Salad Recipes

HERB SALAD Ingredients 2 ears sweet corn, husked 1 big handful lettuce, torn into bite-sized pieces 3 big handfuls green beans or haricots vert, blanched for 20 seconds in boiling salted water, cooled completely under cold water 1/2 red onion, thinly sliced 1 bunch of chives, finely chopped 1 handful cilantro, loosely chopped 1 small handful of small/medium basil leaves 1 handful of pepitas, toasted fine-grain sea salt 1 clove garlic, peeled 1/3 cup Greek yogurt 1 tablespoon lemon juice 1 medium avocado Cut each ear of corn in half and carefully cut kernels from cobs. Combine the raw corn, lettuce, green beans, red onion, herbs, and pepitas in a large bowl.Now make the avocado dressing by sprinkling a big pinch of salt on the garlic clove. Chop and crush it into a paste. Place the garlic in a medium bowl along with the yogurt, lemon juice, and avocado. Puree with a hand blender. Taste, add salt one pinch at a time until properly seasoned. If you aren't dressing the salad immediately, cover with plastic, pressing into the top of the dressing to prevent browning.Gently toss the ingredients with a couple big dollops of the avocado dressing. Taste, add a bit of salt and/or more dressing if needed. Serves about 6-8.

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PEANUT NOODLE SALAD Ingredients 1 8 ounce package soba noodles 1 bunch asparagus spears, ends trimmed then cut into 1/2-inch segements 3/4 cup creamy peanut butter 1/4 cup (brown) rice vinegar 2 cloves garlic, crushed and chopped drizzle of toasted sesame oil big pinch of crushed red pepper flakes 1/4-1/2 cup hot water 1 small bunch of spring onions or scallions, thinly sliced 1/2 cup peanuts 12 ounces extra-firm (organic) tofu, cut into small cubes (feel free to heat the tofu in a skillet if you like, but cold is good too) Big a large pot of water to a boil. Boil the soba noodles per package instructions.In the last minute or so of cooking toss in the asparagus. Drain noodles and asparagus, run under cold water for about a minute to stop cooking, and set aside.Make the peanut dressing by combining the peanut butter, rice vinegar, garlic, sesame oil, red pepper flakes, and a big pinch of salt in a medium bowl. Thin with hot water - the amount you'll need depends on the original consistency of your peanut butter. I like it the consistency of a thin (non-Greek) yogurt. Taste and season with a bit more salt if needed.Gently toss the noodles, asparagus, spring onions, peanuts, and tofu with a big splash of the dressing. I reserve a bit of each ingredient to sprinkle on top of the serving platter to make it look nice. Add more dressing a bit at a time, until the salad is dressed to your liking, reserving any extra for another use. Taste, sprinkle with more salt if needed, and enjoy! Serves 6 - 8.

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ROASTED BEET AND BLOOD ORANGE SALAD WITH SPICY GREENS Ingredients 1 1/2 pounds medium gold beets 1 1/2 pounds medium red beets Extra virgin olive oil Salt Freshly ground black pepper 6 small blood oranges Blood Orange Sherry Vinaigrette (recipe follows) 1/4 pound baby arugula 1/4 pound baby spinach 1/4 cup sherry vinegar 1/4 cup finely chopped chives Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Trim the tops and roots from the beets and wash well. Place the red beets on a piece of foil large enough to fold over and seal. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Seal the foil and repeat with the gold beets. place both foil pillows on a sheet tray and roast in the preheated oven for 1 to 1 1/2 hours until the beets are tender when pierced with a knife. Allow the beets to cool and then peel.While the beets are roasting, peel the oranges with a serrated knife and remove all of the white pith. Slice into rounds 1/4-inch thick. Remove the pips and reserve the slices in the refrigerator unless you will be using them within 2 to 3 hours. Prepare the Blood Orange Sherry Vinaigrette (below). Wash the arugula and spinach well and spin dry. Mix the greens together and reserve covered with a damp towel in the refrigerator.Cut each peeled beet into eight wedges. Keep the red and gold beets separate or their colors will bleed together. Toss each color with 2 tablespoons of sherry vinegar; season with salt and pepper. Allow the beets to marinate for at least 1 hour or overnight.In a large bowl, toss the beets and their juices together with enough vinaigrette to coat; add the orange segments and toss gently so that they don't break up.Drizzle the greens with vinaigrette to moisten and toss with the beets and blood oranges; season with salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with the chopped chives. You may also place the greens on a large platter and serve the beets and oranges on top.   Serves 8. Blood Orange Sherry Vinaigrette 2 small blood oranges 1 medium shallot, peeled, trimmed, and minced 2 tablespoons sherry vinegar Salt Freshly ground black pepper 1/4 to 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil Juice and strain the blood oranges. Measure 1/4 cup of juice.In a medium bowl, whisk the juice with the shallots and the sherry vinegar; season with salt and pepper to taste and let the mixture marinate for 10 minutes.Whisk in the olive oil to taste. Add more olive oil if the vinaigrette is too acidic for your palette. Adjust the seasoning to taste. Makes 1/2 to 3/4 cup.

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ROASTED SQUASH SALAD Ingredients 1/2 pound / 8 oz / 230 g small fingerling potatoes, washed and dried 3/4 pound / 12 oz / 340 g delicata squash 1/4 cup / 60 ml extra virgin olive oil scant 1/4 cup / 50 ml white miso scant 1 tablespoon harissa paste 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice 1 1/2 ounce / 45 g kale, de-stemmed and finely chopped 4 radishes, very thinly sliced 1 1/2 ounces / 45g Marcona almonds, toasted pepitas, or other toasted nuts Preheat the oven to 400F / 200C degrees. If the potatoes aren't tiny, slice them into pieces no larger than your thumb. Cut the delicata squash in half length-wise, and use a spoon to clear out all the seeds. Cut into 1/2-inch wide half-moons. You can leave the peel on these squash.In a small bowl whisk together olive oil, miso, harissa. Place the potatoes and squash in a large bowl with 1/3 cup / 80 ml of the miso-harissa oil. Use your hands to toss well, then turn everything out onto a baking sheet. Bake until everything is baked through and browned, about 25-30 minutes. Toss once or twice along the way after things start to brown a bit. Keep an eye on things though, you can go from browned to burned in a flash.In the meantime, whisk the lemon juice into the remaining miso-harissa oil. Taste, it should be intensely flavorful, but if yours is too spicy or salty, you can dilute it with a bit more olive oil or lemon juice. Stir the kale into the leftover dressing and set aside.Place the warm roasted vegetables in a bowl and toss with the kale mixture, radishes, and almonds. Serves 2 to 4.

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SPRING SALAD Ingredients 1 and 1/2 orange, juice only 1/2 lemon, juice only 1/2 small red onion, chopped 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil 1/8 teaspoon fine grain salt 4 big handfuls of salad greens, washed and dried 1/2 cup walnut halves, toasted 1/3 cup black olives, (the wrinkly, oily ones), pitted In a medium bowl whisk together the juice of 1/2 orange, lemon juice, most of the red onion, olive oil, and salt. Whisk together until emulsified, taste and adjust with more salt or lemon juice if needed.Peel the remaining orange and cut into segments, removing any seeds you might encounter. Set aside.When you're ready to serve, place the salad greens in a large bowl. Toss very gently with a generous splash of the dressing. Add the orange segments and walnuts. Give another toss. Taste and decide if you need to add more dressing, if needed, add a bit more at a time, giving a good toss between additions. Make sure the nuts and citrus haven't all gone to the bottom, help them back up to the top if needed. Serve salad topped with the remaining red onion and olives. Serves 4.

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SPRING SALAD WITH PASTA Serves 4 to 6-  A lively mélange, this salad combines tender pasta shells, sweet crisp spring vegetables such as carrots, peas, broccoli and asparagus with the pleasing bite of fresh radishes and green onions. For a complete, healthy meal, add cubed, steamed tempeh.   Ingredients Salad 1 pound (dry) Rigatoni pasta 2 carrots, chopped, about 1/2 cup 1/2 cup fresh peas 1 bunch broccoli florets, about 1/2 cup 1 pound fresh asparagus 1 red bell pepper, chopped, about 1/2 cup 3 red radishes, sliced 8 ounces baby spinach leaves, washed 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved 1 small bunch green onions, sliced, about 1/2 cup Dressing 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 1 1/2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, chopped Sea salt and ground pepper, to taste Cook pasta according to directions on package. While pasta is cooking, bring 2 inches of water to a boil in a saucepan. Place carrots in water and lightly blanch in water for 1 minute, or until bright orange. Remove with slotted spoon and place in large mixing bowl. Repeat blanching process with peas. Add peas to mixing bowl. Blanch broccoli, remove from water and place on cutting board. Chop and add to mixing bowl. Blanch asparagus, remove from water, place on cutting board and cut into 1 inch pieces. Add to mixing bowl. Add drained pasta to mixing bowl. Mix gently with blanched vegetables. Add bell pepper and radishes. Toss to mix. Mix olive oil, balsamic vinegar, basil, salt and pepper. Add to salad and toss gently. Place one fourth of the spinach leaves on each serving plate. Top with pasta salad and garnish each salad with tomatoes and green onions. Nutrition Per Serving (10 oz-wt.): 230 calories (90 from fat), 10g total fat, 1.5g saturated fat, 8g protein, 29g total carbohydrate (5g dietary fiber, 4g sugar), 25mg cholesterol, 45mg sodium

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VEGAN CAESAR SALAD Ingredients Caesar dressing: 1/3 cup slivered or sliced almonds 3-4 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed 3/4 cup silken tofu 1/4 cup olive oil 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice 1 heaping tablespoon capers 4 teaspoons caper brine 1 teaspoon sugar 1/2 teaspoon mustard powder Salt Croutons: 1/4 cup olive oil 4 cloves roasted garlic 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice 1 medium size loaf French or Italian bread (little less than 1 pound), stale and torn or sliced into bite-sized pieces 1/4 teaspoon salt Salad: 1 large head romaing lettuce, chopped Freshly cracked black pepper Handful or two of spinach and/or arugula, torn into bite-sized pieces (optional) Prepare the dressing: Pulse the sliced almonds in a food processor or blender until crumbly. Empty the ground almonds into an airtight container that you'll be using to store the finished dressing. Blend the garlic, tofu, and oil in the food processor or belnder until creamy. Add the lemon juice, capers, caper brine, sugar, and mustard powder, and pulse until blended. Adjust the salt and lemon juice to taste. Put into the container with the ground almonds and whisk to combine. Cover and allow the dressing to chill in the refrigerator for a minimum of 30 minutes, optimally 1 to 1 1/2 hours.While the dressing is chilling, prepare the croutons: Preheat the oven to 400F. Combine the olive oil, roasted garlic, and lemon juice in a large bowl. With a fork or immersion blender, mash orblend the mixture until creamy. Add the torn bread and toss to coat each piece with the oil mixture. Spread onto a rimmed baking sheet, sprinkle with salt, if desired, and bake for 12 to 14 minutes until golden brown. Toss the croutons twice during the baking process. Remove from the oven and cool the croutons on the baking sheet.To assemble the salad, place in a large bowl 2 to 3 cups of lettuce/greens per individual serving (amount depending on whether it's a side or an entree). Ladle on 1/3 cup of the dressing (or more or less to taste), and use kitchen tongs to toss the greens and coat them with dressing. Add the warm croutons, toss again, and transfer to a serving dish. Sprinkle with a little freshly cracked pepper. If not serving right away, warm croutons in 300F oven for 5 to 8 minutes before adding to the salad. Serves 4 to 6 as a side, 2 to 3 as a main.

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