Salad Days Part 2 – Do It Yourself Salad Techniques and Salad Recipes

When I was writing last week’s posting, I was so preoccupied with the prospect of rising meat prices and discussing possible ways to cope with the problem, that I ignored my surroundings.  As soon as I finished, I realized that I was living through a heat wave in the in the middle of summer, and all I had offered were recipes for hot dishes. They may be fine, but hardly the ticket for steaming hot days when no one wants to spend much time in the kitchen, or cooking period. There’s so much else to do!

Even more then stews, casseroles and soups, salads, both cold and warm, are the perfect answer to  finding ways to serve seemingly meat featuring recipes which actually use less than is apparent in the finished dish. They’re easy to make, no complicated techniques, not time consuming and usually, the ingredients can be prepared ahead and kept refrigerated. Best of all, they’re the ultimate DIY of mix and match. Anyone who’s ever visited a salad bar can understand this.

Once you have a general idea of complimentary ingredients, including dressings, there is no end to the combinations you can try. Having a sense of things that pair well, gives you the ability to make variations on standard recipes or go on to create your own original dishes and optional ways of preparing them with meat, without meat, different seasonings, vegetables or dressings. Don’t be afraid to sample new foods or methods. For example, if you aren’t familiar with, say, sprouts, research recipes using either alfalfa or bean, and try some simple salads using them. Note the other kinds of ingredients used with them, decide what you like and then start to build your own version of a salad and/or a dressing.

This way you control the quantities and can make the dish fit your budget, or the amount of leftovers you want to use, or the contents of your refrigerator and pantry, if there’s no time to shop. You’re the boss and will seem like a hero, a genius and a real pro to your family and friends. One word of warning however, salads, like casseroles and soups, often depend on pasta, rice or other carbohydrates for bulk. If you need to stretch a salad to include additional people, the temptation is to increase the amount of those “filler” foods, but don’t! Instead add more fruits or vegetables, even if it’s not one that is currently in the salad, but suits the recipe. Some of my favorite vegetables which add bulk, but also nutrition, color and flavor are (par-boiled) broccoli flowerets, cut green beans, and asparagus cuts. These seem to fit in with anything. Fruit is more recipe specific, but there is a wide range of them as well, apples, grapes, pears and pineapple are favorites.

For more recipes on salads please refer to this blog’s archives. August 16, 2012 is last year’s Salad Days and includes several,  helpful recipes, including the popular Salad Nicoise. You might also enjoy the postings for May 31 and June 7, 2012 on cold summer soups  I’ve also provided some Do it yourself Salad Recipes for the dog days of summer.

One classic example of a salad that is totally DIY, with an open-ended ingredient list is :

Pasta Primavera – 8 – 10 Servings
The ultimate option here is to replace the pasta with (1) spaghetti squash
1 lb pasta, any kind will do but shapes hold more of the salad and sturdier ones carry the weight of the other ingredients
1lb package of frozen broccoli flowerets blanched to crisp-tender—this can be done by adding them to the pasts during the last 2-3 mins of cooking and draining them with the pasta
1 large green bell pepper cut in strips, then the strips cut in half
1 large onion cut in thick rings and the rings quartered
1 pt. cherry or grape tomatoes halved
1 lb. sliced smoked turkey or ham OR 4 cups leftover chicken, turkey, ham, pork or beef in bite sized pieces—even (2) 5 oz. cans of tuna—chunk light will  do
½ cup chopped fresh basil OR 2 Tbs. dried
½ cup chopped fresh parsley OR 1 Tbs. dried
½ cup fresh oregano leaves OR 1 Tbs. dried
1/3 cup toasted slivered almonds
Salt and pepper to taste
1 bag @ 10 oz, baby spinach leaves OR equal amount of lettuce leaves
1 cup dressing—bottled vinaigrette, Italian or Caesar will do OR recipe below
Vinaigrette;
2/3 cup canola oil
¼ cup white wine vinegar
¼ cup pasta water
1 crushed garlic clove OR garlic powder or minced jarred to taste
Salt and pepper to taste
Combine all ingredients and shake well. Refrigerate
FOR THE SALAD ( I like to microwave the pepper and onion in a bit of oil for 1 min first.)Combine all the vegetables, except the spinach, with the herbs and seasonings in the bottom of a bowl. Toss with the dressing. Lightly spray the pasta with cooking oil, just to coat enough to prevent sticking, place it over the vegetables and marinate 30 mins to 3 hrs. in the refrigerator. When serving, cover the plates with the spinach leaves. Gently toss the salad to combine all ingredients. Garnish with the almonds.

Pepper and Rice Salad – ( 4)   1 ½ cup servings –with meat
1 cup leftover or Deli chicken, turkey, ham or pork cut in 1 inch strips (optional)
1 cup beef or chicken broth
1 cup instant brown rice
1 each red, yellow and green pepper cut into ½ inch pieces
1 red onion in thin rings
½ cup crumbled feta cheese
¼ cup olive oil
2 Tbs. balsamic vinegar
1 tsp. dried thyme
Salt and pepper to taste
Cook rice in broth as per package instructions . Cool in the refrigerator. Whisk to combine oil, vinegar and thyme. Pour dressing over vegetables and allow to marinate while rice cools to room temperature. Toss vegetables  with dressing, meat ,if using, and rice. Add feta and toss gently. Serve on lettuce lined plates, garnished with parsley flakes.

Pear and Endive Salad (6) 2 cup servings
2 large ripe pears, cored and in large dice
6 oz Blue or Gorgonzola cheese crumbled
8 oz. canned artichoke hearts drained
2 Tbs. fresh parsley
¼ cup walnut pieces
6 cups  separated Belgian endive leaves or torn romaine lettuce
½ lb. cooked shrimp-halved if large (optional)
1 tsp. dried tarragon
3 Tbs. olive oil
2 Tbs. red wine vinegar
Salt and pepper to taste
Whisk the last 4 ingredients to blend well. Line individual plates with the endive or lettuce. Combine the first 5 ingredients and  pile in equal portions on each plate. Top with shrimp and drizzle dressing over.

Garden Chef’s Salad – 4 dinner servings
6 cups iceberg or romaine lettuce torn
1 small cucumber, peeled, in thin slices
1 medium red onion in thin slices
1 large tomatoes in large chunks
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6 radishes, without tops, sliced thin
1 large stalk celery  diced
1/3 cup each, cooked ham and chicken and cheese either Swiss or cheddar in 1 ½ inch sliced pieces
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried basil
¼ tsp sugar
Salt and pepper to taste1 tsp. sugar
¼ cup olive oil
2 Tbs. cider vinegar
Juice of ½ a lemon
½ tsp. garlic powder
Parmesan cheese (optional)
Place all the vegetables, except the lettuce, in a bowl. Toss with oil vinegar, dried herbs, salt pepper, and sugar. Cover with lettuce and top with lemon juice and garlic powder. Allow to marinate in the refrigerator for 30 mins. Toss well, then add meat and cheese to gently incorporate. Optionally garnish with grated Parmesan.

Bean Sprout with Beef– 4 servings
2 cups bean sprouts
1 cup pea pods- cooked to crisp-tender and sliced on the diagonal
2 cups peeled cucumber cut into matchsticks
½ cup sliced radishes
4 green onions sliced
6 cups torn romaine lettuce leaves
8 oz. sliced roast beef or steak
Dressing:
¼ cup soy sauce
1 Tbs. olive oil
1 Tbs. sesame oil
2 Tbs. rice vinegar or white vinegar
1 ½ minced pickled ginger or 1 tsp. minced candied ginger
1/8 tsp. red pepper flakes
1 Tbs. toasted sesame seeds—as garnish
In a blender or jar, thoroughly combine all the dressing ingredients. Line the plates with the lettuce, then divide the bean sprouts equally on top. Arrange the vegetables in equal amounts on top of the sprouts and drizzle the dressing  equally over them. Lay the beef slices on top and garnish with the sesame seeds.

Sashimi Salad – 4 servings.
This is one of my few uses for Sashimi, or fish processed to imitate shellfish. There are several brands the most famous label is Louis Kemp.
1 lb package of sashimi-imitation crab or lobster
1 small head iceberg lettuce, or 1 lb Romaine
1 medium onion halved and in thin rings
2 cucumbers peeled and seeded, cut in slices
Salt and pepper
2 Tbs. oil
Bottled Russian, Catalina or French dressing  to taste – OR-
3 Tbs. mayonnaise and 1 Tbs. ketchup  with a pinch of ground nutmeg
Toss the lettuce, onion, cucumber, and sashimi in a bowl with the oil. Pour over the bottled dressing to taste, or the home made Russian dressing. Serve chilled.

Cranberry Walnut Chicken Salad –  4 Servings
This is one of my very favorite dinner salads. Can be served in a bowl or plated individually.
1 cup cooked chicken meat in bite sized pieces—leftover turkey or duck can be substituted.
6 cups romaine or iceberg lettuce
½  cup dried cranberries
¼ cup chopped walnuts
½ cup crumbled feta cheese—blue can also be used
@ 1/3 cup bottled raspberry and nut –walnut or pecan – dressing
Salt and pepper to taste
Place the lettuce in a bowl, or on a plate, then add, in order, the cranberries, chicken, nuts, salt and pepper, dressing and last the cheese, which doubles as a garnish. Don’t toss—present layered. Then toss.

Tuna with Pasta – 4 Servings
½ lb (1/2 box) tricolored corkscrew pasta
(1) 5 oz can solid white tuna
½  cup sliced ripe olives
1 small green bell pepper julienned
2/3 cup halved cherry or grape tomatoes
4 sliced green onions
1 Tbs. capers – optional
Lettuce or baby spinach leaves
Bottled dressing to taste-a vinaigrette, Italian, Greek  or Caesar Or make ½  the vinaigrette recipe under Pasta Primavera
Put all the salad ingredients, except the pasta and lettuce, in a bowl and drizzle with 1 Tbs. lemon juice. Allow to marinate 5 mins. Add cooked pasta and gently toss with dressing. Marinate chilled 8 hrs or overnight, tossing occasionally. Serve well chilled over lettuce or spinach leaves.