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Course: Salad

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.