Currently viewing the tag: "lettuce"
This salad is about contrasts; of flavors, of textures, colors, and if you are quick enough, you can even work contrasting temperatures into the salad. Escarole and radicchio are both bitter, but the roasted beets with their marination of balsamic vinegar provide a sweet contrast. If you wait to grill the radicchio until just before dressing the salad you can even get a contrast between the hot red radicchio and the rest of the salad which is served cool, or even cold. Radicchio can be quite bitter, but grilling it mitigates much of the bitterness. To step this salad up, check the options in the ingredients. The use of avocado or a creamy blue cheese, or adding romaine lettuce will mitigate the bitter elements further and will contrast nicely with the crunchy elements.
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The basic version of this would be to simply lay down a circle of beets, and then pile a mound of diced avocado in the center of the circle, and then dress it with the dressing of your choice. To make it fancy, use a ring mold to form the beet circle on the plate, and then a smaller one centered in the beets for the avocado. From there, this combination splinters into so many variations. Adding different lettuces changes the tone of the salad. Using cilantro takes it to the Southwest or to Mexico. Switch to arugula with almonds or pistachios for something different, but where the nuts and avocado complement each other. Utilizing shrimp will add another dimension as well. This recipe is just a door way to ideas. Step through.
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This salad is a study in contrasts with the tender slightly bitter Butter lettuces and the silky nutty avocado up against the crunchy sweet-tart elements of the quickles. Using plenty of Italian parsley in the vinaigrette gives an earthy and green element to bring things together.
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A classic pairing in cuisine is red beets with tarragon. It makes sense, then, that chervil, with its lighter tarragon/licorice/anise-like flavor would also make a good combo. The sweetness from the carrots and the chervil will bring out the sweet flavor of the beets and accentuate the sweet and bitter qualities of the romaine.
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This salad also features an oregano infused olive oil and calls for optional quickled red spring onions. The dressing has some fennel seed powder to echo the shaved fennel. You want to use a Ben Riner or other fixed blade slicer for this.
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The taste of fresh ground coriander is a refreshing floral, citrusy flavor with a little bit of nuttiness to it. I like to use it as one would pepper when I don’t want the bite or heat pepper can bring. I have a pepper mill just for coriander seed I like it so much. I suggest giving it a try. Find an old mill at the flea market, or grind some up and try it to see what you think before buying a new mill.
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Pistachio oil is pricey, but is a wonderful indulgence. It works magic in dressings, lentils, and grains, and is a nice way to finish scallops or fish. It matches well with orange and other citrus. Look for smaller bottles and keep it in the refrigerator. If you do not have pistachio oil, just use a plain red wine vinaigrette.
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This is a satisfying main course salad with plenty of crunch and lots of umami flavor, thanks to the roasted mushrooms and the roasted chicken. This recipe is based around the roasted chickens you find at the store or any leftover chicken you have on hand. Using a Ben-Riner or other fixed blade slicer makes the prep for this salad fly. You could even slice the vegetables the day before and bag or box them until needed. Tearing the mushrooms with your hands is quick and leaves lots of edges to crisp up and add texture to the dish.
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This salad is amenable to any of several dressings; Balsamic, Maple, Apple Balsamic, Cilantro, Cinnamon Cilantro, or even Traditional Blue Cheese or Lighter Blue Cheese Dressing. Any of these will work, but here the recipe is set up with Cilantro Cinnamon Vinaigrette
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This is a substantial salad that could serve as a light supper, and is about the interplay of the sweet, fruity, and acid, and soft components of the peppers, onions, and tomatoes in contrast with the crunchy, salty, slightly fatty roast pancetta wheel. Red Oak leaf lettuce is perfect for the bed. If you do not want to make the basil oil, substitute basil shreds and just use olive oil and balsamic vinegar. In lieu of pancetta, you could use buffalo mozzarella or goat cheese rounds. See Chef’s Notes for ideas.
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Inspired by Waldorf Salad, this has a lighter dressing and has cheese added, based on the classic pairing of apples and cheese.
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This recipe takes its inspiration from Crab Louis salad, but the dressing is a lightened version made with oil infused with shrimp shells. This oil is very aromatic and wonderfully evocative of the sea. This oil is a great flavor booster for pasta dishes, seafood soups, bouillabaisse, or light sauces for seafood such as a red pepper coulis.
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This salad is dressed with a variant of Basil Vinaigrette, hence the v.2 appellation. It has no garlic since the scallions provide enough allium “funk”, and uses white wine vinegar rather than white balsamic for a little more snap. Lastly, it uses olive oil in addition or instead of a neutral oil to round out the flavors.
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For this salad, you want to use a softer lettuce such as a butter lettuce or green or red leaf. It works better with the blueberries, as something crunchier, like romaine, might overwhelm the berries texture and flavor. The dressing uses basil as the herb, but you could try mint instead. A little arugula would work well, but go lightly or the sharpness could drown out the other ingredients.
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Use this dressing with salads that have tomatoes, and add a little mozzarella to echo a Caprese salad, or use it when you have lettuces that have a tinge of bitterness to them such as romaine, escarole, or radicchios. This would be a nice easy sauce with fish or toss boiled shrimp in it and chill for a cold shrimp salad.
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Another version of a classic pairing, using blood oranges this time. If blood oranges are not in season, just use another orange or tangerine. The oranges are cut into “suprêmes”, or filets, rather than just rounds as they are more uniform and easier to eat. A mandolin is helpful for shaving the fennel.
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This is a substantial salad that is good when it is hot. It is composed of recipes that are already on the website except for the lavender quickled carrots. Lavender is fun to use in savory dishes and goes well with fennel. The meaty blandness of the beans and the vinegar of the dressings keep the lavender from being too much. The lavender should come across as a piece of pleasing music heard from the next room, not like someone wearing too much scent sitting down next to you.
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Croutons are a way to add crunch. Here, it is the romaine that is the crunchy part, with the butternut cubes crisped on the outside and sweet and melting inside as a foil for the crisp and slight bitterness of the romaine. The roasted pumpkin seed oil adds a nice flavor and a lot of depth to this salad.
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Here is an updated take on the “Wedge” salad. The Moped of salads-you would never want your friends to see you on one, but they’re fun to drive. Moist and crunchy, rich, creamy and tangy, sweet and smoky, the wedge salad hits on so many of the components that make a great dish. Here, I sub in Little Gem lettuce for the iceberg, and it works well as long as the leaves are firm and crisp.
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