Archive for Salad

Warm Cider Vinaigrette

October 21, 2009 at 12:47 am · Filed under Salad, Sauces, Dips & Dressings

This recipe is from Ina Garten, also known as the Barefoot Contessa. She serves it with Roasted Butternut Squash Salad.

3/4 cup apple cider or apple juice
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
2 tablespoons minced shallots
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1/2 cup good olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper

Combine the apple cider, vinegar, and shallots in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cook for 6 to 8 minutes, until the cider is reduced to about 1/4 cup. Off the heat, whisk in the mustard, olive oil, salt, and pepper.

Food Network.com

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Roasted Butternut Squash Salad

October 21, 2009 at 12:46 am · Filed under Salad, Sauces, Dips & Dressings, Side dishes, Squash

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I was in the grocery store, holding a butternut squash, when a stranger told me that I should try making it into Ina Garten’s squash salad. “It’s wonderful,” he said. “Just look it up on the Food Network Web site.” And so I did. Ina, who calls herself the Barefoot Contessa, serves this salad with Warm Cider Vinaigrette.

1 (1 1/2-pound) butternut squash, peeled and 3/4-inch) diced
Good olive oil
1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons dried cranberries
4 ounces baby arugula, washed and spun dry
1/2 cup walnuts halves, toasted
3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Place the butternut squash on a sheet pan. Add 2 tablespoons olive oil, the maple syrup, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and toss. Roast the squash for 15 to 20 minutes, turning once, until tender. Add the cranberries to the pan for the last 5 minutes.

While the squash is roasting, prepare the Warm Cider Vinaigrette. Place the arugula in a large salad bowl and add the roasted squash mixture, the walnuts, and the grated Parmesan. Spoon just enough vinaigrette over the salad to moisten and toss well. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and serve immediately.

Food Network

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Cabbage Salad (Curtido)

October 9, 2007 at 2:46 am · Filed under Salad, Side dishes, Vegan

1/4 cabbage, shredded
1/2 onion, shredded
1/2 large carrot, shredded
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1 cup cold water
salt to taste

Mix the day before you want to serve and let set in refrigerator, covered. Drain off excess water before serving. Open hot pupusas and put cabbage salad inside before eating. (In Salvador, they sometimes add hot red chilies to the mixture.)

The Kitchen Link,Inc.

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Mom’s Marinated Cucumber & Onion Salad

August 11, 2007 at 6:02 am · Filed under Salad

Cucumbers with a marinade of vinegar, water, dill, sugar, and seasoning.

4 medium cucumbers, thinly sliced
2 onions, thinly sliced
1/2 cup vinegar
1/4 cup cold water
2 tablespoons chopped dill (optional)
1 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons sugar
dash pepper
1/2 cup sour cream (optional)

Sprinkle sliced cucumber & onions with salt & let stand at least an hour. Drain excess water.

Combine all other ingredients; cover and refrigerate until chilled. If desired, add sour cream before serving.

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Grape Dressing

May 24, 2007 at 12:04 pm · Filed under Fruit, Salad, Sauces, Dips & Dressings

1/3 cup seedless green grapes
1 tablespoon Champagne or white wine vinegar
1 teaspoon olive oil
3/4 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon minced fresh Vidalia or sweet onion (optional)
1/8 teaspoon salt
 Dash of white pepper

To prepare dressing, combine ingredients in a blender; process until smooth.

Cynthia DePersio, Cooking Light, JUNE 2002

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Cucumber Salad with Sour Cream & Dill

February 18, 2007 at 8:46 pm · Filed under Salad

  • 2 to 3 cucumbers, thinly sliced
  • 1/3 cup sour cream
  • 1 tablespoon vinegar
  • pepper to taste
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons fresh chopped dill or 1 1/2 teaspoons dried dill

    • Place 1/4 of the cucumber slices in a serving bowl and sprinkle with salt. Add another 1/4 of the slices and more salt; continue until all slices have been salted. Cover with a saucer and place a weight on top to draw out the water. Let stand for several hours or overnight. Pour off cucumber juices. Combine the sour cream, vinegar, pepper and chopped dill. Add to the cucumbers and mix thoroughly. Serve chilled. Serves 4 to 6.

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    Joan’s Secret Deli-Style Tuna Fish Salad

    February 4, 2007 at 7:44 am · Filed under Fish, Salad

    If you don’t have schmaltz, just use a little extra mayo.

     1 can (6 oz) top quality solid packed white albacore tuna in water-no substitute for albacore
    1 Tbs top quality mayonnaise (not salad dresssing) to start
    1 Tbs. plain renedered pure schmaltz (approx) to start
    a few tsp of finely shredded carrot
    a few tsp of finelly shredded mild white onion
    pinch salt, pinch pepper

    Drain tuna and place in mixing bowl. Break up and mash tuna with fork to remove clumps and make a spreadable consistency. Mix in carrot and onion. Mix in the mayo. Then add and mix in enough schmaltz until tuna achieves a rich taste,

    The important part:
    Tuna should neither be flavored with either too much mayo or schmaltz. That is another part of the secret I think. You shouldn’t be aware of any blatant schmaltz taste in the tuna. Salt carefully as the tuna should not have a salty taste either.

    CyberKitchen

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    Eggplant Pomegranate Relish

    February 4, 2007 at 7:43 am · Filed under Eggplant, Salad, Side dishes

    From The Kitchen Grimoire by Celeste Rayne Heldstab.

    1 large eggplant
    2 T. yogurt
    1 T. pomegranate molasses or other unsulphured molasses
    1 T. lemon juice
    Salt & pepper

    1/2 red onion, cut in 1/4″ dice
    1 clove garlic, minced
    1/2 cup chopped, toasted walnuts
    1/2 cup pomegranate seeds (1/2 pomegranate)
    2 T. finely chopped flat leaf parsley

    Pierce the whole eggplant a few times with a fork. Cook it on the grill or place it on a baking sheet and put it under the broiler. Cook, turning as skin blackens, until flesh is very soft (about 35 minutes). Let eggplant cool and scrape flesh into a bowl; discard skin. Add yogurt, molasses, lemon juice, salt & pepper. Chop or grind until still chunky but mostly smooth. Stir in remaining ingredients.

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    Badridzhani Mtsvanilit (Please don’t ask me how to pronounce it!)

    February 4, 2007 at 7:42 am · Filed under Eggplant, Salad

    1 1arge (1 1/4 pound) eggplant
    1 medium onion, peeled and minced
    2 tablespoons of olive oil
    Generous 1/2 cup of walnuts
    2 large garlic cloves, peeled
    1/2 teaspoon of ground coriander seed
    1/2 teaspoon of dried fenugreek
    Pinch of cayenne
    3/4 teaspoon of salt
    3/4 cup of finely chopped mixed fresh herbs (cilantro, celery leaf, parsley and dill)
    2 teaspoons of red wine vinegar

    Slice the eggplant lengthwise, sprinkle it with salt, and leave it to drain on paper towel for at least TWO HOURS. Rinse and pat dry. Grill or broil until the “meat” of the eggplant is soft and the skin blackened. Alternatively, place the eggplant pieces cut side down on an oiled baking sheet. Bake at 500 degrees for 25 minutes or until soft.

    Saute the onion in olive oil until golden. Set aside. Chop or grind the walnuts with the garlic and spices. Turn out into a bowl and stir in the cooked onion. Add chopped herbs and the wine vinegar.

    Let eggplant cool, then scoop out the soft center and discard the skin. Cut the eggplant into small (1-inch) pieces and mix thoroughly with nuts/onion/garlic/spice mixture.

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    Orange & Olive Salad

    February 4, 2007 at 7:22 am · Filed under Fruit, Salad, Vegan

    “Sarah Elmaleh, the daughter of a rabbi, was born in 1898 in the seaport village of Essaouira in Morocco, and learned many of her cooking techniques from the family’s Arab servants. She came to Brooklyn in 1939 with her husband, a businessman, their children, and an exotic repertoire of recipes that combined Moroccan and Sephardic cuisines. This recipe comes from her granddaughter, Lisa Craig Kuhr. It makes an alluring first course and is wonderful followed by lamb, grilled chicken, or a fish stew.” — From “New York Cookbook” by Molly O’Neill

    5 navel oranges, peeled and diced*
    3/4 cup black salt-cured (shriveled) olives, halved and pitted (I use oil-cured)
    2 cloves garlic, minced
    1/4 teaspoon coarse (kosher) salt, or to taste
    1 teaspoon sweet paprika
    1/2 cup minced fresh parsley
    1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
    Dash of cayenne pepper
    2 tablespoons olive oil

    Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and toss well. Refrigerate to chill, then serve. Serves 4 to 6

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    Crisp Celery Salad

    February 4, 2007 at 7:21 am · Filed under Salad, Side dishes

    “Celery has that crisp snap that you get from pickles, but it is more subtle and acts as a counterpoint to the stronger flavors in this menu. Here celery is dressed with a simple vinaigrette and fresh herbs and it remains crunchy even the next day. Try serving it atop thinly sliced roasted beets.” — From “Celebrate!” by Sheila Lukins.

    12 outer ribs celery, trimmed and thinly sliced on the diagonal
    6 to 8 inner ribs celery, including the leaves, chopped
    1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
    2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
    Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
    1/2 cup small flat-leaf parsley leaves
    1/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh mint

    Place all the celery in a bowl. Add the olive oil and vinegar and toss. Season with salt and pepper. Just before serving, toss with the parsley leaves and chopped mint.

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    Watermelon, Feta and Oil-Cured Olive Salad

    November 8, 2006 at 8:32 pm · Filed under Cheese, Fruit, Salad, Side dishes

    This summer I found this simple, refreshing recipe in “WestView,” a freebie newspaper published by the [Greenwich Village] Charles Street Association. The dish originated with David Poran, who is the Culinary Director at Balducci’s grocery store.

    4 cups of seedless watermelon cut in 1/2″ dice
    1 cup of Greek feta, diced
    1 small red onion, sliced paper thin and rinsed in cold water
    2 Tablespoons pitted, oil-cured olives
    2 Tablespoons olive oil
    Black peper to taste

    Just combine and serve. Serves four

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    Lick-The-Bowl-Good Polish Potato Salad

    July 8, 2006 at 3:57 pm · Filed under Potatoes, Salad, Side dishes

    This Polish potato salad is based on a recipe in Anna Thomas’s classic, “The Vegetarian Epicure,” and it is so good that you’ll want to lick the bowl. This is one dish that I do make exceedingly well, but I had to simplify her recipe, which requires two days of preparation.

    1/2 lb. pickled mushrooms, sliced
    6 to 8 waxy potatoes, boiled, peeled & diced
    4 tart green apples, peeled, cored & diced
    2 1/2 cups diced dill pickles
    4 whole hardcooked eggs & 3 hardcooked egg whites, chopped (cook seven eggs)
    1 1/2 cup peas, cooked but still firm
    1 1/2 cup sliced carrots, cooked but but still firm
    1/2 cup tiny pickled cocktail onions
    1/2 onion, finely chopped

    Put everything in a bowl, add salt, freshly ground black pepper, olive oil, wine vinegar & some marinade liquid from the mushrooms and toss. Next, make the mayonnaise-sour cream sauce:

    3 hardcooked egg yolks
    6 to 8 Tablespoons olive oil
    3 to 4 Tablespoons lemon juice
    1 tsp. sugar
    1/4 cup or more sour cream (I use almost a cup of sour cream)
    1- 2 Tablespoons Dijon mustard
    salt & pepper

    Put yolks, oil, lemon juice and sugar in blender, blend at high speed until smooth & emulsified. Add sour cream, mustard, salt & pepper & blend until thick and pale yellow. Combine the salad with enough mayonnaise-sour cream sauce to bind it together. Spread the remaining sauce on top of the salad and decorate with more vegetables. This makes a *huge* amount- great for a party. I like to add pickled capers (pickled caulifower would be good, too) and some freshly chopped dill to the salad, but they’re not essential and aren’t in the original recipe.

    PS: You should read the original recipe – it requires you to pickle your own mushrooms! It is complex, but not difficult and it really is delicious. Great to bring to a party, people will oooh and aaah, especially if you decorate the top with an elaborate veggie design. I’ve never gotten more complements for any dish than I have for this. :-)

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