Modular grain salad

Greetings from sunny Thorold (it’s a suburb of St.Catharines – both have seen better days) where I’m here visiting Mr. Shuffler. However, he is at work right now so I’m chilling with Mr. Shuffler’s roommate’s Dad, who is here to help Mr. Shuffler’s roommate set up a Beavertails hut in Niagara Falls. I’m hoping my Southern Ontario readers  will drop by and buy a Beavertail from Mr. Shuffler’s roommate. I had one on Saturday and it was delicious. Today, I will probably need to run for a couple of hours to burn it off.

But if we turn our attention to healthier items for a moment…I really like modular recipes, where the larger categories of ingredients are specified but it’s up to you to decide what you’re going to throw in. I found this recipe for a grain-based salad in an issue of Runner’s World a few years ago. I find myself coming back to it a lot, especially for creating portable lunchtime meals.

Great Grain Salad

Mix together one or a combination of ingredients from each row. Season with salt, pepper, and two tablespoons of an oil-and-vinegar dressing. Serves two.

Item: Grains—2 cups
Mix and Match: Brown rice, whole-wheat pasta, quinoa, bulgur, barley, wild rice, couscous

Item: Protein—1 cup
Mix and Match: Chicken, turkey, eggs, beef, pork, any kind of beans, tofu, tempeh (for some reason, they didn’t include beans here but that’s what I use almost exclusively)

Item: Cheese—1/4 cup
Mix and Match: Feta, cheddar, Swiss, jack, Parmesan, cottage cheese

Item: Vegetables—2 cups
Mix and Match: Broccoli, cucumber, scallions, tomato, carrots, corn, peppers, celery, snap peas, green beans

Item: Extras—1/4 to 1/2 cup
Mix and Match: Almonds, walnuts, pine nuts, flaxseed, wheat germ, basil, mint, dried blueberries, goji berries

In this version, I’ve used quinoa, lentils, grape tomatoes, sweet peppers and Italian salad dressing. I often use bocconcini balls, feta or pine nuts when I want to get real fancy.