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Tag Archives: salads

Nancy Silverton’s Best Fall Salad

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  1. salad6 slices of thick-cut applewood-smoked bacon (OMIT)
  2. 1/2 cup hazelnuts
  3. 1 tablespoon hazelnut or canola oil
  4. Kosher salt
  5. Pepper
  6. 1/4 cup sherry vinegar
  7. 1/4 cup minced shallots
  8. 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  9. 1 teaspoon sugar
  10. 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
  11. Light green leaves from 2 small heads of Bibb lettuce
  12. 1/2 cup Concord grapes, halved and seeded
  13. 4 ounces Gorgonzola dolce, crumbled
  14. Snipped chives, for garnish
  1. Preheat the oven to 325°. On a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet, bake the bacon for about 17 minutes, turning once, until browned but still chewy. Transfer the bacon to paper towels to drain, then cut into 1-inch pieces. Leave the oven on.
  2. Meanwhile, spread the hazelnuts in a pie plate and bake for about 12 minutes, until lightly browned and the skins start to crack. Transfer the hazelnuts to a clean kitchen towel and rub them together to remove the skins; let cool. Coarsely chop the hazelnuts and transfer to a small bowl. Stir in the hazelnut oil and season with salt and pepper.
  3. In a medium bowl, whisk the sherry vinegar with the minced shallots, lemon juice and sugar. Gradually whisk in the olive oil until incorporated. Season the shallot vinaigrette with salt and pepper.
  4. In a large bowl, toss the lettuce leaves with 1/4 cup of the shallot vinaigrette and season lightly with salt and pepper. On a serving platter or plates, layer the lettuce leaves with the bacon pieces, chopped hazelnuts, Concord grapes and Gorgonzola dolce. Garnish with snipped chives and serve, passing the remaining shallot vinaigrette at the table.

 

Roasted Sweet Potato Salad from Canadian Living

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  • images1 large sweet potato, (about 640 g), cut in 1/2-inch (1 cm) cubes
  • 1/4 cup (60 mL) extra-virgin olive oil
  • 2 tbsp (30 mL) lime juice
  • 1 tsp (5 mL) liquid honey
  • Pinch each salt and pepper
  • 4 cups (1 L) baby spinach

Toss sweet potato with 1 tbsp of the oil; spread on lightly greased rimmed baking sheet. Roast in 400F (200C) oven, turning occasionally, until tender and golden, about 20 minutes.

In bowl, whisk together remaining oil, lime juice, honey, salt and pepper. Stir in sweet potato and spinach.

Fusilli with Spinach and Sun-Dried-Tomato Pesto, Jennifer Kosco

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3/4 cup pine nuts
15 drained oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, 5 of them chopped
1/2 cup olive oil
1/3 cup water
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
1 pound fusilli
1/4 pound spinach leaves, shredded (about 2 cups)
1 cup halved cherry tomatoes (about 6 ounces)
1/4 cup grated Parmesan

1. In a small frying pan, toast the pine nuts over moderately low heat, stirring frequently, until golden brown, about 5 minutes; remove from the pan. Or toast the pine nuts in a 350° oven for 5 to 10 minutes.

2. In a blender or food processor, put 1/4 cup of the pine nuts, the whole sun-dried tomatoes, the oil, water, 1/2 teaspoon of the salt, and 1/4 teaspoon of the pepper. Puree until smooth.

3. Meanwhile, in a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook the fusilli until just done, about 13 minutes. Drain. Rinse with cold water and drain thoroughly.

4. In a large glass or stainless-steel bowl, toss the pasta with the remaining 1/2 cup toasted pine nuts, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper, the pesto, the chopped sun-dried tomatoes, the spinach, cherry tomatoes, and Parmesan.

Variations
• Use chopped walnuts instead of pine nuts.
• Add half a cup of roughly chopped pitted black olives to the salad.

Terry’s Dilled Potato Salad

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5 pounds Yukon Gold Potatoes
1 bunch watercress
1 bunch dill
8 eggs
3/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup nonfat sour cream
1/2 cup buttermilk
salt and pepper
1 large vidalia onion

1. Cook the potatoes in their skins until just tender. Cool, skin, and cut into cubes.

2. Coarsely chop the watercress and dill. Be mindful that if you chop dill too fine it tastes gritty. Combine the chopped hard cooked eggs. Adjust the mayonnaise, sour cream, and buttermilk to make a nice thin dressing. I like lots of salt and pepper. This is a very simple, very delicious potato salad. Perhaps one of my favorites. It just might be these  Yukon Gold potatoes. They are fabulous and are the only potato to use for mashed. Serving Size: 6

NOTES : This is the potato salad my friends always ask for when we have our annual crab feast.

Carrot-Ginger Dressing, Recipe By: Chef Tadashi Ono

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This vibrantly orange dressing—from our friend Chef Tadashi Ono—was made famous by Japanese-American steak houses. It gets its incomparably clean flavor from puréed carrot and fresh ginger. Serve it simply tossed with crisp iceberg lettuce.

1 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup rice vinegar
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 tablespoon sugar
1 1/2 teaspoon finely grated ginger
2 medium carrots (about 8 oz.), peeled and roughly chopped
1/2 medium yellow onion (about 6 oz.), roughly chopped
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 head (about 1 lb.) lettuce, trimmed and cut into bite-sized pieces, for serving

Combine oil, vinegar, soy sauce, sugar, ginger, carrots, and onion in a food processor, and process until smooth; season with salt and pepper. Combine dressing and lettuce in a bowl, and toss until evenly coated; serve immediately. Unused dressing will keep for up to two weeks in the refrigerator.  Yield: 4 cups

Fully Grilled Caesar Salad from food 52

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1 1/2 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon mayonnaise
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
Juice of 1 large lemon
1 to 2 cloves pressed garlic
1/3 cup fresh grated Parmesan
Generous amounts of salt and pepper
1 large (or 2 small to medium) romaine heart
1/2 baguette, halved lengthwise

For dressing, whisk together everything except romaine and baguette. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Heat barbecue to medium to medium-high heat.

Cut romaine heart(s) in half lengthwise. Brush the cut sides with olive oil, then sprinkle with salt and pepper. Brush baguette with olive oil.

Place romaine and bread cut side-down on grill and cook 1 to 2 minutes, until charred but not overly wilted.

Serve still warm. For presentation, serve romaine hearts whole, surrounded by bread, and dress to your liking. Or, slice lettuce crosswise and serve in a bowl, with sliced baguette and dressing. Serves 2 for a meal, 4 to 6 for a side

One Pot Kale and Quinoa Pilaf, food 52

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2 cups salted water
1 cup quinoa
1 bunch lacinato kale, washed and chopped into 1″ lengths
1 meyer lemon, zested and juiced
2 scallions, minced
1 tablespoon toasted walnut oil
3 tablespoons toasted pine nuts
1/4 cup crumbled goat cheese
salt and pepper

Bring the water to a boil in a covered pot. Add the quinoa, cover, and lower the heat until it is just enough to maintain a simmer. Let simmer for 10 minutes, then top with the kale and re-cover. Simmer another 5 minutes, then turn off the heat and allow to steam for 5 more minutes.

While the quinoa is cooking, take a large serving bowl and combine half of the lemon juice (reserving the other half), all of the lemon zest, scallions, walnut oil (you can substitute olive oil if you desire), pine nuts, and goat cheese.

Check the quinoa and kale when the cooking time has completed — the water should have absorbed, and the quinoa will be tender but firm, and the kale tender and bright green. If the quinoa still has a hard white center, you can steam a bit longer (adding more water if needed). When the quinoa and kale are done, fluff the pilaf, and tip it into the waiting bowl with the remaining ingredients. As the hot quinoa hits the scallions and lemon it should smell lovely. Toss to combine, seasoning with salt and pepper, and the remaining lemon juice if needed.

Roasted Potato Salad with Mustard-Walnut Vinaigrette, food 52

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Winner of Best Picnic Recipe food 52

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  • 2 cloves garlic, peeled
  • 1 tablespoon whole-grain mustard
  • 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons roasted walnut oil
  • 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 425° F and line two rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper.

Wash and dry potatoes, then spread evenly between baking sheets. Drizzle with olive oil and toss to evenly coat potatoes. Sprinkle with freshly-ground black pepper and sea salt, then roast, shaking the pans occasionally, until potatoes are tender and browning (about 45 minutes, depending on the size of your potatoes).

Meanwhile, prepare vinaigrette. Place garlic cloves on a cutting board, sprinkle with a generous couple pinches of sea salt, and chop and mash with the side of your knife until the clove breaks down into a salty paste.

Add garlic paste to a small bowl along with mustards, lemon juice, and vinegar. Whisk to emulsify. Add olive and walnut oils and whisk vigorously to combine. Taste and adjust seasoning with additional sea salt and pepper.

When potatoes are done, transfer to a large bowl. Add scallions and dressing, and toss to coat. Using the back of a mixing spoon or the end of a wooden spatula, roughly smash some of the potatoes to break the skins. You’re not making mashed potatoes, but breaking the potatoes down will allow them to soak up more of the vinaigrette.

Allow dressed potatoes to sit at room temperature for about 45 minutes to one hour. Just before serving, stir in walnuts and basil.

Vietnamese Rice Noodle Salad http://food52.com/

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The dressing

  • 3 tablespoons fish sauce
  • 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
  • 2 to 3 tablespoons light brown sugar
  • 6 to 8 tablespoons water, to taste
  • 1 medium clove garlic, minced
  • 1 fresh Thai (also sold as “bird’s eye”) chile, minced

The salad

  • 8 ounces thin rice noodles (roughly the width of linguine)
  • 3 or 4 napa cabbage leaves, thinly sliced crosswise
  • 1 medium carrot, shredded or cut into matchsticks
  • 1/2 cucumber, halved, seeded, and thinly sliced
  • 1 handful chopped fresh herbs, preferably a combination of basil, cilantro, and mint
  • 8 ounces cooked meat or shrimp, cut or torn into bite-sized pieces
  • 1/2 cup salted peanuts, coarsely chopped
  1. To prepare the dressing, combine the fish sauce, lime juice, 2 tablespoons of the brown sugar, 6 tablespoons of the water, the garlic, and the chile. Whisk well. Taste: if it’s too pungent, add more water, 1 tablespoon at a time. If you’d like more sweetness, add more brown sugar, 1/2 tablespoon at a time. Remember that you’re going to be putting this dressing on unsalted vegetables and noodles: you want the dressing to have a lot of flavor, but it shouldn’t knock you over. Pour into a serving bowl. (Covered and chilled, the dressing will keep for 3 days to a week.)
  2. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the rice noodles, and cook for 4 to 5 minutes, until tender but not mushy. Immediately drain the noodles into a colander, and rinse them well with cold water. Lay out a clean kitchen towel on the countertop, shake the colander to drain away excess water, and then spread the cooked noodles on the towel to drain further.
  3. Divide the noodles between two or three good-sized bowls, depending on the number of diners, and top with the vegetables, herbs, and meat. Scatter the peanuts on top. Allow each person to spoon on dressing to taste. Toss well, and eat. (Alternatively, you can present this salad family-style: Toss the vegetables, herbs, and noodles in a mixing bowl and then mound them on a serving platter. Arrange the meat over the noodles, and top with peanuts. Each diner can scoop their own portion from the platter and dress it as they see fit.)

 

Red Raspberry Spinach Salad, Phyllis Keating

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Dressing
1/2 cup raspberry jam
1/2 cup seasoned rice vinegar
2 tablespoons vegetable oil

Salad
5 oz baby spinach, chopped
1 romaine heart, chopped
1 cup red grapes, halved
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1 pear, sliced
4 oz fresh raspberries
2.5 oz crumbled blue cheese
1/4 cup shelled pistachios, chopped
Instructions

Make the Dressing:
Combine the jam and the vinegar in a blender and pulse until combined. With the blender running, stream in the vegetable oil. Alternately, combine all ingredients in a jar with a tight fitting lid and shake until completely combined.

Make the Salad:
Combine the spinach, romaine, grapes, cranberries, pear and raspberries in a large bowl and toss to combine. Sprinkle the blue cheese and pistachios on top. Serve with the raspberry vinaigrette.