Cobb Salad

I had the privilege of catering the teacher appreciation luncheon at the boys' former preschool yesterday. I always love to go back and cook for the wonderful teachers there! The theme was Academy Awards, so I chose a menu at least tangentially related to Hollywood. I snapped a few pictures with my phone just before the luncheon started, so they are not that great!

I made Hollywood Derby Cobb Salad without chicken. Since chicken was the entree, I left it out, but it's included in the recipe below. This is a great salad to serve to a group because you toss the lettuces and then layer the toppings in vertical lines. That way those who don't like hard-boiled eggs (for example) can just choose the toppings they like.

I adapted the recipe from Smitten Kitchen. Watercress would be an authentic addition, but I just went with iceberg and Romaine.

Hollywood Derby Cobb Salad

Serves 4 to 6

Dressing 

1/4 cup canola oil
2 T cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 T cup red wine vinegar

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon dry mustard

1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire

1/8 teaspoon sugar

1 small clove garlic, minced

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Salad

1/2 head iceberg lettuce, cored and shredded

1 head romaine lettuce, chopped

2 ounces blue cheese, crumbled
6 strips cooked bacon, roughly chopped
2-3 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes

2-3 Roma tomatoes, seeded, and cut into 1/2-inch cubes

1 boneless skinless chicken breast, cooked and cut into 1/2-inch cubes

1 avocado, peeled, pitted, and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
 or slices
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
2 tablespoons green onions, thinly sliced

Make the dressing: Combine the canola oil, olive oil, vinegar, lemon juice, mustard, Worcestershire, sugar, and garlic in a blender or dressing shaker. Purée the ingredients to make a smooth dressing and season with salt and pepper. Set the dressing aside.

Make the salad: On a large platter, combine the iceberg and romaine lettuces along with the watercress. Drizzle a little dressing on the lettuces. Arrange the blue cheese, bacon, eggs, tomatoes, chicken, and avocado on top of the greens in neat rows. To serve, drizzle salad with dressing, season with salt and pepper, and top with green onions.

Olive Garden Salad

Recreating Olive Garden's salad was the most difficult knock-off. Most recipes online include raw egg (which I'm sure OG does not use) or pectin, which sounds kind of gross for salad dressing. The recipe I went with was outstanding, but not that close to Olive Garden's dressing. However, I put the bowl and all ingredients except for lettuce and the croutons in the freezer before adding the dressing and serving, and the chilled salad captured a lot of the OG experience.

Olive Garden Salad

Dressing Ingredients

• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1/3 cup white vinegar
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 2 tablespoons corn syrup
• 2 tablespoons parmesan cheese
• 2 tablespoons romano cheese
• 1 teaspoon garlic salt
• 1/2 teaspoon italian seasoning
• 1/2 teaspoon parsley flakes
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice

Directions

1. Mix all ingredients in a blender until well mixed.
2. If this is a little to tart for your own personal tastes please add a little extra sugar - mine did need sugar.
   

Salad Ingredients

1 head iceberg lettuce, chopped
1 Romaine heart, chopped
1/2 cup thinly sliced red onion
1 sliced cucumber
1 cup whole pepperoncini peppers
1/2 cup kalamata olives
3 roma tomatoes, thickly sliced
1 cup croutons
Romano cheese

Toss lettuces, onion, cucumbers, peppers, olives, and tomatoes in a chilled glass bowl with dressing. Top with croutons and cheese.

Roasted Vegetable Orzo Salad

This Barefoot Contessa recipe is one of my favorite things in the whole world, so I can't believe I haven't posted it already. I've changed it up a bit with the vegetables and proportions, but the main idea is the same. It's great with grilled Italian sausage for a summer meal or by itself for lunch. Sometimes I add grilled or roasted chicken to the salad itself. It's a great combination of tart lemon, salty feta, and fresh vegetables. I think it's especially clever that she adds pine nuts - they are almost identical to the cooked orzo, so they are a delicious surprise.

A note about pine nuts: try to avoid buying them from China. Chinese pine nuts can cause "pine nut mouth" in some people: an unpleasant, metallic taste in the mouth that is harmless but can last for a couple of weeks. Unfortunately, pine nuts are really expensive right now, but you don't need to use a lot in this recipe.

You can change the amounts or types of vegetables in this recipe - it's very flexible.

Ingredients
2-4 zucchini, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
2-4 yellow squash, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1-2 red bell pepper, 1-inch diced
1-2 yellow bell pepper, 1-inch diced
1 red or white onion, peeled and 1-inch diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
16 oz. orzo

For the dressing:
1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (2-3 lemons)
1/3 cup good olive oil
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

To assemble:
4 scallions, minced (white and green parts)
1/4-1/2 cup pine nuts
1 cup feta (use more or less to taste
15 fresh basil leaves, cut into julienne or ripped

Directions
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Toss the zucchini, squash, bell peppers, onion, and garlic with the olive oil, salt, and pepper on a large sheet pan. Roast for 30-40 minutes, until tender and lightly browned, turning once with a spatula.

Meanwhile, cook the orzo in boiling salted water according to package directions, until tender. Drain and transfer to a large serving bowl. Add the roasted vegetables to the pasta, scraping all the liquid and seasonings from the roasting pan into the pasta bowl.

For the dressing, combine the lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper and pour on the pasta and vegetables. Let cool to room temperature, then add the scallions, pine nuts, feta, and basil. Check the seasonings, and serve at room temperature or chilled.

Pioneer Woman's Asian Noodle Salad

Pioneer Woman is famous for down-home recipes that use meat, butter, and cheese plentifully. But this recipe is from her "Cowgirl Food" section, meaning that her husband Marlboro Man and the other ranch hands wouldn't touch it. I love it! Chock full of vegetables, the flavorful, Asian-inspired salad is delicious. And it has cashews!

You can mix and match the vegetables - leave out what you don't like and add more of what you do. The original recipe called for bean sprouts, but I left those out due to food safety issues and general dislike. Other than that, I made it as is. I cooked the pasta and chopped the vegetables the day before, but I kept the dressing separate from the salad until I was ready to serve it.

Asian Noodle Salad

INGREDIENTS:

1 16 oz. package linguine, cooked, rinsed, and cooled (can add a little oil to keep them from sticking)
½ head sliced napa cabbage, or more to taste
½ head sliced purple cabbage, or more to taste
½ bags baby spinach, or more to taste
1 whole red bell pepper, sliced thin
1 whole yellow bell pepper, sliced thin
1 whole orange bell pepper, sliced thin
chopped cilantro, up to 1 bunch, to taste
3 whole scallions, sliced
3 whole cucumbers peeled and sliced
1 can (about 10 oz.) whole cashews, lightly toasted in skillet (watch so they don't burn!)
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FOR THE DRESSING:

1 whole lime, juiced
8 tablespoons olive oil
8 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons sesame oil
⅓ cup brown sugar
3 tablespoons fresh ginger, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 whole jalapenos, chopped (remove seeds and ribs unless you want dressing to be spicy)
chopped cilantro to top salad (optional)

Mix salad ingredients in a large bowl or platter. Whisk dressing ingredients in a separate bowl, then toss with salad. Top with cilantro if desired.

Crunchy Romaine Toss

I wanted a delicious salad that wasn't too sweet, and I didn't want to make Greek or Caesar salad. I found this one on allrecipes.com and changed it quite a bit.

It's definitely crowd-pleasing and kid-pleasing. Part of the draw is the crunch, so add the topping shortly before serving.

Crunchy Romaine Toss

1 small head Romaine lettuce, washed and chopped into bite-size pieces

1 cup broccoli florets, cut into fairly small pieces

4 green onions, sliced

1 package ramen noodles, seasoning packet discarded

1/4 cup sliced almonds or chopped pecans

1-2 T. butter

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1/4 cup cider vinegar

1/4 cup sugar

2 t. soy sauce

salt and pepper to taste

Crush ramen noodles. Melt butter in a pan over medium-low heat. Add almonds and noodles and stir around, toasting until golden brown. Remove from pan and set aside.

Put oil, vinegar, sugar, and soy sauce in a blender or jar with a tight-fitting lid and process or shake until combined. Taste and add salt and pepper as needed. If you aren't using the dressing right away, you'll need to shake it again.

Half an hour or so before serving, toss the broccoli with some dressing. When ready to serve, put lettuce into a bowl and add broccoli and green onion if using and half of noodle/almond mixture. Drizzle some dressing and toss. Top with remaining noodle mixture and serve.

Note: you'll probably have leftover dressing.

Salad with Fennel, Apple, Mandarin Oranges, and Pomegranate

This salad was a great counterpoint to the rich cassoulet. It's sweet and refreshing and would be an excellent choice for Thanksgiving or even Christmas. Pomegranates are out of season, so I substituted Craisins. They were good, but the juicy crunch of pomegranate seeds would be even better. You can use whatever kind of lettuce you like; I used a mix of Romaine and escarole. Just stay away from tender baby lettuces - you want the crunch of something heartier.

Salad with Fennel, Apple, Mandarin Orange, and Pomegranate

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1 shallot, minced (can sub grated onion)
1/2 teaspoon (packed) grated lemon peel
1 large fresh fennel bulb, trimmed, halved, very thinly sliced
1 8-ounce Fuji apple, halved, cored, cut into matchstick-size strips

6 cups trimmed arugula, Romaine, or escarole leaves
2 mandarin oranges or tangerines, peeled, each cut crosswise into 3 slices
Pomegranate seeds

Whisk first 4 ingredients in small bowl. Season dressing with salt and pepper. Combine fennel and apple in medium bowl; mix in 3 tablespoons dressing.

Place arugula in large bowl. Add fennel-apple mixture. Toss, adding more dressing to taste. Divide salad among 6 plates. Garnish each with 1 mandarin orange slice and sprinkle with pomegranate seeds.

Blue Cheese Coleslaw

Barefoot Contessa has a blue cheese coleslaw recipe that I tried once, but it was much too rich. I found this version on the Cooking Light board, and it's great! If you like blue cheese or love blue cheese, you'll like it - it's not overpowering. It's another great cookout recipe - serve it with burgers or barbecue.

Blue Cheese Coleslaw

INGREDIENTS:
1 (16 ounce) package shredded coleslaw mix
2 cups seedless red grapes, halved (I used grape tomatoes, but I recommend grapes)
1/2 cup shredded carrot (or just use coleslaw mix that has carrots)
1 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup prepared Dijon-style mustard
1/3 cup crumbled blue cheese
2 tablespoons white sugar
2 tablespoons cider vinegar

DIRECTIONS:
1. In a large bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, mustard, cheese, sugar and vinegar. Add the coleslaw mix, grapes and carrots and stir until evenly coated. Chill until serving.

Greek Salad

I'm pretty sure I got this recipe from Rachael Ray around the time she first entered the national consciousness. It's one of my favorites - mediterranean flavors, strong cheese, fresh veg = bliss. I have changed it a little, but the key here is the dressing - it's quite easy but intensely flavored. Make everyone around you eat it, too, because the garlic (though partially cooked) is strong!

Use the amounts called for in the recipe as suggestions - I'm sure I add more cheese and tomatoes, and I keep the Kalamata olives to my side of the bowl!

Greek Salad

2 cloves of garlic, minced

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

juice of one large lemon (at least two tablespoons)

salt and pepper

2 hearts Romaine lettuce, chopped

2 plum tomatoes, diced

1/2 medium red onion, sliced very thin

1/2 seedless cucumber, sliced thin

1/2 cup pepperoncini peppers, chopped

1/2 cup pitted Kalamata olives

1/4 pound feta cheese, crumbled or diced

2 T. fresh oregano (optional)

Put the minced garlic in a microwave safe bowl and cover with oil. Heat in the microwave for 30 seconds. Whisk in lemon juice, salt, and pepper until emulsified. Dip in a cucumber slice or piece of lettuce and check the taste - does it need more salt or lemon juice?

Combine the lettuce, vegetables, cheese, and oregano. Toss with dressing.

Caesar Salad

Here is my simplified version of (cookbook author, not actress) Pam Anderson's delicious Caesar salad. It's very lemony and garlicky, though you can add less garlic if you don't like it too strong. Add rotisserie chicken or make-ahead chicken for a meal.

Caesar Salad

1 head Romaine lettuce or two Romaine hearts, washed and ripped into bite-sized pieces

olive oil, salt, and pepper

1/3 c. mayonnaise

1/4 c. fresh lemon juice

1 t. Worcestershire sauce

2-5 cloves of garlic, minced

baguette, sourdough bread, hoagie roll, etc. cut into bite-sized pieces

2 T. olive oil

1/4 t. cayenne

salt and pepper

Parmesan cheese, grated

Whisk mayo, lemon juice, Worcestershire, and 2-4 cloves of garlic in a small bowl and set aside.

Heat 2 T. olive oil in a pan and add cayenne, remaining one clove of garlic, salt, and pepper. Stir for about 30 seconds; don't let garlic brown. Add bread pieces to pan and toast until crunchy, turning occasionally - about 6 minutes.

Put lettuce into salad bowl and drizzle with olive oil, tossing to lightly coat. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Taste a leaf to see if the seasoning and olive oil is right. Pour mayo/lemon mixture over salad and toss to coat evenly.

Serve with croutons, Parmesan, and chicken, if desired.

Antipasto Pasta Salad

The before pasta, pasta salad. Why put pasta off into the future when you can have it now? I've posted this recipe before on the blog, but it was combined with another recipe, so I'm posting it here to make it more convenient. One of these days I need to take a picture of it! It's really one of my very favorite things in the whole world.

Antipasto Pasta Salad

2 16 oz. packages of cheese tortellini cooked, drained, and cooled
16 oz. diced mozzarella (fresh or not)
4 oz. prosciutto (can also substitute pepperoni - a stick, chopped up, is best, but sliced is ok)
pepperoncini peppers, stems cut off
kalamata olives
red onion, diced
sun-dried tomatoes or halved grape tomatoes
sliced roasted red peppers
artichoke hearts

Mix the above together.

Add dressing. Mix gently and chill.

Dressing:

1 large garlic clove, minced
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons red-wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon crumbled dried rosemary
1 teaspoon dried basil, crumbled
1 teaspoon dried orégano, crumbled
1/4 teaspoon dried hot red pepper flakes, or to taste
1/2 cup olive oil
salt and pepper

Whisk dressing until emulsified. The dressing will be opaque, and there will not be a separation of the oil and vinegar. Pour over all other ingredients mixed in large bowl. This keeps for several days.

Island Pork Tenderloin Salad

This recipe from Gourmet magazine is probably my favorite thing to make for company. It's delicious, unusual without being inaccessbile, and indulgent but not rich or heavy. It does have a lot of steps, but you can do many of them ahead of time. Serve it with this coconut bread. Just make the bread ahead of time so you can refrigerate it (makes it less crumbly).

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Island Pork Tenderloin Salad

Yield: Makes 6 to 8 main-course servings

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For pork

2 teaspoons salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon chili powder

1 teaspoon cinnamon

2 pork tenderloins (2 1/4 to 2 1/2 pounds total)

2 tablespoons olive oil

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For glaze

1 cup packed brown sugar

2 tablespoons finely chopped garlic

1 tablespoon Tabasco

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For vinaigrette

3 tablespoons fresh lime juice

1 tablespoon fresh orange juice

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon curry powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 cup olive oil

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For salad

3 navel oranges

5 ounces baby spinach, trimmed (6 cups leaves)

4 cups thinly sliced Napa cabbage (from 1 medium head)

1 red bell pepper, cut lengthwise into thin strips

1/2 cup golden raisins

2 firm-ripe California avocados

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Special equipment: an instant-read thermometer

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Prepare pork:
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Stir together salt, pepper, cumin, chili powder, and cinnamon, then coat pork with spice rub.
Heat oil in an ovenproof 12-inch heavy skillet over moderately high heat until just beginning to smoke, then brown pork, turning, about 4 minutes total. Leave pork in skillet.

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Make glaze and roast pork:
Stir together brown sugar, garlic, and Tabasco and pat onto top of each tenderloin. Roast in middle of oven until thermometer inserted diagonally in center of each tenderloin registers 140°F, about 20 minutes. Let pork stand in skillet at room temperature 10 minutes. (Temperature will rise to about 155°F while standing.)

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Make vinaigrette while pork roasts:
Whisk together juices, mustard, curry powder, salt, and pepper, then add oil in a stream, whisking until emulsified.

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Prepare salad ingredients while pork stands:
Cut peel, including white pith, from oranges with a sharp knife, then cut oranges crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Toss spinach, cabbage, bell pepper, and raisins in a large bowl with about 1/4 cup vinaigrette. Halve, pit, and peel avocados, then cut diagonally into 1/4-inch-thick slices.

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Assemble salad:
Cut pork at a 45-degree angle into 1/2-inch-thick slices. Line a large platter with dressed salad and arrange sliced pork, oranges, and avocados in rows on top. Drizzle some vinaigrette over avocados and oranges. Pour any juices from skillet over pork.

Chipotle Chicken Salad

This recipe is actually for tacos, but I liked it even better with the filling used as a salad. You can wrap the filling in any kind of tortillas you like: flour, hard shell, or soft shell corn. I got the original recipe from Recipezaar, but I streamlined it to make it easy for weeknights.

Note: chipotle peppers in adobo sauce are sold with the Mexican products. You can take out the two you need for this recipe and freeze the rest for another time.

Chipotle Chicken Salad

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1/3 cup olive oil, preferably extra-virgin
2 canned chipotle chiles in adobo, finely chopped
salt
1 package coleslaw* mix with carrots (can also used chopped napa cabbage and carrots)
1/2 - 1 small red onion, thinly sliced
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1 rotisserie chicken, meat removed and shredded (or three cups cooked chicken)
1 large ripe avocado, peeled, pitted and cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1/3 cup coarsely grated mexican queso anejo or queso fresco (like Romano or feta, respectively)

warm tortillas (if you want a wrap rather than a salad)

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*Bagged coleslaw mix is next to bagged lettuce; it won't have dressing on it.

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In a large bowl, whisk together the vinegar, olive oil and chipotles.
Season generously with 1/4 t. salt.
Add the coleslaw, onion, cilantro and chicken.
Toss everything together and let stand for 15 minutes.
Taste and season with additional salt if necessary.

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Scoop the filling into a wide shallow serving bowl, dot with the cubed avocado and dust generously with the cheese.

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Serve with warm tortillas, if desirted.

Insalata Caprese

This simple salad is one of my favorite things in all the world. I grow extra basil just so we can eat it often - like once a week in the summer.

You can really use any kind of good, flavorful tomatoes. Those ugly heirloom ones from the farmer's market are especially delicious. Tonight I used small Campari tomatoes - I thought I might not have enough because Ben was eating them as fast as I could slice them! They were so sweet.

Insalata Caprese

1 8-oz ball fresh mozzarella, sliced roughly the same size as tomato slices

bunch of basil, leaves detached and washed

2-3 large slicing tomatoes, or 6-8 small ones, sliced

olive oil

balsamic vinegar

sea or kosher salt

fresh ground pepper

You can stack or layer the ingredients in any pattern you like: tomato, basil leaf, slice of cheese. Drizzle with olive oil, then a few splashes of balsamic (not required). Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Regular salt is fine, but I like the crunch of sea or kosher.

Asian Broccoli Slaw

This slaw is the perfect marriage of healthy, fresh, ingredients with the lowest-quality foodstuff you can purchase at your grocery store! Sounds great, huh? I'm talking, of course, about ramen noodles, that staple of college dining.

I've had versions of this slaw made with cabbage, but I prefer broccoli slaw because it is more colorful and flavorful. In the picture above I used a broccoli slaw that had broccoli florets and snow peas. The boys wouldn't eat the florets, but once Ben decided the snow peas were "green tacos," they were a hit.

When I make this for guests or a party, I add cashews or some other kind of nut - almonds are good, too. Most versions of this recipe call for you to add the ramen noodles early in the recipe so they soften, but I like to add them right before serving so they are still crunchy. The recipe makes more dressing than you probably need, but save it in case it dries out overnight.

Asian Broccoli Slaw

1 package broccoli slaw (16 oz.)

1 package ramen noodles (original flavor), noodles crushed and seasoning packet set aside

1/4 cup sliced green onions

1/2 cup cashews or cashew pieces (optional)

1/4 cup vegetable oil

2 T. rice wine or white vinegar

2 T. sugar

1/4 t. salt

In a large bowl, combine broccoli slaw, green onions, and cashews (if using). Mix oil, vinegar, sugar, salt, and contents of seasoning packet in a small bowl; whisk until emulsified. Pour over broccoli slaw mixture and stir. Refrigerate for 1-24 hours. Right before serving, sprinkle crushed ramen noodles on top.

Hoppy Easter!

I made these cupcakes for Jack's school Easter party. They are supposed to be bunnies disappearing into their garden rabbit holes. The only thing that took a lot of time was covering the circus peanut feet with marshmallow, because I couldn't find white circus peanuts.

Easter is one of those holidays that I try not to go overboard with my cooking plans. We are always at church in the morning, and everyone comes home famished! My parents came over for dinner, and they put the ham in the oven for me. They also brought a salad and dessert. We had a great time with our springtime menu!



Easter 2009 Menu
Ham with Blackberry Mustard Glaze (recipe here) I subbed a spiral sliced ham twice the size called for in the recipe, and I used pineapple juice instead of apple juice. If you use a five-pound ham as the recipe calls for, you can make 1/2 the glaze.
Crash Hot Potatoes
Broccoli Salad (made by parents)
Multigrain and Sourdough Bread with Butter (store-bought! the shame!)
Fruit Salad (kid-friendly banana, pineapple, apple, and grapes)
Barefoot Contessa's Roasted Vegetable Orzo Salad
Carrot Cake (made by parents)

Spinach/Orange Salad with Maple/Mustard Dressing

This salad is one I made up. It's easy for a weeknight salad, and I often leave out the almonds if I don't have them. It's also good with feta.

Spinach and Orange Salad with Maple/Mustard Dressing

1 bag baby spinach or romaine (10 oz.)
sliced oranges, clementines, or mandarin oranges
1-2 oz. sliced almonds
feta (optional)
1-2 T. olive oil
1-2 T. real maple syrup
1 t. stone ground mustard
1 T. mild vinegar, such as apple cider vinegar or white vinegar
salt and pepper

In the bottom of the salad bowl, whisk together oil, maple syrup, mustard, vinegar, salt, and pepper until emulsified. Taste the dressing on one piece of spinach to correct seasonings, if necessary., Add as much baby spinach as desired, along with oranges. Toss the salad, and top with almonds and/or feta.

Strawberry Feta Salad

I know some readers of this blog have issues with "fruit and savory abominations" or "salt and sweet violations," but you'll have to believe me when I tell you this is a very well-received salad. It's very easy, too - mostly just opening things and pouring them into a bowl. It's best, of course, in spring and summer when strawberries are in season.



Strawberry Feta Salad



1 bag Romaine hearts (10 oz.)

crumbled feta (to taste: between 1/2 - 1 cup)

2 oz. pine nuts (toasted in a dry frying pan until they become fragrant, if desired)

1 16 oz. package fresh strawberries

Newman's Own Light Raspberry Walnut Dressing



Put lettuce greens into salad bowl. Wash, hull and slice strawberries; add to bowl. Scatter feta cheese over the top, then add pine nuts. I usually wait to dress the salad until right before eating.

The Splendid Table's Supper Salad

Since everyone in our family likes salad, we eat it quite often, though not every night as I did when I was growing up! When I'm in a hurry, it's usually mixed greens or romaine hearts with one or two veggies and salad seasoning. I usually prefer a quick vinaigrette mixed up in the bowl, but all three boys like to *see* the dressing on top of their salads, so we alternate. I have about four other recipes I like to use when I have the time or need to take a salad somewhere. I'll be posting them all shortly; here's one we've been making a lot lately.

This salad comes from The Splendid Table's cookbook, How to Eat Supper. It's just the kind of cookbook I like, with lots of opinions and asides, as well as great food, gorgeously photographed. This recipe is a formula for an entree salad, but we adapt it to be a side salad. If I were making it for our family of four as a side, I would halve the ingredients.

Dressing-In-A-Bowl Supper Salad

1/2 medium red onion, thin sliced
3-4 T. red wine vinegar (or other vinegar you like)
salt and pepper
2 T. grainy mustard
1/2 cup canned chickpeas or black beans, rinsed and drained
2 cups raw vegetables (cucumbers, broccoli, tomatoes, snow peas, corn, jicama) chopped
herbs (1 t. if dried; 1 T. or more if fresh - basil, thyme, cilantro, parsley are all good)
protein: I usually use about 1/2 cup feta cheese - if this salad is for dinner, 1-2 cups of cooked
chicken breast, shrimp, or steak would be good
12-16 oz. salad greens
4 -6 T. olive oil

1. In a large salad bowl, stir together the onion, 3 T. of the vinegar, some salt and pepper, and the mustard. Add the chickpeas, moistening them with the mixture. Let stand about 30 minutes.

2. When you are ready to serve, add the vegetables, herbs, protein, and salad greens along with 4 T. oil. Toss the salad together. Then taste, and adjust the seasoning as you like with more oil, vinegar, salt, and/or pepper.

Note: if you want a Mexican-inspired salad, choose black beans, seasoned chicken, and cilantro. Use your favorite Mexican cheese, whether that's a cheddar/jack blend or queso anejo.

Mom's Potato Salad

This is my mom's recipe; she's been making it for as long as I can remember. I actually don't care for potato salad, but I'm posting this recipe here because people really love it. If I were going to eat potato salad, it would be this one: the Italian dressing and bacon make it more exciting than the typical kind.

Potato Salad

6 peeled baking potatoes, diced
1/4 c. Italian dressing
1/4 c. choped onion
1/4 c. chopped celery
1 t. salt
ground black pepper
1/2 c.+ mayonnaise
8 pieces bacon, chopped, cooked, and drained
Boil potatoes about 20 minutes or until tender. Drain thoroughly in a colander, and chill.

Put potatoes in a large bowl and gently toss with Italian dressing. Then add onion, celery, salt, and pepper. Finally, stir in mayo. Just before serving, top potato salad with bacon.

Tortellini Salad Greek or Antipasto - your choice

This salad is actually something I came up with myself. It's more of an idea than a recipe, but I rarely create my own dishes; I usually adapt existing recipes. The dressing will make more than enough, but you can save the leftovers for a Greek (lettuce) salad or for remoistening leftover tortellini salad. I also make a antipasto variation with prosciutto, fresh mozzarella, sun-dried tomatoes, roasted red peppers, olives, and whatever else looks good.

Greek Tortellini Salad

1 16 oz. package of cheese tortellini cooked, drained, and cooled you can use fresh tortellini if the grocery budget allows; you can also add more tortellini if cooking for a crowd
4 oz. crumbled feta cheese
1 package grape tomatoes, sliced in half
about 1/2 a red onion, chopped fine
about 1 cup of pepperoncini peppers, sliced and stems discarded
1 large cucumber, peeled, cut in half, and sliced - I like English cucumbers
about 1/2 cup kalamata olives, pitted

Mix the above together.

Dressing:
1/2 cup olive oil
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 1/2 lemons, juiced (1/4 cup of juice)
Salt and pepper to taste

Put the olive oil in a microwave safe bowl and add the garlic. Microwave for 30 seconds. Add lemon juice and whisk until dressing is emulsified (it should look opaque, not separated). Add salt and pepper to taste.

Add dressing a few tablespoons at a time to pasta salad until salad looks evenly dressed. Mix gently and chill.

Antipasto Variation
1 16 oz. package cheese tortellini, cooked and drained
4 oz. prosciutto (can also substitute pepperoni - a stick, chopped up, is best, but sliced is ok)
pepperoncini peppers, stems cut off
kalamata olives
chunk mozzarella cheese, cut into cubes
red onion, diced
sun-dried tomatoes or halved grape tomatoes
sliced roasted red peppers

Dressing:

1 large garlic clove, minced
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons red-wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon crumbled dried rosemary
1 teaspoon dried basil, crumbled
1 teaspoon dried orégano, crumbled
1/4 teaspoon dried hot red pepper flakes, or to taste
1/2 cup olive oil

Whisk dressing until emulsified. The dressing will be opaque, and there will not be a separation of the oil and vinegar. Pour over all other ingredients mixed in large bowl. This keeps for several days.