Greens
Hail Caesar!
Caesar salad, said to have been originated in the 1920s at the hand of one Caesar Cardini in Tijuana, Mexico, classically is made with a raw or lightly coddled egg. Claims that link raw eggs to salmonella infections have changed the way that some prepare Caesar salads, but many people still enjoy recipes made with raw or undercooked eggs. For those people, we offer the “original” Caesar salad, but we’ll give equal time to those who opt to play it safe by including a revised recipe for Caesar salad. A little bit of cream stands in for the egg, thickening the dressing just a bit.
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Yield: 4 servings
1 large head romaine lettuce, rinsed, torn in bite-size pieces
Olive oil
3 cloves garlic, peeled, halved
3 cups French bread cubes
Salt to taste
4 anchovy fillets, drained, minced
1 large egg
Juice of 1 small lemon
1/4 cup olive oil
1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Freshly ground pepper to taste
6 anchovy fillets, for garnish
1. Prepare lettuce. Heat about 1/8 inch olive oil in a 10-inch skillet. When it is hot, add two of the halved garlic cloves. Cook 1 minute. Add bread in a single layer. Cook, tossing occasionally, until cubes are lightly toasted on all sides. Remove garlic if it begins to burn. Transfer toasted croutons to a paper towel and season with salt.
2. Rub remaining garlic clove all over the inside of a large salad bowl. Put minced anchovies, egg and lemon juice in bowl. Beat vigorously until blended. Gradually whisk in 1/4 cup oil.
3. Add lettuce, cheese and pepper and toss to mix. Sprinkle with croutons and arrange anchovies.
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Yield: 4 servings
Croutons:
1/4 cup olive oil
2 large garlic cloves, split
3 cups cubes French bread
1 teaspoon coarsely cracked black pepper
Dressing:
4 anchovies, rinsed, patted dry
1/2 cup olive oil
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons whipping cream
1 1/2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
Coarsely cracked black pepper
Salad:
8 cups romaine lettuce, rinsed, torn in bite-sized pieces
1/4 cup julienned fresh basil, optional
1/3 cup finely shredded Parmesan cheese
1. For the croutons, heat the oil and garlic in a large skillet. When the garlic begins to turn brown, remove and discard it. Add the bread. Cook, stirring, until it is lightly toasted on all sides. Add pepper and remove from heat.
2. For the dressing, combine all the ingredients in a food processor or blender and mix until smooth.
3. For the salad, toss lettuce and basil in a large bowl. Add dressing to taste and toss lightly. Serve with cheese and croutons.
Romaine Salad With Blue Cheese, Bacon And Radishes
Prep: 30 minutes
Cook: 10 minutes
Makes: 6 servings
1 tablespoon minced shallots
2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
3/4 cup crumbled blue cheese
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 to 3 tablespoons whipping cream
1/8 teaspoon salt, optional Freshly ground pepper
6 strips thick sliced bacon
3 hearts romaine
3 to 4 large radishes, thinly sliced
1. Mix the shallots and vinegar in medium bowl; let stand 5 minutes. Add the blue cheese and mayonnaise; stir with a fork, mashing any large clumps of cheese. Stir in just enough cream to make a slightly creamy consistency; the dressing will be very thick. Taste; add salt if needed, depending on saltiness of the cheese. Stir in a generous grinding of black pepper. Cover; refrigerate. Let warm slightly before serving; stir.
2. Cook the bacon in a large skillet over medium-low heat until browned, about 5 minutes. Turn; brown on the other side until crispy, 4 to 5 minutes. Drain on paper towels.
3. Separate romaine leaves into a large bowl. Spoon over about 1/2 cup of the blue cheese dressing. Toss. Add more dressing, 1 tablespoon at a time, as needed to lightly coat the leaves.
4. Arrange the romaine on six chilled salad plates. Crumble the bacon over the top; scatter radishes over all.
Nutrition information per serving: 132 calories, 75% of calories from fat, 11 g fat, 3 g saturated fat, 20 mg cholesterol, 4 g carbohydrates, 5 g protein, 308 mg sodium, 2 g fiber
Salad Daze
Not so long ago, the salads offered at a picnic or summertime potluck supper were an almost certain trifecta: potato salad, macaroni salad and coleslaw. There’s nothing wrong with that. Nonetheless, the roster of salads that may be on display at a social gathering has expanded dramatically. Why? Credit the impressive increase of vegetables, lettuces and seasonings — along with olive oils of many flavors from many nations — available in markets for those who want to handcraft their own salads.
Summer Salad With Fresh Citrus Vinaigrette
Preparation time: 45 minutes
Marinating time: 8 hours
Cooking time: 5 minutes
Yield: 6 servings
Tip: Chicken breast strips, jicama and sweet red onions make delicious additions to this salad.
Vinaigrette:
1/2 cup fresh orange juice
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons each: fresh lime juice, minced ginger root
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon each: honey, Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground pepper
Salad:
1 pound fresh asparagus or green beans, trimmed
1 teaspoon salt
1 head red leaf lettuce
1 bulb fennel, very thinly sliced
1 orange, separated into segments
1 cup dates, cut in thin strips
1. Combine citrus juices with minced ginger in a small bowl; refrigerate at least 8 hours. Pour mixture through fine strainer into a small bowl; discard ginger. Whisk in oil, honey, mustard, salt and pepper to taste; set aside.
2. Place asparagus or green beans in a medium pot with 1 teaspoon salt and water to cover; cook over medium heat just until tender, about 5 minutes. Drain; place under cold running water to stop cooking. Refrigerate.
3. Toss lettuce with 1/3 cup of the vinaigrette; divide among 6 plates. Toss asparagus, fennel, orange segments and dates in a large bowl with the remaining 1 cup vinaigrette. Spoon mixture over lettuce with a slotted spoon.
Nutrition information per serving: 300 calories, 52% calories from fat, 19 g fat, 2.5 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 620 mg sodium, 35 g carbohydrate, 4.1 g protein, 5 g fiber
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Yield: 6 servings
Tip: Expect those who dislike things bitter to ignore the arugula. To indulge them, if you are so inclined, substitute baby spinach or mache.
10 ounces Swiss cheese, Gruyere preferred, cut into thin
1 1/2-inch strips
1 medium sweet onion, finely chopped
2 tablespoons each: chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon grainy mustard
1/2 teaspoon each: salt, freshly ground pepper
1/3 cup olive oil
1 large bunch arugula, torn
Combine cheese, onion and parsley in a medium bowl; set aside. Whisk together vinegar, mustard, salt and pepper in a small bowl; whisk in oil. Pour over cheese mixture; toss to combine. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Just before serving, spoon cheese mixture over arugula in a salad bowl.
Nutrition information per serving: 310 calories, 72% calories from fat, 25 g fat, 10 g saturated fat, 45 mg cholesterol, 370 mg sodium, 6 g carbohydrate, 15 g protein, 1.7 g fiber
Roasted Vegetable Salad With Apple Vinaigrette
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 1 hour, 45 minutes
Cooling time: 1 hour
Yield: 8 servings
Vinaigrette:
2 cups fresh apple juice or cider
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 1/2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground pepper
Salad:
2 medium size beets, unpeeled
1 onion, unpeeled, quartered
4 large cloves garlic, unpeeled
4 cups loosely packed mixed baby salad greens (mesclun)
2 hard-cooked eggs, peeled, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese
1/2 cup toasted hazelnuts or walnuts, coarsely chopped, see note
1. For vinaigrette, boil apple juice in a saucepan over medium heat until reduced to 1/3 cup, 50 minutes. Transfer to a small bowl; set aside to cool. Whisk in mustard and vinegar. Whisk in oil, salt and pepper to taste; store in jar until ready to use.
2. Heat oven to 375 degrees. For salad, wrap beets in foil. Place directly on oven rack. Place onion wedges and garlic in an 8-inch square baking pan; cover tightly with foil. Bake until onion and garlic are fork-tender but not mushy, about 30 minutes; set aside to cool. Continue baking beets until fork-tender, about 45 additional minutes; set aside to cool 30 minutes.
3. Peel the beets, onion and garlic cloves. Cut the onion coarsely; chop the garlic; cut beets into 3/4-inch cubes. Separate vegetables in separate containers for transport.
4. Divide the salad greens among 4 plates. Cover greens with beets and onions. Sprinkle with hard-cooked egg and chopped garlic. Drizzle 2 tablespoons of the vinaigrette over each salad. Top with crumbled cheese and toasted nuts.
Test kitchen note: To toast nuts, spread nuts in a large skillet; heat over medium heat, stirring often, until golden and fragrant, about 5 minutes.
Nutrition information per serving: 200 calories, 58% calories from fat, 14 g fat, 3 g saturated fat, 60 mg cholesterol, 400 mg sodium, 16 g carbohydrate, 6 g protein, 2.7 g fiber
Mixed Greens With Spiced Almonds And Chutney Dressing
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Yield: 4 servings
Dressing:
3 tablespoons Champagne vinegar or white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon mango chutney
1/4 teaspoon dry mustard
1/8 teaspoon salt or to taste
1/4 cup vegetable oil
Salad:
3 tablespoons sliced almonds
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
8 cups loosely packed mixed salad greens
1 small red bell pepper, seeded, finely chopped
Freshly ground black pepper
1. For dressing, combine vinegar, chutney, mustard and salt in small dish; whisk well. Whisk in oil.
2. For salad, mix almonds with about 1 teaspoon dressing and ground red pepper; stir to evenly coat almonds. Spread on small microwave-safe plate. Microwave on high power until lightly toasted, 45 to 60 seconds.
3. Toss together greens, bell pepper and dressing to taste. Divide evenly among chilled salad plates; top with almonds and freshly ground pepper to taste.
Nutrition information per serving: 180 calories, 17 g fat, 2 g saturated fat, 79% calories from fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 140 mg sodium, 7 g carbohydrates, 2.9 g protein, 2.8 g fiber
The Salad Tamer
Spinach salad has a lot to offer. Like spinach, in abundance. So much abundance that the spinach salad session can be exhausting. All that chasing the exuberant leaves around the plate. All that gnashing. It’s enough to make the cook stare longingly at her skillet. She thinks fondly of spinach sauteed tender, or layered into spanakopita or creamed into submission. She sighs. And remembers the rumor of a middle way, an approach neither cooked nor raw: wilted.
Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 8 minutes
Makes: 4 servings
1 bunch (8 ounces) spinach, washed, dried
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1/4 pound bacon, sliced crosswise into strips
1 clove garlic
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 hard-cooked eggs, chopped
1/4 cup crumbled feta or firm goat cheese
2 tablespoons toasted pine nuts
1. Slice: Stack up several spinach leaves, roll the long way into a log. Slice crosswise into 1/3-inch wide spinach strips. Repeat with remaining spinach.
2. Toss: Heap spinach strips into a salad bowl. Season with salt, sugar and pepper. Toss. (Fingers work best here.)
3. Crisp: Cook bacon strips and garlic clove (whole, peeled) in small, heavy skillet over medium-high heat until bacon turns crisp, about 8 minutes. Remove pan from heat. Discard garlic. Carefully add vinegar; mixture will sputter.
4. Wilt: Immediately pour hot dressing over spinach. Toss to coat and slightly wilt spinach. Shower with egg, cheese and pine nuts. Toss. Enjoy warm.
Kale And Hearty Salads
Though kale leaves have always been found on almost every salad bar, it wasn’t for reasons of edibility — it was for decoration, because this was one green so tough it would last forever without wilting. But the solution is remarkably simple: Give it a massage. Yes, seriously. And I mean a real massage — a deep-tissue bone-breaker. Grab bunches of it in both hands and squeeze. Then rub them together. And repeat. It’s almost like kneading bread dough.
It won’t take very long, but you’ll be amazed at the difference. That tough cellulose structure breaks down — wilts, actually —and those leaves that once seemed so coarse and fibrous turn silky.
Prep: 20 minutes
Cook: 5 minutes
Makes: 4 to 6 servings
1 cup fresh breadcrumbs
2 cloves garlic, split in half lengthwise
1 teaspoon lemon zest
Olive oil
Salt
1 pound kale, stemmed
4 teaspoons lemon juice
1 ounce Parmesan, grated or shaved with a vegetable peeler
1. Combine the breadcrumbs in a small saucepan with the garlic, lemon zest and 3 tablespoons olive oil. Stir to coat well. Season with a pinch of salt; place over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring constantly, until the crumbs have darkened and toasted, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a small bowl; set aside to cool slightly.
2. Chop the kale leaves into bite-size pieces. Place in a large bowl with 1 teaspoon salt and 1 tablespoon olive oil. Grab the leaves by the handful; massage them roughly. After a minute or two, the coarse, stiff leaves will turn soft and silky. You’ll have about half the volume of kale you started with.
3. Add the breadcrumbs and lemon juice; toss well. Season to taste with more salt and lemon juice if necessary. Arrange on salad plates; sprinkle with Parmesan.
Nutrition information per serving: 143 calories, 11 g fat, 2 g saturated fat, 4 mg cholesterol, 9 g carbohydrates, 2 g protein, 500 mg sodium, 2 g fiber
Kale Salad With Farro, Dried Fruit And Blue Cheese
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 1 hour
Makes: 4 to 6 servings
1/4 cup faro
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 cup mixed dried fruit (such as sour cherries, cranberries, raisins)
1 tablespoon orange-flavored liqueur, such as Grand Marnier
1 pound kale (about 2 bunches), stemmed
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 cup crumbled blue cheese
2 tablespoons each: minced red onion, chopped toasted pecans
2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
Freshly ground pepper
1. Toast the farro in a dry medium saucepan over medium heat until it smells nutty and turns golden, about 5 minutes. Add 2 cups water; heat to a simmer. Season with 1/2 teaspoon salt; cook until the farro is tender but still a little chewy, about 45 minutes. Drain; rinse under cold running water. Gently pat dry in a kitchen towel.
2. Meanwhile, place the dried fruit in a small bowl with the liqueur. Add just enough warm water to cover; set aside until softened, about 15 minutes.
3. Chop the kale leaves into bite-size pieces. Place in a large bowl with 1 teaspoon salt and the olive oil. Grab the leaves by the handfuls; massage them roughly. After a minute or two, the coarse, stiff leaves will turn soft and silky. You’ll have about half the volume of kale you started with.
4. Drain the dried fruit; add it to the kale, along with the cooked farro, blue cheese, red onion, pecans and vinegar. Toss to mix well; season to taste with black pepper and more salt and vinegar, if necessary.
Nutrition information per serving: 127 calories, 6g fat, 2 g saturated fat, 4 mg cholesterol, 16 g carbohydrates, 4 g protein, 688 mg sodium, 4 g fiber