Spring is on us and summer is hopefully around the corner. In anticipation of summer, this post is all about salads! Unwittingly, I have somehow come to be known for my salads. I wonder if this is because I make one at virtually every meal or because I love to play with flavour combinations. I have not made a plain old salad with bottled dressing in…geesh, I don’t even know if I have ever done this. I have not bought bottled dressing in at least 10 years. It is so easy to throw one together and tastes so much better fresh, without all the additives and preservatives. If you follow me regularly you will know that I make healthy choices whenever possible. I’m going to digress for a moment…we recently spent spring break on Maui and I was stunned to see plastic squeeze bottles of mayo sitting in the sun on tables at beachside restaurants. I was always taught to never put mayo in the sun…what has changed? Our attitudes or the nature of the product. I don’t want to know how they can preserve the integrity of the food to withstand that. Okay, thanks for sticking with me, back to salads. I thought I might break this down into two posts and start with some salad basics followed up with some great dressing and salad recipes in next month’s post.
SALAD BASICS:
First off, any salad is better than no salad. So even if you go for the basic chopped salad with cucumbers and carrots you will be healthier and therefore, happier, than with no salad. But let’s get a little creative.
Have you heard the rule “things that grow together, go together”? If you follow this basic rule with salad combinations, you can’t go wrong. A great Italian salad might be a hearty romaine lettuce with chopped flavourful tomatoes (try grape tomatoes and feel free to hit up your local farmer’s market for some flavour and colour options), chopped fresh basil (a huge handful) and some torn up buffalo mozzarella topped with a balsamic vinaigrette…yum, right?! Or what about a Vietnamese inspired salad with shredded fresh carrot and cucumber that have marinated in rice vinegar, fresh cilantro and mint, sesame seeds topped with a spicy chili dressing. Really, I could go on and on here. I LOVE salad and all of the fresh option that it provides. So I will list some of my favourite flavour combinations below and hit on more in the next post but do go nuts (and use nuts!!) with your greens…you can’t make a mistake!
GET CREATIVE WITH SALADS:
- Lovely greens. Romaine, mixed greens, spinach, kale, dandelion greens, arugula, butter lettuce…the list goes on. Try them all. Use one at a time or mix them up like I do. If you want some crunch, use the base of the romaine leaves mixed with some spinach. If you want some bite, use dandelion greens. If you want to be really healthy, add some kale. When using kale, be sure to remove the fibrous stalk by folding the leaf in half lengthwise and slicing the stalk out.
- Instead of simply chopping carrots, grate them or peel them right into your salad.
- Try marinating your veg before adding it to your salad…carrots and cucumbers do great in a rice vinegar/water/sugar bath.
- Blueberries, pomegranate seeds, nectarines, peaches, grapefruit, shaved apple or pear…add fruit to your salad, any fruit. Buy in season and local when possible as it is freshest.
- Add green onions, leeks, garlic ramps, chives, red onion or sweet onion for some bite to your salad
- Toast any type of nut or seed to add to your salad for some texture and roasted flavour. Here are a few options: walnuts, almonds, cashews, pecans, pine nuts, hemp seed, sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds. Simply throw in a skillet and toast before tossing on your greens.
- Croutons are a great addition for crunch and texture. Try toasting big (1 inch), rough-cut chunks of Italian bread in a skillet with some sea salt and olive oil, or toast them in the oven (stirring occasionally). These croutons should be crunchy on the outside and chewy on the inside. What about grilled cheese croutons? That’s right…just make a yummy, gooey grilled cheese, roughly chop and add right before serving.
- Cheese…well, now we have come to my favourite ingredient. Some salads, such as the Vietnamese example above, need to be fresh and don’t need any dairy added but in most cases I find a way to sneak cheese in. Some good crumbling cheeses are blue, feta, Chevre and parmesan. Shred some mozzarella, jack or cheddar. Cube some Manchego, swiss or gouda. Or for super simple, throw some Bocconchini or cheese curds right on top! But, if you want ultra yummy here is my fave: grill fresh Queso (queso fresco) or Halloumi and add right at the end. The smokey flavour that these cheeses add puts your salad over the top.
Vinaigrettes
Let’s start with a basic vinaigrette dressing. The ratio always remains the same: 1 part acid (vinegar or citrus juice) to three parts oil. The combination is up to you. If you are making an Asian inspired salad try lime juice or rice vinegar as your acid and pair with a mellow grapeseed oil. Or if you are making an Italian salad, try the recipe below. I always make my dressings in old mason jars as they are super easy to shake and then store extra in the fridge.
Basic Vinaigrette
- 1 part acid (vinegar or citrus)
- 3 parts oil
- A dash of sweetener (agave, honey, sugar)
Italian Vinaigrette
- ¼ cup balsamic vinegar
- ¾ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tbsp agave or honey (or sugar if you prefer a milder flavour)
- 1 tbsp grain mustard
- 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
Roughly measure all ingredients in a mason jar and shake to blend. Taste and adjust your sweet/acid balance if need be.
Top on a salad of:
- Mixed greens
- Grated beets
- Grated carrots
- Sliced bell peppers
- Sliced cucumber
- Avocado
- Toasted pumpkin seeds
And there you have it! This spring and summer, get creative with salad combinations and try something new and fresh! Delicious! Stay tuned for the next post where I’ll take you through some more tasty salad recipes.
xo Jacqui