Patriotic Grain Salad

It seems like the summer is just flying by!  I cant believe the 4th of July is on Friday already.  Although Im not planning on going to any BBQs or Pot-Lucks this holiday, I thought I would make a salad to enjoy over the weekend regardless.  This salad is grain-based and very filling.  It is great to have on its own or on top of a pile of dark greens yum!

Patriotic Grain Salad
Time: 20 minutes + grain cooking/cooling time
Servings: 6-8

Ingredients:
    Salad:
        6 cups cooked whole grains*
        3 cups red cabbage, shredded
        1 cup radishes, thinly sliced
        1/4 cup red onion, finely chopped
    Dressing:
        1 package firm silken tofu, drained but not pressed (approx 12-14 oz)
        1/2 English cucumber, roughly chopped, unpeeled
        1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
        2 cloves garlic
        1 tsp dried or 2 tsp fresh dill
        black pepper to taste

Instructions:
1.)  Cook the whole grain following the box instructions.  Allow to cook and cool while you prepare the other ingredients and dressing.  Make sure to drain any excess liquid from the cooked grains.
2.)  Prepare the remaining salad ingredients and mix in a large bowl.

3.)  In a high speed blender, blend the tofu, lemon juice, and garlic until smooth and creamy.  It should be just thinner than a greek yogurt.  Add in the cucumber, mint, and dill and pulse until the cucumber is finely chopped and the spices are well mixed.

4.)  Stir the cooked and cooled grain into the salad bowl.  Top with small amounts of the dressing and stir.  Keep adding until you have the desired amount of dressing on your salad.
5.)  Serve chilled with fresh dill sprinkled on top (optional).

Amys Notes:
*The grain pictured in this recipe is millet, but quinoa would look very similar.  Some other grain options include barley, wheat berries, brown rice, bulgur, farrow, or wild rice.

Ok, so I was originally going for a red, white, and blue theme in this salad for patriotism, but sometimes you just have to use your imagination.  The red is the radishes, the white is the dressing and grain, and the blue is the red onion and cabbage... close enough right?

The salad dressing, if you didnt notice, is very much like a Greek tzatziki sauce.  If you have any left over (I used all of mine on the salad), serve it as a yummy yogurt-like chip or veggie dip.

Gah!  This one is blurry!  Seriously, I need a better camera than my iPad!

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