Salads Recipes

A salad is a single food or a mix of different foods accompanied or bound by a dressing; it can be served as an appetizer, a second course after an appetizer, an entree or a course following the entree or dessert and can contain almost any food. Here are some of my favorites!

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Grilled Romaine, Endive, and Tomato Salad with Lemon-Basil Vinaigrette and Blue Cheese

Vinaigrette:

4 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

1/2 cup sherry vinegar

1 1/2 cups extra-virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1 tablespoon honey

1 tablespoon brown sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Combine all ingredients in a blender or a food processor and blend well. Refrigerate for at least 5 hours.

Salad:

4 large ripe tomatoes

4 heads Belgian endive

2 large heads romaine lettuce

1 small red onion, sliced thin

1/2 cup Point Reyes or other blue cheese, crumbled

salt and pepper to taste

Heat grill to about 450 degrees and oil grate. Slice tops and bottoms off tomatoes, exposing seeds. Cut endive heads in half lengthwise; do not detach base. Remove thick outer leaves of romaine, trim tops a bit to neaten, then slice in half lengthwise, do not detach base. Season all with salt and pepper, then coat lightly with some of the vinaigrette. Grill tomatoes first, about 3 minutes on each side. Then grill endive about 1 1/2 minutes on each side; don't let burn. Grill romaine about 1 minute, cut side only. To serve, place 1 romaine half off center on each plate, place 2 tomato halves next to it. Lay 2 endive halves crosswise on top. Garnish with red onion and blue cheese; then drizzle with vinaigrette. Serves 4

Lamb and Bulgur Salpicon

In traditional Mexican cooking salpicon is a salad whose main ingredient is shredded meat, beef in the north and pork in the south. This salad makes a delicious luncheon or picnic dish.

¾ pound very lean lamb, cut into ¾ inch pieces

1 cup bulgur (cracked arab-style wheat)

1 ½ cups water

1 cup minced, fresh parsley

½ cup minced, fresh mint leaves

1 ½ cups tomato, seeded and finely chopped

2 green onions, minced

½ cup minced cilantro

1 cup pine nuts

1 ½ cups panela cheese, grated

2 medium avocados, skinned and chopped

1 small head lettuce for garnish

The Dressing:

¼ cup plus 3 tablespoons lime juice

1 ½ tablespoons liquid from a can of chipotle chiles en adobo

¾ teaspoon salt

4 cloves garlic, minced

¼ cup plus 3 tablespoons olive oil

Place the lamb in a pot, cover with water, bring to a boil, then simmer, partially covered, until tender, about 1 ¼ hours. Drain and cool the meat then shred it, either by hand or using the dough blade in a food processor, and reserve.

Bring the 1 ½ cups water to a boil in a medium sized pot, add the bulgur, cover and simmer for 3 minutes. Turn off the heat and allow the bulgur to steam, covered, for ½ hour. Remove the top from the pot and allow the bulgur to cool, then refrigerate until chilled, about 1 hour.

To make the dressing, whisk all the dressing ingredients together.

Place the lamb and cooked bulgur in a large salad bowl, and add the remaining salad ingredients, except the lettuce, and toss to mix well. Add the dressing and refrigerate until ready to serve, but not longer than 2 hours. To serve, mound the salpicon onto plates with a bed of lettuce on them.

Confetti Pasta Salad

Serves 4 to 6

This salad tastes great the minute it's made but will become more strong flavored if allowed to chill a few hours before serving. When making ahead, add the cheese just before serving.

8 oz. Uncooked small shell pasta

1 pint Grape tomatoes, halved

2 cups Coarsely chopped fresh spinach

1 Yellow bell pepper, chopped

1/4 cup Finely chopped red onion

3 Tbls. Chopped fresh dill

1 - 4 oz. Package crumbled feta cheese

Fresh Lemon Vinaigrette

Cook pasta according to package directions; drain. Toss pasta with tomatoes and remaining ingredients. Serve immediately, or cover and chill up to 8 hours.

Fresh Lemon Vinaigrette: Whisk together 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice; 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil; 2 Tbls. Red wine vinegar, 2 garlic cloves, finely minced; 1 teaspoon salt; and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Add more salt if needed next day.

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Best In The West Broccoli Salad

Serves 8

2 Heads Fresh broccoli, cut into small florets (Reserve stems for another use)

1 Pint Cherry or grape tomatoes, halved

8 oz. Fresh mushrooms, sliced

8 oz. Bacon, fried crisp, drained, and crumbled

1 Small Red onion, thinly sliced or diced

1 Large Avocado, diced

1 12 oz. Bottle Marie's Ranch Dressing

Combine all the salad ingredients in a large bowl except for the avocado and ranch dressing. Immediately before serving, add enough dressing to coat the vegetables and adjust seasonings. Add diced avocado and toss a final time! Note: Because of the avocado, this salad will not keep overnight.

Gorgonzola Custards with Peppery Greens, Toasted Nuts, and Sliced Pears

Serves 8

This is a voluptuous gourmet starter course! The custards are creamy and mildly salty, a perfect match for the salad of peppery greens accented with toasted nuts and slivers of a ripe pear

Custards:

Unsalted butter for molds, plus 2 Tablespoons

2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 1/2 cups half-and-half, heated

2 whole eggs plus 2 egg yolks, lightly beaten

1/2 pound Gorgonzola cheese, crumbled

Salt

Vinaigrette:

7 Tablespoons walnut oil

2 Tablespoons mild extra virgin olive oil

2 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1 Tablespoon sherry vinegar

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1/2 cup walnuts toasted and coarsely chopped

2 bunches watercress, tough stems removed, or 3 cups arugula 2 flavorful pears such as Anjou or Comice, unpeeled, halved, cored and thinly sliced

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Liberally butter eight 3/4 cup custard cups or ramekins and place in a baking pan.

In a saucepan, melt the 2 Tablespoons butter over medium heat. When the foam subsides, add the flour, stir well, and cook stirring, for a minute or so to cook away the raw taste of the flour. Slowly add the half-and-half while whisking constantly, and then cook, continuing to whisk, until thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon, 3-5 minutes. Remove from the heat and gradually whisk in the whole eggs and egg yolks (temper). Then whisk in the cheese until the mixture is smooth. Taste and add salt, if needed (the cheese will add salt). If you like, transfer the mixture to a small pitcher for easy pouring.

Pour the custard into the prepared custard cups. Carefully pour hot water into the baking pan to reach halfway up the sides of the molds. Cover the pan with aluminum foil. Bake the custards until a knife inserted into the center of a custard emerges clean, 25-30 minutes.

Meanwhile, make the vinaigrette: In a small bowl, whisk together all the oils and vinegars and then whisk in salt and pepper to taste. You will have about 3/4 cup. Ready the remaining salad ingredients at the same time.

When the custards are ready, carefully remove the cups from the water bath and let rest for 5 minutes.

While the custards are resting, in a small bowl, toss the nuts with about 2 Tablespoons of the vinaigrette. Set aside.

Working with 1 custard at a time, run a knife blade around the inside of each mold to loosen the custard, then invert the custard onto one side of each salad plate. When all the custards are unmolded, in a bowl, toss the watercress with all but about 1/4 cup of the remaining vinaigrette and divide on the other side of each plate. Place the pears (fan like) over the watercress, again dividing evenly, and drizzle with the remaining vinaigrette. Sprinkle with the nuts. Serve immediately.

(Although this recipe will fill 6 standard custard cups, because the cheese custard is very rich, I suggest you fill 8 custard cups two-thirds full).

Stacked Tomato Salad with Kalamata Olive Pesto and Basil Balsamic Dressing

3 lbs. ripe tomatoes, (beefsteak, yellow, and/or heirloom), sliced into 1/2-inch thick rounds

1 lb. fresh mozzarella cheese, thinly sliced

Kalamata Olive Pesto, recipe follows

Sweet Basil Dressing, recipe follows

Baby green of choice, for layering and for garnish

Kalamata Olive Pesto:

1 tsp. garlic (fresh) chopped

1 cup packed fresh basil leaves, washed well and spun dry

1/2 cup pine nuts, roasted

1/4 cup olive oil

1 cup pitted Kalamata olives, or other brine packed olive

1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper, optional

Put oil in processor first then layer garlic, basil, olives, nuts, and sprinkle with crushed red pepper. Process into very small bits and well blended. May need additional salt depending on olives used.

Basil Balsamic Dressing:

1/4 cup Balsamic vinegar

1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard

2 Tbsp. honey

3/4 cup olive oil

12 leaves basil, cut into chiffonade

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Whisk together vinegar, dijon mustard, and honey in a medium bowl. Slowly whisk in the olive oil until emulsified. Season with salt and pepper to taste, and stir in the basil.

Assembly:

Place a tomato slice on a plate and spread with some of the pesto. Then place a slice of the mozzarella on top, add a few green leaves, and finish with another tomato slice. You can add another layer to make as high as you desire. Top with another small spoonful of the pesto and then drizzle the Basil Balsamic Dressing over the tomato and around the plate. Garnish with a sprig of fresh basil and repeat to make 4 to 6 plates.

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