Disclaimer: Okay, I've been working on this post on and off forever now and it's getting frustrating because I keep losing formatting and links. I was almost going to abandon it, but decided to just get it over with and move on! Still getting the hang of blogging, so bear with me . . .
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| Simple summer salad - a version of Insalata Caprese with sliced tomatoes, sliced mozzarella, fresh basil, and prosciutto on a bed of arugula, drizzled with olive oil and balsamic vinegar |
Salads are one of the easiest and quickest dishes to throw together, and versatile, especially if you keep some basic items on hand. I like that you can 'mix it up' with different variations, so you don’t ever have to eat the same salad twice. Even if you had a salad every night, you probably wouldn’t get bored. (In fact, I’d be willing to bet there’s probably some "salad project" blog out there). A salad is also the most frequently requested dish by RR and usually goes something like this:
Me: What do you want for dinner tonight?
RR’s predictable response: “How about salad with grilled chicken?
Me: [eyeroll] Again?!
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| simple salad with mixed greens and asparagus dressed w/vinaigrette with Peruvian rotisserie chicken from Pio Pio Riko |
I thought I’d share some basic ingredients to have on hand and tricks for throwing together a quick entrée or side salad. In addition to using the staple ingredients listed below to prepare salad dressings, you can also use them for marinades. I usually like to top my salads with some kind of protein like grilled or broiled beef, chicken, or fish using some of the same ingredients for marinade.
Some Tips:
For making salad dressings:
- Unlike some other dishes, with salad dressings, you don’t have to be as exact with the measurements and can keep tasting and adding until the proportions and flavors seem right.
- You can use any combination of ingredients as long as you have the basic oil + acidic + spices building blocks. A basic rule of thumb is to have equal proportions of oil and acidic (like vinegar or citrus).
- Although not completely necessary, it’s best to add the oil in slowly as the last ingredient in the dressing.
- Get a large, preferably wooden salad bowl with ample room to mix and toss ingredients. We’ve had a basic, inexpensive, but reliable wooden IKEA one similar to this for years. Prepare the dressing in the bowl and add the lettuce and other ingredients after (vs. drizzling dressing over salad). Or, if you prefer to make dressing in a separate container, a great tip I picked up, esp. for making a basic vinaigrette (like the honey mustard one listed below) instead of mixing it in the bowl, is to put ingredients in a plastic container with a lid and shake it. Then drizzle the dressing over the lettuce.
- Use a whisk to combine the dressing ingredients until the result is well-blended, emulsified and slightly shiny.
- I don’t remember where I picked up this helpful tip, but years ago, someone suggested using a lettuce leaf to taste dressing instead of a spoon (or your finger), because it’s more accurate.
- You can prepare the dressing in advance, and let it sit in the salad bowl, with maybe only a quick refresher whisk at the end, but only dress the lettuce immediately before you plan to eat it, otherwise it will get soggy.
- Decide on the culinary “theme,” for example Asian, Mediterranean, etc. For example, if you happen to find a beautiful feta at the farmer’s market, it might serve as inspiration for a nice “Mediterranean” or Greek salad.
Other Tips:
- One of those tips that stays with you as learned in high school cooking class: make sure to cut pieces of veggies uniformly so that you don't have varying sizes.
- If you’re topping the salad with grilled meat, it’s best to let it rest for about 5-10 minutes on a cutting board. Then when it is still warm, but not so hot as to wilt the lettuce, slice it thinly and fan it out on the top of the salad immediately before serving. The exception to this is a dish like the Thai steak salad (recipe below) where the meat is more the featured ingredient of the recipe, and you want the meat to be incorporated, so you can mix all ingredients together. Leftover rotisserie chicken is a great addition to salads.
- Sometimes it’s best to keep it simple. One of my weaknesses is to be too heavy-handed with seasoning and add too many ingredients, when sometimes a simple salad with fresh ingredients, even just dressed with oil and vinegar, can be the tastiest. RR loves to make a Moldovan summer salad similar to the ubiquitous Southeastern/Central European Shopska (or peasant’s) salad that consists only of chopped vegetables (bell pepper, cucumbers, tomatoes, onions, sometimes garlic and fresh chopped herbs like parsley and dill) dressed only with high quality olive, sunflower, or vegetable oil. When I’m making it, he's never satisfied when I start to tamper with it and add additional ingredients like balsamic. Although there are many versions out there, some people like to add a kind of cheese called brinza similar to feta. We're lucky to live in a neighborhood with a sizeable Romanian/Southeast European population so different varieties of brinza and feta are readily available.
Basic/stock ingredients to have around for salad dressings/marinades:
- Worstershire sauce (this is especially useful for marinades). You only need a tiny bit of this. It’s a basic, more or less invisible ingredient that intensifies flavors and keeps forever in the fridge.
- Assorted vinegars like balsamic, rice, red wine, apple cider, and assorted flavored vinegars (like fig, pear, pomegranate, basil, etc.) All of these should be readily available in most supermarkets.
- Mayonnaise (for when you want a creamier dressing)
- A nice selection of assorted mustards, such grainy and regular Dijon, spicy yellow, flavored mustards
- Sweeteners like honey, sugar, and agave
- Soy sauce
- Basic seasonings like salt, pepper, garlic powder, and the indispensable all-purpose seasoning -- Trader Joe’s makes a really good one called Everyday Seasoning that comes in a grinder which I LOVE and use in everything, well, every day! They also make a similar 21 Seasoning Salute. I know my mom prefers Mrs. Dash for her basic seasoning.
- Garlic (I need to keep Costco-sized portions of this on hand as I use so much of it in everything and get nervous when I start to run low)
- Fresh, frozen or refrigerated herbs
- Citrus fruits and/or juice (limes, lemons, oranges)
- Assorted “healthy” oils, such as nice quality olive (again, Trader Joe’s has an excellent and inexpensive selection, my current favorite being the Kalamata variety), walnut, canola, peanut, grapeseed, sesame, etc.
Some Other Additions:
- Fish sauce for Thai salads
- Onions, shallots, and chives
- Spicy chili or chili garlic sauce like Sriracha
- Anchovies or anchovy paste for Caesar salads
- Ginger
- Nuts
- Cheeses
- Olives
Some Recipes:
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| Thai Grilled Steak Salad |
Thai Grilled Steak Salad
About 1 lb. top-round steak, about 1 to 1 1/2-inches thick
3 tablespoons lime juice
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 tablespoon fish sauce
3 tablespoons canola, olive or grapeseed oil
2 tablespoon sugar
Several cloves of minced garlic to your taste
1 tablespoon minced ginger
1 teaspoon (or to your taste depending on how spicy you like it) chili-garlic sauce
½ to one head Romaine or leaf lettuce, torn
½ medium red or white onion, thinly sliced (about 1/2 cup) and/or ½ cup green onions, thinly sliced
1 cup cilantro leaves, chopped
½ cup sliced cherry or grape tomatoes
Optional:
½ cup chopped basil leaves and/or mint leaves
½ cucumber, sliced thinly
1 carrot, julienned
About ½ red, orange and/or green bell pepper, julienned
1 small bunch watercress, and chopped roughly, with thicker stems discarded
Chopped peanuts to garnish
Put the meat in a large, sealable plastic bag (or medium size bowl), with about 1/2 of the first 10 ingredients. Seal tightly, and marinate in refrigerator at least 2 hours or overnight. Use the rest of the ingredients to dress the salad. When meat is done marinating, spray grill or grill pan with cooking spray and preheat. Grill steak about 5-10 minutes per side, depending on desired doneness. Let rest, then slice thinly against the grain. Make dressing with remaining ingredients.Then the rest of the ingredients to the salad bowl. Mix well and garnish with chopped peanuts if desired.
Spicy Caesar
This is one of my favorite salads from a
Food and Wine recipe, which I’ve gotten enthusiastic reviews on every time I’ve made it. I more or less follow this recipe, but as I do in almost every recipe, I improvise and add my own touches to experiment and have always met with success.
Honey-Mustard Vinaigrette with Butter Lettuce
For a very basic but satisfying side salad, especially during the summer, I recommend this one. I am a fan of the delicate butter (or Boston Bibb) lettuce, especially the “living” kind now fairly widely available in the supermarket that comes with in a plastic shell with the roots intact and keeps for a long time in the fridge.
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons grain mustard
2 tablespoons regular Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 teaspoon balsamic or red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 clove of garlic, smashed and very finely pressed or minced
Salt and pepper to taste
Either mix all above dressing ingredients in a mixing bowl with a whisk until well-blended, and then add lettuce (optional: add tomatoes or shallots), or put all of the dressing ingredients in a plastic container with a lid and shake well. You can also use a blender or food processor.
