Labor Day recipe help

[sbj405]

Friends of the Tofu Ghetto,

Looking for recipe ideas. I need a side dish. It will need to be cold for logistics reasons. So I'm thinking some type of bean or grain salad. I hate vinegar, so none of that. So whatcha got?

[livetohike]

1. How about a bean and grain salad?

I posted this one up in the recipe thread some time ago. It's excellent and you can easily double or triple it if you need to.


Barley and Black Bean Salad

1 c. dry barley
2. c. water
1 15.oz can black beans, rinse and drain
1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
1/2 c. diced green pepper
1/3 c. lemon juice
2 T. olive oil
3/4 c. cilantro
salt to taste

Bring water to boil, add barley, and simmer until done (about 30 minutes). Meanwhile, combine the beans, cherry tomatoes, green pepper, lemon juice,olive oil, cilantro and salt. When the barley is cooked, gently toss the barley into these ingredients.

(The recipe also called for 1/2 c. of diced monterrey jack/jalapeno cheese added to the ingredients.)

[livetohike]

2. Or try this one, my Uncle ate many helpings of this the first time I

made it.

White Bean and Tomato Salad

2 cans, drained and rinsed cannellini beans
4 large ripe tomatoes, diced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1/3 c. olive oil
1/3 c. lemon juice
basil (fresh or dried)
salt and pepper to taste

Mix all together and serve at room temperature or chill.