Don’t let the cold weather deter you from serving an interesting salad, either as a first course or to accompany the main course for dinner.
The addition of fresh seasonal fruit to a green salad adds a touch of sweetness leaving one feeling satiated with a small serving. For example, sliced avocados, orange or grapefruit sections, diced red onion and jicama on a bed of spinach and a cilantro vinaigrette dressing is one of my favorite combinations. For the “rabbit crowd” (aka, a salad lover, like myself) add shaved manchego or diced chicken breast for lunch.
If you like bitter greens, you’ll love a salad of radicchio di Verona (red radicchio), Belgium endive, frisée, with scallions, sliced pears, golden raisins, pistachios and crumbled blue cheese dressed with classic mustard vinaigrette.
A lighter version of a Waldorf salad with Boston lettuce, crisp apples, celery and walnuts with a honey yogurt dressing is the perfect starter for dinner of roast chicken or duck.
Bon salad appétit!
Avocado, Orange, Onion And Jicama On Spinach With Cilantro Vinaigrette(Serves 4)5 to 6 ounces fresh baby spinach, washed and spun dry
1 small red onion, peeled and diced
1 cup peeled, diced jicama
2 oranges, peeled and cut into sections
2 firm, ripe avocados, slicedFor the Cilantro vinaigrette:1 teaspoon grainy Dijon mustard
2 1/2 teaspoons red wine vinegar, aged in oak
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
About 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 bunch fresh cilantro leaves only, minced
Optional: a pinch chili powder, or more to taste
Freshly ground black pepper and sea salt to tasteTo prepare:In a small bowl, whisk the mustard together with vinegar and pepper.
Slowly whisk in the olive oil until it becomes an emulsion.
Stir in cilantro, taste and adjust the seasonings according to personal preference.
Set aside until serving time
In a large mixing bowl, toss spinach, onion and jicama together.
Meanwhile, holding orange over a bowl to catch the drips, with a serrated knife, remove the rind and all the pith beneath to expose each section.
Cut on either side of each membrane to release the sections.
Discard seeds and add sections to the salad greens.
Cut avocado into thin lengthwise slices and roll them in the accumulated citrus juices to prevent discoloration.
Add about 1 tablespoon of the juices to the salad dressing, taste, and adjust the seasonings.
Spoon only enough dressing on the salad until the greens are lightly coated, and toss well.
Transfer a mound of salad onto salad plates, arrange avocado on top, and serve at once.
Pass extra dressing at the table.Radicchio Di Verona, Endive, Frisée, With Pears, Raisins, Pistachios And Blue Cheese(Serves 4)2 heads radicchio di Verona (red radicchio) rinsed, trimmed and sliced
2 large heads Belgium endive, rinsed, trimmed and sliced
1/2 head frisée, washed and spun dry, torn into bite-sized pieces
1 bunch scallions, trimmed and thinly sliced
2 firm ripe pears, halved, cored, sliced lengthwise
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice with 1/2 cup water for rinsing pears
1/3 cup golden raisins
1/3 cup shelled pistachios, roasted and salted
About 1 ounce blue cheese, or more to taste
Mustard vinaigrette dressing:
2 teaspoons Dijon (Grey Poupon) mustard
1 1/2 tablespoons Champagne wine vinegar
Freshly ground black pepper
About 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil or more as neededTo prepare:Working in a mixing bowl, whisk together the mustard, vinegar, and pepper.
Slowly add olive oil, whisking constantly until an emulsion has formed.
Taste and adjust the seasonings.
Can be done ahead. Refrigerate or store at room temperature.
Trim the bottom of the core of radicchio, starting from the top of the head, cut crosswise into thin slices and transfer to a mixing bowl.
Cut the endive into thin crosswise slices and add to the radicchio.
Add frisée, scallions, and raisins to the bowl and toss together.
Drizzle just enough vinaigrette over the greens to lightly coat and mix well.
Cut pears into lengthwise slices and immediately drop into acidic water to prevent discoloration.
Drain and lightly pat off excess liquid.
Add pears and pistachios to the salad, toss lightly, and transfer to salad plates.
Divide blue cheese among the salads and serve at once.
Pass extra dressing at the table.Crunchy Apple And Walnut Salad With Honey-Yogurt Dressing(Serves 6)1 head Boston lettuce, leaves washed and spun dry
4 crisp apples, Jazz, Pink Lady, or Honey Crisp, washed, halved and cored
About 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice, for apples
3 celery stalks with leaves, washed, cut into medium dice
1/3 to 1/2 cup walnut halves, lightly toasted and roughly chopped
Honey Yogurt Dressing
1/2 cup soft tofu
1/2 cup plain low-fat yogurt
Zest and juice of 1/2 lemon
1/2 teaspoon celery seeds, or more to taste
3 tablespoons local honey
Pinch of barley malt sweetener (found in health food stores)
Freshly ground black pepper, to tasteTo prepare:Place tofu, yogurt, lemon zest and juice, and celery seeds in the blender and purée about 30 seconds.
Add honey and barley malt sweetener and continue to purée until smooth.
Taste and adjust the seasonings.
Can be done ahead, cover and store in the refrigerator.
For the salad; add lemon juice to half a cup of water in a large bowl
Cut the apples into slices and drop them in the acidic water, adding water if necessary to cover the apples. (To keep them from discoloring.)
Just before serving, drain apples, pat dry with paper towels and cut apples into dice a little larger than the celery.
Toss apples, celery, and walnuts together, drizzle with salad dressing and toss gently until coated.To serve:Arrange a Boston lettuce leaf on each salad plate, fill the lettuce with salad, garnish with sprig of mint, and serve at once as a first course.
More Posts from Janeen Sarlin
