Vegan Barley, Wild Rice and Cranberry Pilaf

Make a healthy whole grain barley pilaf recipe made with wild rice and cranberries and flavored with orange juice, a touch of salt and fresh parsley, with chopped walnuts for extra texture and protein. Barley pilaf is a nutritious and high-fiber side dish or vegetarian main dish.

Or, use this mixed grain pilaf to stuff an acorn squash or another oven-roasted fall squash for a colorful fall or Thanksgiving dinner entree.

What You'll Need
3/4 cup pearl barley
1/4 cup wild rice
1/2 tsp salt
3 cups water
1 cup orange juice
3/4 cup dried cranberries
2 tsp lemon juice
1 tbsp onion, finely chopped
1/3 cup olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped

Optional: Feta cheese, greens for serving

How to Make It
In medium saucepan with lid, bring water to a boil. Add pearl barley, wild rice and salt; return to boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and cook about 40 minutes or until barley is tender but chewy.

While the barley and wild rice mixture is cooking, pour the orange juice over the dried cranberries and set aside.

Drain any excess liquid from cooked barley and rice mixture. Place barley and wild rice in large bowl.

Drain cranberries, reserving 5 tablespoons orange juice. Toss cranberries with barley and wild rice.

Mix reserved orange juice with lemon juice and onion. Whisk in olive oil and season to taste with salt and pepper. Pour dressing over barley mixture. Add chopped parsley and toasted walnuts; mix well.

If you're not eating vegan, you may want to top your cranberry pilaf off with a bit of crumbled feta cheese; or, to turn it into a salad for lunch, plate it with a few greens, either on a bed of butter lettuce or romaine lettuce leaves, or, some mesclun greens, arugula or kale italia.

Serve at room temperature or chilled.

Makes 6 servings.

Lentils With Sweet Potatoes and Kale

This tasty, nutrient-rich lentil dish is easy to prepare and makes a satisfying meat-free meal.

For a heartier dish (not vegetarian), feel free to add some chopped ham to the pan along with the onions or garnish the finished dish with some smoky cooked crumbled bacon. Diced carrots can be added to the lentils as well.

What You'll Need
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 medium sweet potato, peeled and diced, about 1 1/2 cups
2 cloves garlic, minced
10 to 12 ounces frozen mixed greens or chopped kale
1 cup red lentils
1 large bay leaf
1/2 teaspoon dried leaf thyme
1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
4 cups vegetable broth (or chicken broth)

How to Make It
In a medium saucepan or Dutch oven over medium heat, heat the olive oil.

Add the chopped onion and diced sweet potato to the pan and cook until the onion is softened, about 5 minutes.

Add the minced garlic and cook for 1 minute longer.

Stir in the mixed greens or chopped kale, lentils, bay leaf, thyme, cayenne pepper, and the vegetable broth or chicken broth. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for about 25 to 35 minutes, or until the lentils are tender but not overcooked and mushy.

Add salt, to taste.

Serves 4.

Serve with a tossed salad for a satisfying family meal.

Tips and Variations

Add diced ham or diced smoked sausage to the dish along with the onions.

Easy Green Beans and Bacon

Butter, bacon drippings, and crumbled freshly cooked bacon flavor these fresh green beans perfectly.

The recipe is a popular one, and it is delicious! To cut back on the fat a bit, discard most of the bacon drippings before you add the butter and cooked green beans to the pan. See some other ideas and possible add-ins in the tips and variations section.

What You'll Need
2 pounds fresh green beans
8 strips bacon, diced
3 tablespoons butter
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
salt, to taste

How to Make It
Wash the green beans in a colander under cold running water. Top and tail them (slice off the stem ends and tail ends) and then cut them into 1- to 1 1/2-inch lengths. Set aside.

Heat a large skillet or sauté pan over medium heat; add the diced bacon.  Fry the bacon until crispy; remove to paper towels to drain. Leave 2 to 3 tablespoons (or more) of the bacon drippings in the skillet and save the remaining drippings for another recipe.* Set the skillet aside.

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil over high heat and then add the beans. Boil for about 8 to 12 minutes, or until desired doneness is reached.

Drain the green beans and then add them to the skillet along with the cooked bacon and the butter. Toss well and heat until the green beans are thoroughly coated and hot.

Sprinkle the green beans with freshly ground black pepper and salt, to taste.

*Bacon drippings can solidify and cause clogged drains, so don't pour them down the drain. If you are going to discard the drippings, pour them an empty can and let stand until the grease has solidified and then toss the can in the trash.

Tips and Variations

Use frozen green beans, steamed following the package directions.
Use trimmed fresh wax beans in place of the green beans, or a combination of the two.
Bake the bacon in the oven. Heat the oven to 375° F and line a rimmed baking sheet with foil. Arrange the strips of bacon in the pan and bake in the preheated oven for about 22 to 26 minutes, or until the bacon is crispy. Reserve some of the drippings for the green beans and drain the bacon on paper towels. Proceed with the recipe.
Before you add the cooked green beans to the skillet, saute (medium-low heat) a finely minced or pressed clove of garlic and/or a few tablespoons of finely minced shallots in the butter and bacon drippings for about 2 minutes, or until tender. Add the cooked and drained green beans and bacon; toss, heat, and season with salt and pepper.