Creating the Perfect Simple Salad

Picture by Tastespotting.com

Building the perfect salad can be a little overwhelming at times. Some people will tend to use several elements and ingredients to where all the flavors get lost. Now a days, there are so many ingredients and elements you can put together and call a salad, but when it comes to a leafy salad, simple is best in my opinion. I like to appreciate all the elements, doesn't mean it has to be boring. You want your salad to be the first impression to your meal and sometimes the star of the show.

Chose your lettuce. Whether it be a lettuce, leafy green or fancy weed, make sure to taste it so you know exactly what will go well with it.

Lets start with the dressing. Below are 5 basic elements when building your salad dressing that I usually follow. This is written by Charmian Christie of Christie's Corner and I believe it to be a good rule of thumb. Mustard is not mention here, but is a good element to a salad dressing. I usually include it in mine and I use Dijon or course mustard.

5 Basic Elements of Homemade Salad Dressing

by CHARMIAN CHRISTIE on MAY 10, 2010

Whether you want a simple vinaigrette or creamy variation, all dressings come down to these 5 elements:

1. Oil:  Don’t use that $35 bottle of extra virgin olive oil you picked up at the specialty shop. The high end oils are usually for finishing and the delicate qualities will get lost. Instead, use a good quality olive oil or neutral-tasting alternative like canola, grape seed or safflower. Combined with a bit of sesame oil or nut oil, you’ve got an dressing you won’t find in the store.  How much oil do you need? Traditionally, the oil to acid ratio is 3 to 1, but I prefer an equal mix.
2. Acid: The go-to vinegars are balsamic, red wine and white wine. Want a change of pace? Try champagne or sherry vinegar. Alternatively, you can substitute some or all of the vinegar with freshly squeezed lemon juice. A splash of lime juice goes well with citrus-based salads.
3. Sweet: To take the edge off the acid, add a touch of sugar. Ordinary white sugar will do, but you’ll add more flavour with honey, maple syrup, apple juice, frozen orange juice concentrate or even jam.
4. Salt: A generous pinch or two is usually enough. If salt tolerances vary at your table, season individual servings with finishing salt.
5. Aromatics: Minced fresh herbs, shallots, citrus rind, black pepper and/or garlic aren’t mandatory but add flavour and variety. Common salad herbs include basil, thyme, tarragon, cilantro, mint, parsley and dill. Mix and match as you please.

Mix and Pour

To make your dressing, combine all the ingredients in a small mason jar with tight fitting lid and shake. If using a small bowl, whisk the oil into the other ingredients. Store any unused dressing in the refrigerator.

by CHARMIAN CHRISTIE on MAY 10, 2010

Make sure to always taste your salad dressing for salt by using a salad leaf. 

Finally, don't go topping crazy, you don't need too much, just chose the right ones. Crunchy, spicy, salty and sweet elements are always good. Some of these elements include fruits, nuts, seeds, croutons like bread, wonton, pita and corn. You can also add some sort of  bacon, strong cheeses and egg.  Either way you do it keep it simple but make it balanced and delicious at the same time and try not to over dress your salad.


Happy Salad Making!

Baby Arugula, Fennel and Pear Salad with Cider vinaigrette and Gorgonzola Cheese

Ever since I tried this salad, I've been craving it and I've made it at least once a week, its that good. It's a recipe I was inspired with by a place called Boca Nova, a Pan-American restaurant here in Oakland Ca with an amazing menu. It's their arugula, pear and celery salad with goat cheese and cider vinaigrette...really delicious. There was no recipe, so I had to try and copy it. Well, it came out pretty spot on and I was happy with the results.

This will definitely not be the only item I try and copy from their menu. The place was THAT good, so stay tuned and hope you enjoy the salad!


Serves about 4-6 depending on serving size.

Cider Vinaigrette.
(makes about 3/4 cup)

2 tbsp lemon, freshly squeezed
2 tbsp unfiltered apple cider, such as Martinellis
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 cup of extra virgin olive oil

Salad

1 5oz bag of pre-washed baby arugula
2 cups fennel, thinly sliced (use a mandoline if you have one)
1 med green pear, cut in 4 wedges, then thinly sliced (use a mandolin if you have one)
3/4 - 1 cup of crumbled Gorgonzola cheese


In a bowl, add first 5 ingredients. Slowly whisk in the olive oil so it emulsifies and set vinaigrette aside. In another larger bowl throw in all the salad ingredients. Once you're ready to serve the salad, put in half of the vinaigrette and toss. If you feel you need more, add more. Serve immediately.


Enjoy!

Pickled Cucumber Salad

One of the things my Mexican culture loves to snack on is pepinos con chile y limon (cucumbers with chili and lime). I absolutely love this snack, especially on a nice summer day with a cold beer in hand. My mouth watered just thinking of it...wooooo! So... this cucumber salad was inspired by this snack I love so much. Really refreshing and simple to make. Hope you enjoy!


Serves 4-6

Vinaigrette


3-4 tbsp lime juice, freshly squeezed
1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp pepper
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Salad


2 cucumbers, sliced thin (use a mandoline if you have one)
1 cup red onion, sliced thin (use a mandoline if you have one)
2 tbsp cilantro, minced

In a bowl add all of the vinaigrette ingredients, whisk until it emolsifies and set aside. In another bowl add the salad ingredients. Pour in all of the vinaigrette and toss. Serve immediatley.

Canellini Bean Salad with Herb Vinaigrette

I love a good bean salad and one of my favorites that I make is my Canellini Bean Salad with Herb Vinaigrette. It is the perfect salad for summer and the perfect addition to your BBQ, picnic or potluck and everyone always enjoys it.  So beautiful to look at too. With this recipe, you can substitute canellini beans with chick peas and it is just as good, even add fresh Parmesan on top. Either way it is very refreshing and fulfilling. Hope you like it!


Serves 6

Vinaigrette


3/4 cup Italian flat leaf parsley, finely minced
1/4 cup cilantro, finely minced
1 garlic clove
1 juicy lemon
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup plus 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Note: you can use any combo of herbs you would like, like basil and thyme, as long as it measures out to 1 cup.



Salad


2 14oz can of canellini beans, rinsed and drained
8-10 oz cherry tomatoes, each cut in 4

You can place all ingredients in a food processor or mini chopper but using a knife for the herbs should be fine as long as you do a fine mince. In a small bowl, place all of your vinaigrette ingredients, whisk and set aside. In another larger bowl place salad ingredients and pour in all of the vinaigrette. Toss together and taste for salt.

Enjoy!

Roasted Shrimp Salad

I saw Ina Garten make her Roasted Shrimp Salad on her show Barefoot Contessa for a pack and go party, looked so good I had to make it. Its beautiful, fresh and delicious, and great to pack on picnics or to take to a good ol fashion BBQ or potluck. I've made this salad several times now and have since tweaked it a bit...but not too much because her original recipe is, as she would put it, "FAB-ulous".



Serves 6

2 1/2 pounds large or jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 tbsp olive oil
1 cup good mayonnaise (Helmans or Best Foods)
zest of 1 orange
2 tbsp freshly squeezed orange juice
zest of 1 lemon
1 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 tbsp fresh dill, minced
2 tbsp fresh cilantro, minced
3 tbsp red onion, small diced
2 tbsp capers, drained (optional)
1 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
Kosher salt and pepper to taste


Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Place shrimp on a sheet pan with olive oil, salt and pepper to taste and toss together. Spread shrimp on the pan and roast for 6-8 minutes, until pink and cooked through then let them cool for about 3 minutes.

In the meantime, make the sauce. In a large bowl, whisk together the mayo, orange zest, lemon and orange juice, salt and pepper to taste (about 1/2 tsp each). Once shrimp have cooled, add them to the sauce along with dill, cilantro, capers, red pepper flakes, and red onion and toss well. Cover and chill for about 30 minutes.


Enjoy!

Habanero Mango Salsa

Nothing is more refreshing and more addicting during summer than a good mango salsa. My recipe is easy, but it requires you having a good sharp knife. You also want to make sure the mango and the Avacodo are on the firmer side so you get a nice clean chop. Dice the ingredients small, not only is it more appealing to the eye, but you get an equal amount of each ingredient when you take a bite! 

The secret to making this salsa pop, is using a good Habanero hot sauce such as El Yucateco. Habanero has a nice sweet heat when used sparingly and it goes well with fruit.

Serve this salsa as a dip with chips or along side any grilled fish, chicken or pork...or eat it alone! The perfect salsa for your next BBQ!

Serves 4

2 cups firm mango, diced 

1 cup avocado, diced
1/2 cup red onion, finely diced
1/2 cup cilantro, finely minced
Juice of 1 Orange 

Juice of 1 lime
1-2 tsp Habanero hot sauce
salt to taste


Mix all the ingredients above in a bowl. Salt to taste, cover and chill  for about 30 minutes.

Enjoy!

Green Eggs and Ham

"Green eggs and ham. I do not like them Sam-I-Am.
I do not like green eggs and ham." Dr Suess. 

Well in this case Sam-I-Am, I DO like green eggs and ham. This morning I thought of the Dr. Suess children's story, Green Eggs and Ham, and I started thinking. I wanted something green with eggs and ham, but instead of ham I wanted BACON. So my take on Green Eggs and ham is an egg cooked over medium with bacon crumbs, and set over grilled asparagus. It was delicious and really quick and easy to prepare. Hope you enjoy!

Serves 2

Ingredients

4 strips of bacon cooked until crisp
10 Asparagus, grilled
1 tbsp olive oil
2 large eggs
salt and pepper to taste
1 tbsp butter


Start by cooking bacon first until crisp. Place it on a plate lined with a napkin to cool. After its cooled, use a mortar and pestle to make it into fine crumbs and set aside.

Have your asparagus ready and trimmed for grilling. Have a grill pan ready on medium-high heat. Next, toss the asparagus with olive oil, salt and pepper and grill until the asparagus are cooked to your liking (I prefer mine to be al dente) and set aside.

Have your bacon crumbs close and place 5 pieces of asparagus on each plate. In a small frying pan on medium-high heat with some butter (careful not to burn butter), crack your egg and wait for the egg whites to set, about 30-40 seconds for an over medium egg. During this time and without breaking the yolk, sprinkle a generous amount of bacon crumbs on top of the egg, then carefully flip it and cook for an additional 30-40 seconds. Once the other side of the egg whites have set, carefully flip the egg  on the asparagus so the bacon crumbs are facing up. Repeat with the next egg. Serve with a couple pieces of sour dough toast and enjoy!

For a different version of Green Eggs and Ham, try soft boiling an egg and sprinkle bacon crumbs on top!