Archive

Course: Salad

Spinach, Walnut and Strawberry Salad

DESCRIPTION

Savor summer with a simple salad that features sweet strawberries and toasted walnuts. Tossed with a strawberry vinaigrette and dotted with fresh feta, this salad is sure to delight! Kitchen hack: Use paper towels to help keep spinach fresh. 

INGREDIENTS

  • 2 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons strawberry preserves
  • 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1 1/2 cups sliced strawberries
  • 1 (5-oz.) package baby spinach
  • 1/2 cup coarsely chopped California walnuts, toasted*
  • 1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese

INSTRUCTIONS

  1. Whisk together lemon juice, olive oil, preserves and salt in a large bowl.
  2. Add strawberries and toss lightly. Place spinach in bowl and toss again to coat with dressing. Top with walnuts and cheese and serve immediately.

*To toast walnuts, add the walnuts to a hot, dry pan set over medium heat, only toasting as many walnuts as fit in the pan in a single layer.  Cook walnuts, watching constantly and stirring frequently, for 1-2 minutes or until the walnuts start to brown and smell fragrant & toasted.  Since the walnuts will burn easily in the pan, you must stir constantly to ensure even toasting until the walnuts turn a rich, golden brown.  Remove walnuts to a plate or bowl to cool.

Pistachio Brussels Sprouts Salad

INGREDIENTS

  1. 2-1/4 cups shelled toasted pistachios 
  2. 1-1/2 lbs (675 g) Brussels sprouts 
  3. pinch salt 
  4. 1 tsp Dijon mustard 
  5. pinch dried red chili flakes 
  6. pinch salt 
  7. 3 tbs lemon juice 
  8. 1/4 extra-virgin olive oil 
  9. 1 cup grated pecorino cheese

INSTRUCTIONS

  1. Make the dressing. Grind 1/4 toasted pistachios into powder with a blender or food processor. In a small bowl, whisk together the pistachio powder, Dijon, chili flakes, salt, lemon juice and olive oil. Set aside. 
  2. Slice the Brussels sprouts into thin slices or shavings in a food processor. 
  3. In a cooking pan over medium heat, toss the sprout shavings in a tablespoon of oil until softened. 
  4. Mix the salad together in a large bowl. Drizzle the dressing over the sprouts. Add the pistachios and about half of the pecorino. Toss well to combine. Top with the remaining pecorino. Serve immediately. 
  5. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.

Walnut Broccoli Apple Slaw

Description

Sweet apples, crunchy toasted walnuts and broccoli slaw make up this simple salad. A honey lemon vinaigrette is the perfect finish. (Make it a main dish salad by adding your choice of lean protein)

Ingredients

Dressing

  • 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 3 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons honey
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher or sea salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger (optional)
  • Freshly ground pepper to taste

Salad

  • 3/4 cup coarsely chopped California walnuts, toasted
  • 1/2 cup dried cranberries
  • 1/4 cup minced red onion
  • 1 (12-oz.) bag broccoli slaw (4 cups)
  • 1 large apple, cored and cut into small bite-size pieces (preferably honey crisp or Fuji)

Instructions

  1. Whisk together all dressing ingredients in a large bowl.
  2. Add walnuts, cranberries, onion, broccoli slaw and apple. Toss well to coat with dressing.

Quinoa, Fennel and Orange Salad with Cranberry Nut Salsa

Ingredients

  • 1 cup quinoa (Try the multi-colored for a treat.)
  • 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
  • 1¾ cups vegetable stock
  • 1 bulb fennel, white part shaved
  • 2 green onion, finely sliced
  • ½ cup grated carrot
  • 8-10 basil leaves
  • 8-10 mint leaves
  • Zest and juice of 1 orange
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil

Cranberry Nut Salsa

  • 2 ounces nuts, such as sliced almonds, chopped hazelnuts, walnuts, pecans or cashews
  • 2 ounces cranberries
  • 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon sugar

Instructions

  1. Heat a large heavy saucepan over medium heat. Add the quinoa and fennel seed and cook, shaking pan until fennel is aromatic, 1-2 minutes. 
  2. Add stock and bring to a simmer.  Reduce heat and cook for 10-12 minutes or until tender but still with a bite.  Strain any remaining liquid, then fluff quinoa with a fork and set aside.
  3. Prepare the cranberry nut salsa. Roast nuts in oven at 350°F oven for 5-6 minutes until just golden. Place cranberries, vinegar and sugar in a small saucepan and gently warm.  Add roasted nuts and remove from heat.
  4. Toss quinoa with fennel, green onion, carrot, orange zest and herbs. Whisk orange juice and olive oil and toss with quinoa.
  5. To serve, place into bowls and spoon over the cranberry nut salsa.

Apple, Celery and Grape Salad with Roasted Nuts

Description

Enjoy this salad with crackers or in a tortilla wrap too.

Ingredients

Dressing

  • 2 tablespoons plain yogurt
  • 2 tablespoons sour cream, light if preferred
  • 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
  • 2 teaspoons lemon juice
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Salad

  • 1 cup julienne or diced apple (tart apples are best such as Granny Smith, Fuji or Honeycrisp)
  • 1 cup sliced celery
  • ½ cup red grapes, halved
  • ½ cup roasted walnuts and pecans (or nuts of choice)
  • 2 endives, sliced lengthwise
  • 1 small radicchio, shaved

Instructions

  1. Whisk together the yogurt, sour cream, mayonnaise and lemon juice.  Season to taste.
  2. Place apple, celery, grapes and nuts in a large bowl. Add dressing and mix well.
  3. Combine lettuces and arrange in a bowl, top with apple mixture, and serve straight away with some crusty bread.

Variations

Bring a seasonal touch to this recipe:

  • Pears and pine nuts
  • Papaya and cashews
  • Strawberries and pistachios
  • Figs and hazelnuts
  • Cantaloupe and almonds

Walnut Balsamic Spinach Salad

Description

This classic spinach salad is dressed up with Candied California walnuts, blue cheese, prosciutto and pomegranate arils.

Ingredients

Dressing

  • 1/4 cup minced red onion
  • 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Candied Walnuts

  • 1 cup California walnuts
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil

Salad

  • 10 cups baby spinach
  • 8 strips prosciutto
  • 1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese
  • 1/3 cup pomegranate arils
  • 2 firm but ripe pears, cored and thinly sliced

Instructions

  1. To prepare dressing, stir together onion, vinegar and Dijon in a small bowl. Slowly add olive oil and whisk well. Season with salt and pepper.
  2. To prepare Candied Walnuts, heat oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add walnuts and cook for 5 minutes to toast. Add sugar and cook for a few minutes more or until walnuts are nicely glazed.
  3. Place salad ingredients in a large bowl and sprinkle with Candied Walnuts. Toss well to coat and serve immediately.

Belgian Endive Salad with Avocado, Piave and Pistachio Aillade

Ingredients

Pistachio Aillade

  • 1 each garlic clove, grated with a Microplane®
  • ½ cup pistachios, whole
  • 1 each anchovy, made into paste
  • ½ cup pistachio oil
  • ¼ each lemon zest
  • 1 tablespoon tarragon, minced
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt

Lemon Dijon Vinaigrette

  • ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
  • 3 tablespoons Champagne vinegar
  • ¼ cup shallot, minced
  • 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
  • 2 teaspoons kosher salt
  • freshly ground black pepper, as needed
  • ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil

Belgian Endive Salad

  • 8 heads white Belgian endive
  • Lemon Dijon Vinaigrette
  • ½ lemon

Assembly

  • 3 each Hass avocados, small
  • Extra virgin olive oil, as needed
  • Maldon sea salt, as needed

Instructions

Pistachio Aillade
In a mortar add pistachios. Pound and grind nuts until fine. Add anchovy, garlic, pistachio oil, lemon zest, tarragon and salt. Mix thoroughly until everything is combined.

Lemon Dijon Vinaigrette
In a small bowl, combine the lemon juice, Champagne vinegar, shallots, mustard and salt and a few turns of pepper. Add the extra virgin olive oil, whisking constantly.

Belgian Endive Salad
Cut off ends of the Belgian endives and peel off the leaves. Save half of the leaves whole and cut the remaining half of leaves in half. Place all the endive in a bowl. In the bowl with the Belgian endive, dress with the Lemon Dijon Vinaigrette, a squeeze of lemon juice and kosher salt.

ASSEMBLY

Cut all the avocados in half and take out the pits. Cut the avocados in half to make quarters. Peel off the skin. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and sprinkle with Maldon sea salt.

  • Pistachio Aillade
  • Avocado quarters
  • 1 chunk of Piave cheese
  • Belgian Endive Salad
  • ½ cup pistachios, whole
  • 2 ½ tablespoons pistachios, roughly chopped
  1. On the center of each plate, smear 1 ounce of Pistachio Aillade into a circle. Place 1 quarter of avocado in the center.
  2. Grate Piave with a ribbon cheese grater to cover. Pile endive on top, garnish with whole pistachios, and top with 1 quarter of avocado.
  3. Repeat this for one more layer. Finish the salad with a heavy grating of Piave cheese and top with roughly chopped pistachios.

Four-Hearts Green Salad

Ingredients

  • 4 romaine lettuce hearts
  • 1 tablespoon honey or grape molasses
  • ¼ cup raw almonds
  • ¼ cup raw pistachios kernels
  • ¼ cup raw hazelnuts

Dressing

  • 1 tablespoon mustard
  • 2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
  • ¼ cup olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons pistachio oil
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Instructions

  1. Thoroughly wash the lettuce. Pat dry and keep cool. In a nonstick skillet, heat the honey. Add the nuts, stirring constantly with a rubber spatula until lightly caramelized. Set aside.
  2. To make the vinaigrette, whisk the mustard and vinegar in a mixing bowl. Gradually add the olive and pistachio oils while whisking until smooth and creamy. Add salt and pepper and adjust seasoning to taste. Just before serving, toss the lettuce, nuts and vinaigrette. Serve in the center of individual plates.

Mediterranean Pecan Pasta Salad

Description

This layered pecan pasta salad is an elegant but easy side or main dish. Perfect to serve when hosting a gathering or attending a special occasion, it can easily be customized with seasonal ingredients. This version combines fresh vegetables, oranges, cheese and pecans for a light and bright pasta salad dish.

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup salt
  • 12 ounces orecchiette pasta, or other small pasta
  • 4 cups of radicchio, thinly sliced
  • 1 cup halved marinated olives (Kalamata and green)
  • 1/2 cup marinated artichoke, cut into bite-size pieces
  • 1/3 cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes
  • 1 cup pecan pieces, plus optional pecan halves for garnish
  • 3/4 cup chopped parsley or mint (or both)
  • 6 ounces feta cheese
  • 1 cara cara orange, cut into slices
  • 2 cups chopped spinach
  • Lemon vinaigrette and fresh-cracked pepper (optional)

Instructions

  1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil with 1/4 cup of salt. When water is bubbling, add in pasta, allow water to come back to a boil, then start timer for about 10 minutes. When pasta is cooked, el dente, drain and rinse under cold water. Set aside.
  2. In a large, clear bowl, layer half of the radicchio on the bottom. Sprinkle half of the olives, artichoke, and tomato on top. Next, spread out half of the pasta, 1/2 cup of pecan pieces, half of the parsley, 3 ounces of crumbled feta, and the orange slices.
  3. Add the spinach, then repeat layering steps with the radicchio, olives, artichoke, tomato, pasta, pecan pieces, parsley, feta, and orange.
  4. If using the dressing, add to your taste after layering is complete.*
  5. Crack with fresh pepper and refrigerate for about an hour before serving.

Pecan Berry Green Salad

Description

Perfect for summertime entertaining occasions this beautiful Pecan Berry Green Salad, boasts combines layers of greens, berries, goat cheese, and golden pecans. Using the season’s freshest ingredients, this elegant salad is simple and impressive.

Ingredients

  • 7 to 8 ounces mixed salad greens (1 package)
  • 6 ounces fresh blueberries
  • 8 ounces fresh strawberries, sliced
  • 6 ounces goat cheese, crumbled
  • 1 cup raw pecan halves
  • Balsamic vinaigrette dressing or dressing of your choosing*

Instructions

  1. On a large platter, spread out the salad greens.
  2. Next, sprinkle on blueberries, then layer the strawberries working from the outer edge of the plate to the center.
  3. Using your fingers, crumble the goat cheese onto the greens in medium to large crumbles.
  4. Finally, spread on the pecans.
  5. Toss with your favorite dressing* and serve cold.

*Nutrition information based on 2 tablespoons of dressing per serving.