steakhouse wedge salad
with bacon, tomatoes, and blue cheese
Who says you can’t have restaurant food at home? This version of the classic wedge salad is just as tasty as any of those served at America’s top steakhouses. MAKES 6 DINNER SALADS
salad
1 bag (3 pack) Romaine Hearts
2 large tomatoes, diced
1 red onion, finely diced
½ pound bacon (about 10 slices), cooked, drained, and crumbled
1¼ cups crumbled blue cheese (preferably Maytag) Freshly ground black pepper
Cut the Romaine hearts in half lengthwise. Place one wedge on each plate. Generously drizzle with the dressing. Top with the tomatoes, red onion, bacon, and blue cheese. Season with freshly ground pepper. Serve immediately.
chunky blue cheese dressing
½ cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon minced yellow onion
½ teaspoon minced garlic
¼ cup sour cream
½ tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
½ cup crumbled blue cheese (preferably Maytag)
3 tablespoons reduced-fat buttermilk
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
In a small bowl whisk the mayonnaise, onion, garlic, sour cream, lemon juice, vinegar, blue cheese, and buttermilk together. Season with salt and pepper to taste. MAKES ABOUT 1½ CUPS
tip
There is no substitute for freshly cooked bacon. Use either the traditional pork or turkey variety; but avoid the temptation to use processed bacon bits.
For a lighter version, substitute balsamic vinaigrette for the chunky blue cheese dressing.
asian salad
with ponzu ginger dressing and wasabi peas
Inspired by my favorite sushi bar’s house salad, this bed of greens gets its kick from wasabi peas and a tangy ponzu ginger dressing. Wasabi peas are available in most gourmet markets and specialty stores in the Asian foods section.MAKES 6 APPETIZER OR SIDE SALADS
salad
1 bag (5 ounces) Spring Mix
1 cup wasabi peas
In a large salad bowl, toss together the Spring Mix and wasabi peas. Add the dressing to taste and gently toss. Serve immediately.
ponzu ginger dressing
¼ cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice
½ teaspoon grated freshly peeled ginger
1 scallion, thinly sliced
In a small bowl whisk together the soy sauce, water, vinegar, lime juice, ginger, and scallion. MAKES ABOUT ½ CUP
tip
Toss the wasabi peas with the dressing just before serving to keep the peas crunchy.
arugula with shaved parmesan
This light and refreshing salad has Italy written all over it. I just love the peppery zing of fresh arugula.
For some added crunch, sprinkle toasted pine nuts over the salad. MAKES 6 APPETIZER OR SIDE SALADS
salad
1 block (4 ounces) Parmesan cheese
1 package (5 ounces) Baby Arugula
Freshly ground black pepper
Using a vegetable peeler, shave the block of Parmesan into thin strips.
Place the Baby Arugula in a large salad bowl. Add the vinaigrette to taste and gently toss. Season with pepper. Garnish with the shaved Parmesan. Serve immediately.
white balsamic vinaigrette
2 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar
6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
A pinch of kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Place the vinegar in a small bowl. Slowly add the oil in a stream, whisking to emulsify. Season with salt and pepper to taste. MAKES ABOUT ¼ CUP
tip
It’s worth the extra expense to use good, aged Parmesan cheese or even the real Italian aged Parmigiano-Reggiano rather than the processed grocery store variety. The thin strips add texture as well as a sharp, tangy taste.
wilted spinach salad
My neighbor and good friend, Ashley Woodman, invented this sweet, egg-y dressing. Whenever she serves it, her guests always ask for the recipe—like I did! MAKES 4 APPETIZER OR SIDE SALADS
salad
1 bag (6 ounces) Baby Spinach
¾ cup button mushrooms, cleaned, ends trimmed, and thinly sliced
In a large salad bowl, place the spinach and mushrooms. Pour the hot dressing over the spinach and mushrooms and toss gently. Serve immediately.
dressing
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 small garlic clove, minced
¼ teaspoon dried tarragon
½ teaspoon kosher salt
⅛ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 tablespoon sugar
1 egg, cracked into a small bowl
In a small saucepan bring the oil, vinegar, garlic, tarragon, salt, pepper, and sugar to a simmer. Add the egg and whisk with a fork until the egg is opaque and stringy and cooked through all the way. MAKES ABOUT ⅓ CUP
tip
Since this salad should be served immediately after it is tossed with the dressing, wait to make it until everything else on your menu is ready.
warm goat cheese salad
with grainy mustard vinaigrette
When I lived in Paris, this was my favorite lunchtime treat. For a nuttier version, substitute ground walnuts for the bread crumbs. MAKES 4 DINNER SALADS
salad
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large egg
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1½ cups plain bread crumbs
1 log (10.5 ounces) fresh goat cheese, chilled in the refrigerator
1 bag (10 ounces) European Blend
Position an oven rack to the highest setting. Preheat the oven to 395°F. Brush a baking sheet with the oil; set aside.
In a small bowl whisk the egg with a pinch of salt and pepper. In another small bowl place the bread crumbs. Slice the goat cheese log into 8 equal pieces. Working in batches, dip the goat cheese rounds in the egg mixture, shaking off the excess. Press into the breadcrumb mixture and pat gently to evenly coat. Arrange on the prepared baking sheet.
Place the baking sheet on the top rack of the oven and bake the goat cheese rounds until crisp and golden, about 5 minutes.
Place the European Blend in a large salad bowl. Add the vinaigrette to taste and gently toss. Divide the salad among individual plates. Top each salad with 2 warm goat cheese rounds. Serve immediately.
grainy mustard vinaigrette
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon whole-grain Dijon mustard
6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
Combine the vinegar and mustard in a small bowl and whisk together. Slowly add the oil in a stream, whisking to emulsify. Season with salt and pepper to taste. MAKES ABOUT ¼ CUP
tip
Every oven is a little different. Gas ovens cook faster than electric. If you are not familiar with your oven, please watch closely to ensure even browning.
southern caesar salad
with roasted garlic dressing
Italy meets the Old South! Popular in the South, grits are stone-ground dried kernels of corn. Traditionally served for breakfast, grits can also be served as a side dish or part of a main course. Polenta is the appropriate substitute. MAKES 4 DINNER OR 6 APPETIZER SALADS
salad
1 bag (10 ounces) Hearts of Romaine
½ cup shredded Parmesan cheese
¼ pound country ham, sliced and cut into thin strips
In a large salad bowl, toss the Hearts of Romaine and Parmesan cheese. Add the dressing to taste and gently toss. Divide the salad among individual plates. Top with the sliced ham and grits croutons. Serve immediately.
grits croutons
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
3 cups water
Pinch of kosher salt
¾ cup stone-ground yellow grits
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
Vegetable oil for frying
Lightly grease bottom and sides of an 8 x 8-inch baking pan with the oil. Set aside.
Bring the water to a boil in a medium pot. Whisk in the salt and grits. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until the mixture thickens and the grits are tender, about 15 minutes. Remove from the heat, add the butter, and stir until melted.
Pour the hot grits into the prepared pan, spreading evenly to about ¾ inch thick. Refrigerate until cold and firm, about 2 hours.
Once cooled, cut the grits into 3.4-inch cubes. Fill a heavy large frying pan with vegetable oil until it is about 1-inch deep. Over medium-high heat, warm the oil until a few water droplets sizzle in pan. Working in small batches, carefully add the grits cubes to the hot oil one at a time and fry until golden, about 2 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the croutons to a paper towel–lined plate to drain and cool.
tip
The Grits Croutons can be prepared one day ahead if stored in an airtight container.
roasted garlic dressing
2 heads garlic
⅓ cup plus 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon anchovy paste
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
Preheat the oven to 300°F. Trim about ½ inch off the top of the heads of garlic, leaving the heads intact. Place the garlic in a small casserole dish.
Drizzle 1 tablespoon of the olive oil over the cut top of the garlic. Season with salt and pepper. Cover with aluminum foil and bake until the garlic is soft, about 1½ hours. Set aside to cool.
Squeeze the base of the garlic to remove the cloves from the skin. Transfer the garlic to a blender. Add the lemon juice, mustard, anchovy paste, and Worcestershire sauce. Purée the mixture until smooth. With the machine running, slowly add the remaining ⅓ cup oil in a stream. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
MAKES ABOUT ½ CUP
confetti chip salad
I have to admit I thought my friend was crazy when she shared her recipe for a salad tossed with chips. But what a great texture and flavor these chips give to lettuce! MAKES 6 APPETIZER OR SIDE SALADS
salad
1 bag (10 ounces) Hearts of Romaine
½ red bell pepper, seeded and diced
½ yellow bell pepper, seeded and diced
1 ripe avocado, peeled and diced
1 cup multicolor vegetable chips, such as Terra Chip Stix
In a large salad bowl, toss together the Hearts of Romaine, red bell pepper, yellow bell pepper, avocado, and vegetable chips. Add the dressing to taste and gently toss. Serve immediately.
dressing
¼ cup vegetable oil
¼ cup red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon ketchup
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
In a small bowl whisk together the oil, vinegar, sugar, and ketchup until the sugar has dissolved. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
MAKES ABOUT ½ CUP
tip
Available in most grocery stores, Terra Chips are chips made from colorful root vegetables. Fried potato sticks make a tasty, but not as colorful, substitute.
spinach salad
with roasted cherry tomatoes
Roasting tomatoes takes hardly any effort and provides a sweet and intense flavor to this classic salad. MAKES 6 APPETIZER OR SIDE SALADS
salad
1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1 bag (6 ounces) Baby Spinach
½ red onion, halved and thinly sliced
1 cup shredded blue cheese (preferably Maytag)
Preheat the oven to 450°F. Place the tomato halves, skin side down, in a roasting pan or on a baking sheet with sides. Drizzle the oil over the tomatoes and season with salt and pepper. Roast, shaking the pan after the first 10 minutes to prevent sticking, until shriveled and moist tender, about 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool to room temperature, about 15 minutes.
In a large salad bowl, toss the spinach with the red onion. Add the vinaigrette to taste and gently toss. Divide salad among individual plates. Top with the roasted tomatoes and blue cheese. Serve immediately.
balsamic dijon vinaigrette
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
Place the vinegar and mustard in a small bowl and whisk together. Slowly add the oil in a stream, whisking to emulsify. Season with salt and pepper to taste. MAKES ABOUT ¼ CUP
tip
Maytag Blue Cheese has been deemed the best American blue cheese. Store bought crumbles and other grocery brands can’t hold a candle to its rich creamy flavor and texture. Luckily, Maytag Blue Cheese is now available in the gourmet cheese section of most neighborhood grocery stores. It is well worth the effort to find it.
classic spinach salad
with bacon, red onion, and hard-boiled eggs
Enjoy this hearty salad as the main attraction with a cup of tomato soup on the side. MAKES 4 DINNER OR 6 APPETIZER SALADS
salad
1 bag (6 ounces) Baby Spinach
½ red onion, halved and thinly sliced
4 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and quartered
12 bacon slices, cooked and drained
6 button mushrooms, thinly sliced
Divide the Baby Spinach among individual plates. Drizzle with the dressing to taste. Top with the onion, eggs, bacon slices, and mushrooms. Serve immediately.
creamy garlic dressing
1 small garlic clove, minced
5 teaspoons red wine vinegar
2 teaspoons honey
4 tablespoons mayonnaise
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
Place the garlic, vinegar, honey, mayonnaise, and oil in a blender or food processor. Purée until smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
MAKES ABOUT ½ CUP
tip
To make the perfect hard-boiled egg, place the egg in a small saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil. Remove from the heat, cover, and set aside for 12 minutes. Drain and peel the egg.
classic caesar salad with herb croutons
Using whole anchovies and egg, this dressing is close to the original version invented by Caesar Cardini back in 1924 at his Italian Restaurant in Tijuana, Mexico. The herb croutons, which my good friend Lisa Toporek created, complement this flavorful salad. MAKES 6 APPETIZER SALADS
salad
1 bag (10 ounces) Hearts of Romaine
½ cup shredded Parmesan cheese
In a large bowl toss together the Hearts of Romaine, Parmesan cheese, and Herb Croutons. Add the dressing to taste and gently toss. Serve immediately.
herb croutons
6 tablespoons salted butter, melted
2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 tablespoons dried Italian herbs
½ loaf (15 ounces) French bread, cut into
1-inch cubes
Preheat the oven to 375°F. In a small bowl stir together the melted butter, garlic powder, and Italian herbs. Place the cubes of bread in a large bowl. Spoon the butter mixture over the bread cubes; toss to evenly coat. In a single layer, spread the bread cubes on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake, turning the pan as needed, until golden brown, about 10 to 15 minutes. Set aside to cool to room temperature.
caesar dressing
2 small garlic cloves, mashed to a paste (see tip on
page 230 for instructions) or minced
2 anchovy fillets, minced, or ½ teaspoon anchovy paste
1 egg (see Tip below), cracked into a small bowl
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
¼ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
In a small bowl whisk together the garlic, anchovies, egg, lemon juice, mustard, and Worcestershire sauce. Add the oil in a stream, whisking until the dressing is emulsified. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
MAKES ABOUT ¾ CUP
tip
Because it has a raw egg in it, this dressing must be refrigerated and used the same day it is made. If you are wary of serving a dressing with a raw egg, substitute 1 tablespoon mayonnaise or try the Roasted Garlic Dressing on page 13.
hot chili oil salad
Hot yet refreshing! The fresh herbs, jicama, and strawberries cool the heat of the chili oil. MAKES 6 APPETIZER OR SIDE SALADS
salad
1 bag (5 ounces) Spring Mix
1 red onion, sliced into thin rings
1 pint strawberries, hulled and thinly sliced
1 small jicama, peeled and cut into matchsticks
½ cup toasted pepitas (pumpkin seeds)
In a large salad bowl, toss together the Spring Mix, onion, strawberries, jicama, and pepitas. Add the dressing to taste and gently toss. Serve immediately.
hot chili oil vinaigrette
2 tablespoons raspberry balsamic vinegar
4 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
¼ teaspoon ground cumin
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon hot chili oil
¾ teaspoon minced fresh basil
¾ teaspoon minced fresh rosemary
¾ teaspoon minced fresh oregano
¾ teaspoon minced fresh mint leaves
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
In a small bowl whisk together the vinegar, lemon juice, mustard, and cumin. Slowly add the olive oil and chili oil in a steady stream, whisking to emulsify. Stir in the basil, rosemary, oregano, and mint just before serving. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
MAKES ABOUT ½ CUP
tip
Jicama is a subtly sweet, crunchy root vegetable originally found only in Mexico and South America. It is seasonally available in many grocery stores. Ask your produce department to order it for you.
A crunchy treat from Mexico, pepitas are green hulled pumpkin seeds. They are available in health food stores as well as gourmet and Latin markets.
grilled romaine
with green goddess dressing
Slightly grilling the romaine gives it an unforgettably delicious smoky flavor. MAKES 6 APPETIZER SALADS
salad
1 bag (3 pack) Romaine Hearts
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1 cup drained Mandarin orange slices (available jarred or canned)
½ cup almond slices, toasted
Heat a clean grill to medium high. Cut the Romaine Hearts in half lengthwise. Brush the romaine with the oil and season with salt and pepper to taste. Grill, turning frequently, until slightly charred but not heated all the way through, about 5 minutes.
Place the grilled romaine on plates. Drizzle with the dressing to taste and garnish with the Mandarin oranges and almond slices. Serve immediately.
green goddess dressing
1 ripe avocado, peeled and diced
⅓ cup reduced-fat buttermilk
¼ cup fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
2 tablespoons thinly sliced fresh chives
¼ teaspoon minced garlic
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
In a blender purée the avocado, buttermilk, parsley, mayonnaise, chives, garlic, and lemon juice. Season to taste with salt and pepper. MAKES ABOUT ¾ CUP
tip
Because of the avocado in this dressing, make this no more than one hour ahead of time. To help keep the vibrant green color, gently press plastic wrap over the surface of the dressing so that it will not oxidize.
If you prefer a thinner dressing, blend 1 to 2 tablespoons room temperature water, adding just a little at a time, into the dressing until the desired consistency is reached. Take note: you can always add more water, but you can not take it out.
wild flower herb salad
Bright and cheery, this wild flower salad is the perfect starter for a bridesmaid luncheon or baby shower.
MAKES 4 TO 6 SIDE SALADS
salad
1 bag (5 ounces) Fresh Herb blend
½ cup toasted sunflowers seeds
4 tablespoons finely sliced chives
1 cup edible flowers (nasturtiums, marigolds, and/or pansies)
In a large salad bowl, toss together the Fresh Herb blend, sunflower seeds, and chives. Add the vinaigrette to taste and gently toss. Arrange the whole flowers on the salad. Serve immediately.
champagne vinaigrette
2 tablespoons champagne vinegar
1 shallot, minced
6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
In a small bowl whisk together the vinegar and shallots. Slowly add the oil in a steady stream, whisking to emulsify. Season with salt and pepper to taste. MAKES ABOUT ¼ CUP
tip
Edible flowers are available at gourmet markets, specialty spice stores, and farmers’ markets. Or if you feel like picking your own, be sure to refer to an edible flower guide since not all flowers can be eaten.
