Archive for the ‘Side Salads’ Category

PLTA Salad

plta-salad

P=prosciutto, L=lettuce, T=tomato, and A=avocado. Yep, like a BLT but different. The addition of avocado makes (almost) everything taste better, and if you have yet to convert from bacon to prosciutto, it’s high time you did. Prosciutto is a thinly sliced Italian dry-cured ham. You can eat it uncooked, right out of the package, but for this recipe, I pan fry it, just as you would bacon. This gives it a nice, crunchy texture. The flavor is similar to bacon, but without all the added artificial flavors usually found in bacon. It is also less fatty.

If you’re in a hurry, you can use store-bought salad dressing. I’m not a Ranch fan, though it would be okay. I prefer a vinaigrette. The recipe for my White Wine and Herb Vinaigrette is below. It’s akin to an Italian Vinaigrette, and goes well with this salad. Unlike Ranch, it won’t weigh down and drown out the flavors of the greens or avocado, and yet it’s plenty flavorful enough in and of itself.

Hubby and I ate this salad as a main dish, along with a loaf of Rosemary Garlic Bread, and a glass of Kestrel’s Mourvedre. Perfect meal for a warm summer night on the patio… or even a cool, rainy night at the kitchen table working on a puzzle…

If you like this recipe, try PLTA Croissant Sandwiches.

White Wine and Herb Vinaigrette

Combine ¼ cup high quality white wine vinegar (I used an artisan Pinot Grigio vinegar), ½ cup good quality extra virgin olive oil, 1 tsp. minced thyme, 1 tsp. minced rosemary, 1 tsp. chopped parsley, 1 clove garlic, peeled and smashed, and salt and pepper to taste. Mix well, and let sit for a minimum of one hour to let flavors marry. Remove garlic clove before serving.

PLTA Salad

Use in any amount you like:

Baby spring greens
Prosciutto, uncooked or cooked
Heirloom cherry tomatoes
Avocado
White Wine and Herb Vinaigrette

Strawberry Mango Salad with Pomegranate Shallot Vinaigrette

strawberrymangosalad

In the heat of summer, it’s often hard to think about food, much less eat a full meal. There are days when only water and ice cold popsicles sound appetizing. Especially Otter Pops—those non-frozen popsicles you buy in a box and stick in your freezer, and once they are frozen you push the sugar water out of the slinky plastic wrap. Ah! Nothing quite says summer like Otter Pops. When I was growing up, Otter Pops didn’t have characters, and I only remember four flavors. Now Otter Pops are all kinds of cute. :) Anyway, on those kinds of energy-sucking-sticky-with-heat days, I find light lunches and dinners of fresh fruit and veggies are just the ticket. I love salads any time of year, of course, but summer particularly requires refreshing meals, just as winter is rich, warming comfort food time.

Summer is also a great time to find fresh fruit, and if you haven’t yet ventured into combining greens with fruits, nuts, and cheese, you should give it a try! Veggie salads are tasty, but fruit and veggie salads are juicy, delectable, crave-worthy treats. For this salad, I use strawberries, mango, toasted pecans, and chévre, with a pomegranate shallot vinaigrette. The result is a sweet, creamy, crunchy salad with accents of bitter greens and a delicate onion flavor from the shallots.

Ingredients:
strawberries
mango
mesclun (also known as spring greens)
pecans, chopped and toasted
chévre
fresh ground pepper

Dressing Ingredients:
pure pomegranate juice
extra virgin olive oil
shallot
salt and pepper

Guidelines:

For the dressing, combine equal parts pure pomegranate juice and extra virgin olive oil. Finely dice about ½ tsp. shallots for every ¼ cup of dressing. Add salt and pepper to taste. Whisk well.

For the salad, use the ingredients in whatever amount you like. For my salad, which fed two as a side salad, but could easily feed 3-4, I used about 6 strawberries, quartered, 1 mango, diced, a medium salad bowl filled ¾ full of mesclun (4-5 cups would be my best guess), ¼ cup toasted pecans, and about 1 ounce of chévre, crumbled.

Add all salad ingredients in salad bowl, along with fresh ground pepper, if desired, and pour dressing over top. I refrain from tossing, as the ingredients are delicate.

Roasted Vegetable Panzanella

roastedvegetablepanzanella

If you’re thinking I have too many recipes for Panzanella on this site, you may be right. But seriously, Panzanella is one of the best things on the planet. It’s right up there with goat cheese, balsamic vinegar, eggplant, and chiles. You can see I get obsessions…

I’m not a traditional Panzanella maker, either. For one thing, I always toast and salt my bread. I love the crunchy texture of toasted bread in contrast to soft vegetables. It’s very satisfying! And, well, I kind of have this other obsession with Sel Gris and Pink Himalayan sea salts, so I tend to use one of the other (probably) more often than I should. Luckily, I have very good blood pressure. :) Most Panzanella recipes also call for vinegar, but I opt out of this ingredient, and stick with olive oil, salt (see above), pepper, and plenty of fresh garlic. In my Artichoke Panzanella, however, I did use lemon zest.

The best part of Panzanella is, as long as you’re not a traditionalist, its versatility. Mix and match vegetables with different styles of bread, and you have an entire new dish! For this version, I roasted zucchini, red pepper, yellow pepper, and onion, then tossed in fresh grape tomatoes and basil. If you prefer your tomatoes roasted, too, however, toss them into to oven, as well. I highly suggest experimenting to find new Panzanella recipes that make you swoon!

Ingredients:

*Note: One 9×13 pan will easily feed 4 (or more) as a side dish. It also feeds my husband and I as a main dish with a green salad on the side.

1 baguette of plain, crusty bread
1 zucchini, sliced and cut in half moons
½ red pepper, diced
½ yellow pepper, diced
½ sweet onion, diced
½ crate grape tomatoes
4 cloves garlic, minced
fresh basil, slivered
olive oil
Sel Gris, or sea salt
fresh ground pepper

Guidelines:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

In small roasting pan, toss vegetables (except tomatoes and basil) with a splash of olive oil, the rest of the minced garlic, and plenty of fresh ground pepper. Roast for 15-20 minutes, or until they reach desired texture.

Cut bread into large cubes. Toss with plenty of olive oil, sel gris or sea salt, and half of the minced garlic. Toast in oven for 12-15 minutes or until edges turn golden brown, tossing occasionally.

Toss the toasted bread, roasted veggies, fresh grape tomatoes, and fresh, slivered basil, in a large bowl.

Serve.

Chopped Greek Salad with Lemon Dill Vinaigrette

chopped-greek-salad

Yeah, I know—true Greek salads don’t include lettuce. That’s fine. This can be a fake Greek salad then, or if you’re feeling generous, an “inspired” Greek salad, because darn it, I’m using lettuce. Why? 1. I happen to like lettuce. And 2. I’ve never been able to follow rules very well. (Sorry, Mom and Dad!) So, now that I’ve got that rant out of the way, I have to recommend exactly when, where, and how you should prepare this salad. (Yes, I’m a control freak, too.)

When: On a warm but mild spring or summer day.

Where: Outside! Sitting in the garden, or on your patio.

How: If you can find Jumbo Gulf Tiger Shrimp, serve this salad alongside them. Devein the shrimp, but leave the peels on, and stick those gorgeous babies on the grill. They only need a few minutes on each side…

Why?: Because Jumbo Gulf Tiger Shrimp hot off the grill are phenomenal, and the Chopped Greek Salad is refreshing, light, and packed with wonderful flavors, and spending time outside on a nice day with good food and good company is always a special treat.

But you know, however you want to go about it…

Dressing Ingredients:
1 lemon, freshly squeezed
zest of 1 lemon
olive oil, triple the amount of olive oil to lemon juice
fresh dill, several sprigs, or to taste
pinch or two of sugar, or to taste
fresh ground pepper, to taste
salt, to taste

Salad Ingredients:

½- 1 head romaine lettuce (depending on size)
1 cucumber
1 package cherry tomatoes
red wine and herb marinated Kalamata olives (such as Mezzetta Napa Valley Bistro)
Feta cheese, to taste
fresh ground pepper, to taste

Guidelines:

Make dressing.

Wash, dry, and chop romaine.

Cut cucumber in half lengthwise, and using a spoon, remove the soft center with seeds. Cut the cucumber halves into slices of desired thickness.

Halve cherry tomatoes.

Halve Kalamata olives.

In a large salad bowl, toss the romaine with just enough dressing to lightly coat the greens. Add vegetables, olives, feta to taste, and pepper to taste.

Serve immediately.

Farmhouse Salad

farmhousesalad.jpg

I call this “Farmhouse Salad” because I used an aged Farmhouse White Cheddar Cheese to make the cheese sticks that top the dish. Also, I think the word “farmhouse” somehow conjures a feeling of coziness and comfort, and this salad definitely lives up to that. The warm, gooey cheese sticks, sautéed apples, toasted pecans, and honey mustard vinaigrette are comfy, homey foods for those cool fall and winter days.

I made this salad as a light main dish. If you need a more substantial dinner with plenty of protein, however, it would make a great side salad. Pair it with roasted chicken or pork tenderloin, perhaps a loaf of country bread on the side, and you’d have a great, full meal.

Ingredients:

(Note: These portions are for two light meal main dish salads. Adjust the ingredients as necessary to fit your purpose and portions. )

spring greens (two full plates)
1 apple, cored and sliced
½ cup pecans
3 thick (about ¾”) slices of aged White Cheddar Cheese
1-2 eggs
1 cup flour
1 cup bread crumbs
several cups of canola oil for frying
a pat of butter

Dressing Ingredients:

(Note: The amounts you see below are only approximates. I rarely measure. Apologies!)

¼ cup hazelnut or walnut oil
1/8 cup white wine vinegar
1-2 tbsp. brown mustard
1-2 tbsp. honey
a couple sprigs of fresh thyme

Guidelines:

Whisk together all of the dressing ingredients. Let sit while you prepare the rest of the salad, then give a final vigorous whisk before serving.

In a small sauté pan, heat enough canola oil to fry the cheese sticks.

In three separate pans (I use pie pans), place the bread crumbs, flour, and eggs. Beat the eggs well. Cut your cheese into thick slices (about 3/4 of an inch), then cut them in half length-wise, and width-wise, if you choose. Dip the cheese sticks first in flour, then in the eggs, then in the bread crumbs. Fry until crisp. Remove from oil and place on paper towels to drain.

In the meantime, slice and core your apple. Sauté the slices in a pat of butter until just softening. You can add the pecans to the apples at this point, and let them heat through, or toast them separately.

To assemble the salad, place a healthy serving of spring greens on your plate. Arrange the apple slices around the perimeter, sprinkle the pecans over everything, and drizzle with dressing. Don’t toss. Mound the cheese sticks in the center and serve.

Sicilian Salad

siciliansalad.jpg

Do you ever get tired of writing about your food? I mean, really, do we have to? Do people actually read those essays on our lives and why we cooked a meal? I doubt it. I don’t always. Isn’t it enough to post a recipe, and say here: try this, it’s good, I think you’ll like it? Well, I’m going to do that today. Because I want to, and I think people appreciate brevity. So here. This is a recipe for a Sicilian Salad I made a few weeks ago. I liked it. It’s fresh and zingy. I hope you’ll like it to.

Ingredients:

Note: I don’t think it’s necessary to measure for a salad. If the ingredients look proportionate, they probably taste balanced, too.

romaine
red cabbage
oranges
Kalmata olives
feta cheese
fresh ground pepper (optional)

Dressing Ingredients:

lemon juice (fresh)
fresh mint, chopped finely
olive oil

Guidelines:

Make your dressing first. If you’re making a small salad, you’ll only need a few tablespoons of olive oil and lemon juice, and a leaf or two of fresh mint. If you’re making a large salad, adjust accordingly. So, let’s assume you’re making a small salad. Place a couple of tablespoons of olive oil in a small bowl. Add one or two tablespoons of fresh lemon juice, according to taste. Whisk in one or two fresh, chopped mint leaves, and let the mixture sit for about twenty minutes. Whisk again before dressing your salad.

Wash and chop enough romaine for your salad. Spin dry and place in a salad bowl. Add enough red cabbage to give it some color and taste.

Once your dressing is ready, pour it over your romaine and cabbage and mix to combine.

Place your dressed salad on a serving plate. Top with peeled orange slices, halved Kalamata olives, a sprinkling of feta cheese, and fresh ground pepper to taste.

Artichoke Panzanella

artichokepanzanella2.jpg

Panzanella is a bread salad traditionally made with tomatoes and seasoned with olive oil, vinegar, salt, pepper, garlic, and fresh basil. Many recipes also call for fresh mozzarella and onion. In this recipe, I put a Greek spin on panzanella by using artichoke hearts, feta cheese, fresh parsley, lemon zest, and a Kalamata olive bread. I loved it so much the first time, that I craved it for a full two weeks before I broke down late one night, went to the store, and bought all the ingredients to make it again. My husband and I ate that, and drank a glass of Ponzi Pinot Noir Reserve, for dinner at eight o’ clock. It was divine. And now that I’m typing this recipe up, I’m craving it again… Will the cycle ever end? I kind of hope not!

*Note: If you can’t find olive bread, use any country-style crusty bread and throw some Kalamata, or Green olives, into the artichoke mixture.

Ingredients:

½ loaf Kalamata olive bread (or Green olive bread, if you prefer), cut into large cubes
2 tomatoes, diced
1 jar of artichoke hearts, drained and cut in half
feta cheese, to taste
a handful of fresh parsley, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
olive oil
sea salt
fresh ground pepper (optional)
lemon zest

Guidelines:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

In a large ovenproof casserole dish, toss the cubed bread with plenty of olive oil and sea salt. Bake in the oven while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.

artichoke-panzanella.jpgIn a medium skillet, sauté the garlic in olive oil just long enough to release its flavor. Add the tomatoes, artichoke hearts, and lemon zest. Cook until just heated through. Add the fresh parsley and fresh ground pepper (optional).

Remove the bread cubes from the oven. Toss the artichoke heart mixture into the bread cubes. Sprinkle feta cheese over the top, and return the pan to the oven. Bake for about five minutes, just long enough to warm the cheese, or if you prefer your bread crispier, bake until you reach your desired texture.

Serve with herb roasted chicken breasts, and/or a glass of your favorite wine.

Enjoy!

Three Cheese Bread and Tomato Salad

breadtomatosalad.jpg

This is one of those super simple and satisfying snacks or side dishes that will leave you craving more. (Kind of like popcorn, but healthier. I think. )

To make for the ultimate cheesy experience, buy bread from your bakery that has cheese baked into it. Oh, yeah! You can also substitute the aged white Cheddar that I used for another cheese of your choice. I’m interested in trying Gorgonzola, but my other half isn’t into blue cheese. For a milder flavor, Fontina might be nice.

For a light summer meal, serve this salad with a bowl of assorted summer fruits, such as peaches, cherries, and plums, and a glass of red wine. Maybe Dan the wine editor will do a pairing for us…

Ingredients:

quality, bakery-style, crusty bread (preferably cheese flavored; I used Asiago cheese bread)
Parmesan cheese
aged white Cheddar cheese
fresh mozzarella
cherry tomatoes
fresh basil
olive oil
fresh ground pepper
sea salt

Guidelines:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Cube the bread. I used about 6 thick slices for the two of us. If you’re serving more, adjust as necessary. Place the bread cubes on a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and toss. How much olive oil? You don’t want the bread to be wet, but you want to be able to see a very, very light coating. Sprinkle with sea salt.

Grate the Parmesan cheese and the aged white Cheddar. I used about a ¼ cup of Parmesan, and ½ cup of Cheddar. Again, adjust as necessary. Toss the bread cubes with the cheese.

Place in the oven and bake until the bread is toasty and the cheese is melted, about 10-15 minutes.

Remove from oven. Let cool slightly.

In the meantime, half the cherry tomatoes and chop the fresh basil. I used a large handful of each.

Cube about half a ball of fresh mozzarella.

In a large bowl, toss the toasted bread cubes with the cherry tomatoes, chopped basil, and fresh mozzarella. Add another splash of olive oil, and a generous grind of fresh ground pepper.

Peach-Prosciutto Salad with Hazelnut-Balsamic Dressing

peachprossalad.jpg

While I was making this salad, my husband popped into the kitchen and asked what was for dinner. I told him, and he said: “Huh. Sounds… interesting.” It sounded just fine to me—no, better than just fine—but he’s not particularly adventurous in the culinary world, so I understood. When he tasted it however, he told me the dish was 1,000 times better than he’d imagined it would be. In fact, he asked for the peaches again the next night. I was craving them, too. Imagine sweet, juicy peaches wrapped in crunchy, salty prosciutto, and grilled to perfection. Mmhmm. Don’t know what prosciutto is? It’s the Italian word for ham, and in the United States, you can buy the paper-thin, dry-cured raw version in most well-stocked delis. Luckily, I had a couple more peaches, and a few slices of prosciutto left. We grilled them up, and served them alongside grilled cheese and tomato sandwiches. Either way—in a salad, or as a side-dish sans greens—these prosciutto wrapped peaches are an excellent way to dress up dinner.

Ingredients:

*Please note (again), I’m not a fan of measuring, especially for dishes like this. What I offer you below are guidelines. Adjust to fit your personal style and the amount of people you are feeding.

3-4 peaches, of any variety
1 package prosciutto, about 4 ounces
spring greens, about 5 ounces
hazelnuts, about ½ cup
balsamic vinegar
hazelnut oil
fresh ground pepper (optional)
brown sugar (optional)

Whisk the balsamic vinegar with the hazelnut oil. Start with an equal ratio, about 4 tbsp. to 4 tbsp. and adjust to fit your tastes from there. Personally, I prefer more vinegar to oil, but most recipes call for more oil than vinegar. I also tend to prefer my salads “dry,” meaning I don’t like them dripping with dressing. Each to their own. Make it your way. I also liberally grind fresh pepper into the oil and vinegar. That’s optional, of course. And if the dressing is too tart for you, add a pinch of brown sugar.

peachproscuittoHalve the peaches and remove the pits. Cut each peach half in half, so you end up with four slices per peach.

Cut the prosciutto slices in half length-wise. Wrap each peach quarter with a prosciutto slice.

Skewer the prosciutto wrapped peaches and place on a grill. Grill a couple of minutes on each side, or until the prosciutto is cooked through. Remove and let cool slightly.

In an oven, or on the stove, toast the hazelnuts until the skin darkens. Be careful, this doesn’t take long! Remove from oven or stovetop, let cool. Rub the skin off the hazelnuts, then coarsely chop.

Toss the mixed spring greens with the hazelnut-balsamic dressing. Gently mix in the hazelnuts. Plate the greens, and top with the prosciutto-wrapped peaches.

Serve with crusty bread and an herb-infused oil dipping sauce.

Refreshing Spring Salad

refreshingspringsalad.jpg

I think this is my new favorite salad. It’s a tough call, but there is something about the combination of ingredients that make this salad lip-smacking good. The avocado, grapefruit, jicama, radish, and honey poppy seed dressing complement each other in ways I wouldn’t have imagined. (But I’d hoped!) The avocado is buttery and creamy, the grapefruit tart and juicy. The jicama provides lightness and crunch, while the radish adds bitterness and spice. The honey poppy seed dressing rounds the whole thing out. Plus, the salad is colorful, which I always like. Most of all, however, it’s refreshing. I was amazed at how energized I felt after eating it. And I ate a ton! Then I made another batch the next day. :)

I also added spelt berries to the salad. I often add whole grains in lieu of meat, as a healthier alternative. If you prefer meat, however, I suggest adding a few grilled shrimp. Just a few… Shrimp are very high in cholesterol.

Spelt is an ancient, mild flavored grain. It’s related to wheat, though most people with wheat sensitivities find they can tolerate spelt, and it’s often used as a wheat alternative. It does contain some gluten, however, so those on gluten free diet should opt for a different grain. Spelt berries, in addition, to being high in fiber, are high in a variety of minerals, including manganese and niacin. They also contain some protein, so those of you worried about eating this as a main dish, don’t have to worry as much. ;)

I don’t have exact measurements for this salad. They are more like guidelines. Add more or less of the ingredients you like. One large bowl of salad usually feeds both my husband and I. Sometimes we have a slice of bread on the side, or a smoothie to go along with it, but more often than not, the salad alone satisfies us. The same is true of the dressing–adapt it to fit your taste buds.

Ingredients:

1 bunch spinach, washed and spun dry
1 or 2 avocados, peel and pit removed and sliced
1 large grapefruit, sectioned, pith removed, then diced
½ jicama, peeled, julienned
6 large radishes, sliced
½ cup spelt berries, cooked according to package directions
honey poppy seed dressing (below)

Guidelines:

Toss spinach with honey poppy seed dressing.

Top plates with dressed spinach.

Top the dressed spinach with a handful of each of the above ingredients. Toss lightly.

Serve.

Honey Poppy Seed Dressing:

3 tsp. honey
¼ cup cider vinegar
1/8 cup olive oil
1 tbsp. Dijon mustard
1 tbsp. poppy seeds

Whisk all ingredients together. Taste. Adjust as necessary.