blend the mixture and coat the chard with oil. Season with salt and pepper, and remove from the heat.

4. Beat the eggs and milk together in a bowl. Stir in the chard mixture, the cheese, rice and thyme. Stir together, taste and add more salt and pepper if desired. Transfer to the baking dish. Sprinkle the breadcrumbs over the top and drizzle on the remaining oil.

5. Bake 40 to 45 minutes, until firm and browned on the top. Remove from the heat and cool for at least 10 minutes before serving. Serve warm.

Yield: Serves 6

*I took the lazy way out and cooked the Arborio rice in the rice maker–1 cup rice to 3 cups water. It bubbled up and made a mess, but the rice was good, it was easy, and mixed into the gratin no one could tell the difference.

**I used italian seasoned Progresso bread crumbs, as that is what was in my pantry. Tasted great!

I hope you’ll come back often to see what’s new and try out some new recipes and enjoy some good food.  To me the best thing about cooking is being able to share it with friends–both virtual and in person.  So let’s get cooking!