The Chef's Cookbook » Salads

Cantaloupe and Avocado Salad with Honey-Lime Dressing

TheSaltyChef — Mon, 23 May 2011 20:18:16 +0000

Summer is the best time to eat foods such as fruit. It is healthy and refreshing to eat.

Serves 4

3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
4 teaspoons honey
1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
1 cantaloupe (3 pounds), quartered and seeded
1 avocado, halved, pitted, and skinned
1 cup grape tomatoes, halved

Directions

In a large bowl, whisk together lime juice, honey, oil, and salt; set aside.
Cut each cantaloupe quarter in half lengthwise. Run a knife between the flesh and the skin of the melon; discard skin. Slice each wedge lengthwise into 1/2-inch pieces.
Cut each avocado half again length-wise and then into 1/2-inch-thick slices. Add cantaloupe, avocado, and grape tomatoes to bowl with dressing and toss to coat. Divide among 4 plates.

Crandberry & Bleu Cheese Salad With Grilled Chicken

TheSaltyChef — Tue, 09 Nov 2010 17:17:13 +0000

I love the idea of creative salads that can be used for main meals. Tonight I made a salad that combines some of my favorite tastes including sweet, sharp, tangy and sweet.

1 med size head of romaine lettuce
3-4 oz of Danish Bleu Cheese, crumbled
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup diced cucumber
1/4 cup think sliced red onion
1/2 cup whole roasted walnuts
2 med size chicken breasts, grilled, seasoned with salt and pepper
*Dressing:

Fig-Balsamic Vinaigrette

5 fresh figs, stems removed
6 tablespoons good quality balsamic vinegar
1 to 2 tablespoons maple syrup
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Place the figs, balsamic vinegar, maple syrup, and salt in a blender and blend on medium until combined and the figs are lightly pureed. With the motor running on a low speed, slowly pour in the olive oil. Add black pepper if desired and blend on low speed, slightly, to incorporate.

Pour dressing over your favorite salad. Transfer remaining dressing to a glass jar. Will last 7 to 10 days in the refrigerator.

Junk Salad

TheSaltyChef — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 16:00:27 +0000

First let me explain how this came to be. About 11 years ago when I met my husband we really had no money, but we liked to eat and liked to eat healthy. We would go to the store or farmers market or local farms and buy veggies of all types and make what we call “Junk Salad”.

There is no recipe for this. It is made by using what you have on hand. Sometimes we used lettuce and sometimes we did not have any. We would chop celery, onion, broccoli, peas, carrots, zucchini, tomatoes, deli meats, cheese, nuts, crackers, day old bread etc. We would chop and then toss all the ingredients together and we used whatever dressing we had.

I know this does not sound gourmet or fancy but we had this often and still do! The idea comes from using what you have on hand to create no waste!

Italian Pasta Salad

TheSaltyChef — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 16:00:22 +0000

Ingredients:

1 lb rainbow colored spiral pasta
1 can small sliced olives
1 can quartered artichoke hearts
1 small onion, small diced
1 small red bell pepper
Â½ cup oil
Â½ cup balsamic vinegar
Â½ cup parmesan cheese
1 cup cooked, blanched broccoli floretâ€™s
1 cup peeled, slice carrots
salt & pepper to taste
1 tbsp parsley
Â½ tsp lemon juice
1 tbsp basil

Directions:

Boil pasta according to package directions. Allow the pasta to cool completely before preparing the salad. In a large bowl add the cooled pasta, olives, artichoke hearts, onion, bell pepper, broccoli, and carrots. Mix together and add the oil, vinegar, lemon juice, and herbs. Mix together to coat the pasta completely. Lastly add the parmesan cheese.

Pizza Salad

TheSaltyChef — Fri, 14 May 2010 15:16:55 +0000

Cheese, pepperoni, olives, and other classic pizza toppings make this flavorful salad a sure hit. To complete the illusion, serve it with soft breadsticks.

Ingredients

* 1 cup diced fresh mozzarella
* 1/3 cup thin pepperoni slices, quartered
* 1 cup halved grape tomatoes
* 1/2 cup fresh mushrooms, sliced
* 3/4 cup diced green bell pepper
* 1 (2.25 ounce) can sliced olives, drained
* Small head of leafy lettuce
* 1/2 cup salad croutons

* ITALIAN DRESSING
* 1/3 cup olive oil
* 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
* 2 tablespoons Parmesan
* 1/4 teaspoon salt
* 1/8 teaspoon pepper
* Pinch of sugar

Instructions

Combine all the dressing ingredients in a large bowl and whisk the mixture well.
2.

Add the mozzarella, pepperoni, tomatoes, mushrooms, bell pepper, and olives to the bowl and toss the mixture to distribute the dressing.
3.

Serve the salad on a bed of lettuce and top it with croutons just before eating. Serves 6.

Tropical Fruit Toss

TheSaltyChef — Thu, 13 May 2010 15:14:00 +0000

This Hawaiian dessert salad is both tasty and healthy. Let each diner customize his or her own salad with a sprinkle of grated coconut, chopped macadamia nuts, and/or chocolate chips.

Ingredients

* 2 navel oranges
* 1/2 fresh pineapple
* 1 banana
* 1 kiwi

* 1/2 cup red seedless grapes
* 1 tablespoon or more each of sweetened coconut flakes, chopped macadamia nuts, and chocolate chips or chocolate or rainbow sprinkles
* 4 slices of star fruit (optional)

Instructions

Peel and section one of the oranges. Cut each section in half, then add to a bowl. Wash the second orange and zest it into the bowl. Then cut it in half and squeeze the juice into the bowl.
2.

Peel, core, and cut the pineapple into chunks (about 1-1/2 cups). Peel the banana and slice it into rounds. Peel the kiwi and cut it into 1-inch pieces. Add the pineapple, banana, kiwi, and grapes to the bowl and toss well.
3.

Divide the fruit salad among 4 plates. Let the kids garnish each with coconut, macadamia nuts, chocolate chips or sprinkles, and a slice of star fruit, if desired. Serves 4.

Tuna Nicoise Salad

TheSaltyChef — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 02:31:13 +0000

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of HealthyTuna.com. All opinions are 100% mine.

Tuna is an excellent source of protein and contains good fats. Tuna can be a great source of nutrition for children as well. It is good to keep in mind that tuna does still contain elements that may be risky for pregnant women or very small children. It is best keep moderation when eating anything really.
Nearly all fish and shellfish contain traces of mercury. For most people, the risk from mercury by eating fish and shellfish is not a health concern. Yet, some fish and shellfish contain higher levels of mercury that may harm an unborn baby or young child’s developing nervous system. Pregnant women should stay away from fish that contains high levels of dangerous mercury such as Swordfish, Shark and Mackerel for example.

Sceintific studies have shown that Pregant women have cut out all types of fish for fear of toxins. The key is to kowing which fish contain the highest levels and eating the fish that has actual bebfits such as healthy tuna

Tuna Nicoise Salad

Ingredients:

Vinaigrette:
1/2 cup lemon juice
3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium shallot, minced
1 Tbsp minced fresh thyme leaves
2 Tbsp minced fresh basil leaves
2 teaspoons minced fresh oregano leaves
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Salad:
2 grilled or otherwise cooked tuna steaks* (8 oz each) or 2-3 cans of tuna

6 hard boiled eggs, peeled and either halved or quartered

10 small new red potatoes (each about 2 inches in diameter, about 1 1/4 pounds total), each potato scrubbed and quartered
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 medium heads Boston lettuce or butter lettuce, leaves washed, dried, and torn into bite-sized pieces

3 small ripe tomatoes, cored and cut into eighths

1 small red onion, sliced very thin

8 ounces green beans, stem ends trimmed and each bean halved crosswise

1/4 cup sliced green bell peppers

1/4 cup niçoise olives

2 Tbsp capers, rinsed and/or several anchovies (optional)

Directions:

*Marinate tuna steaks in a little olive oil for an hour. Heat a large skillet on medium high heat, or place on a hot grill. Cook the steaks 2 to 3 minutes on each side until cooked through.

1 Whisk lemon juice, oil, shallot, thyme, basil, oregano, and mustard in medium bowl; season to taste with salt and pepper and set aside.

2 Bring potatoes and 4 quarts cold water to boil in a large pot. Add 1 tablespoon salt and cook until potatoes are tender, 5 to 8 minutes. Transfer potatoes to a medium bowl with a slotted spoon (do not discard boiling water). Toss warm potatoes with 1/4 cup vinaigrette; set aside.

3 While potatoes are cooking, toss lettuce with 1/4 cup vinaigrette in large bowl until coated. Arrange bed of lettuce on a serving platter. Cut tuna into 1/2-inch thick slices, coat with vinaigrette. Mound tuna in center of lettuce. Toss tomatoes, red onion, 3 tablespoons vinaigrette, and salt and pepper to taste in bowl; arrange tomato-onion mixture on the lettuce bed. Arrange reserved potatoes in a mound at edge of lettuce bed.

4 Return water to boil; add 1 tablespoon salt and green beans. Cook until tender but crisp, 3 to 5 minutes. Drain beans, transfer to reserved ice water, and let stand until just cool, about 30 seconds; dry beans well. Toss beans, 3 tablespoons vinaigrette, and salt and pepper to taste; arrange in a mound at edge of lettuce bed.

5 Arrange hard boiled eggs, olives, and anchovies (if using) in mounds on the lettuce bed. Drizzle eggs with remaining 2 tablespoons dressing, sprinkle entire salad with capers (if using), and serve immediately.

Fresh Herb, Grapefruit, and Fennel Salad

TheSaltyChef — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 15:00:24 +0000

Good for digestion!

Ingredients:

* 1 large ruby-red grapefruit or 3 blood oranges
* 2 small fresh fennel bulbs, trimmed, halved vertically, sliced paper-thin
* 1 cup fresh Italian parsley leaves
* 1/4 cup fresh mint leaves
* Extra-virgin olive oil
* Sea salt flakes

Directions:

Cut off top and bottom ends of grapefruit. Stand on 1 flat side. Starting at top of fruit, cut off all peel and white pith, following curve of fruit. Working over bowl, cut between membranes, releasing segments; squeeze any juice into bowl. Transfer segments to another bowl. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover juice and segments separately and chill.

Combine fennel and herbs in large bowl. Cut grapefruit segments into 1/3- to 1/2-inch cubes. Add to bowl with fennel and toss to coat. Arrange salad on platter. Drizzle lightly with oil, then grapefruit juice, if desired. Sprinkle with sea salt flakes and serve.