Salad

Ingredients
1 anchovy
2 teaspoons white balsamic or tarragon vinegar
¹⁄₂ cup mayonnaise
¹⁄₂ cup plain Greek yogurt
4 tablespoons water
2 teaspoons fresh tarragon
2 tablespoons fresh chives
2 tablespoons fresh parsley
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Dash hot sauce, such as Sriracha
¹⁄₂ teaspoon salt
¹⁄₄ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Instructions
1. Combine all ingredients in immersion blender cup and blend until smooth.  Chill before serving. 

Comments
This recipe is from Louise Mellor.  I’ve been intrigued by Green Goddess Dressing for quite some time but I’ve never gotten around to making it.  Now that I have, I’m wishing I hadn’t.  I’m not sure what was wrong with this, but some flavor just made the whole thing taste off.  Sorry, that’s not very helpful.

Internet - Louise Mellor

Ingredients
3 to 4 slices bacon, cut into small pieces
2 tablespoons sundried tomatoes in oil with Italian herbs
²⁄₃ cup olive oil
¹⁄₃ cup red wine vinegar
2 cloves garlic, peeled
1 tablespoon fresh oregano leaves
Salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste

Instructions
1. Cook bacon in small skillet over medium heat until crisp.  Remove to plate with paper towels or mesh strainer and drain well. 

2. Place all ingredients in immersion blender cup and puree. 

Comments
This recipe is from The Kitchen Witch.  I’ve been trying to get more salads into us since it’s winter and homemade salad dressings are a good way to do that.  This one caught my eye since it has both sundried tomatoes and bacon, two delicious ingredients.  I served this with a simple salad of lettuce, red onion, and crumbled feta cheese.  I thought it was super tasty and Art said it was even good on the roast I served it with.

Internet - The Kitchen Witch

Ingredients
¹⁄₂ cup onion, chopped
¹⁄₂ cup peanut oil
¹⁄₃ cup rice wine vinegar
2 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons fresh ginger, chopped
2 tablespoons celery, chopped
2 tablespoons ketchup
4 teaspoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons white sugar
2 teaspoons lemon juice
¹⁄₂ teaspoon garlic, chopped
¹⁄₂ teaspoon salt
¹⁄₄ teaspoon ground black pepper

Instructions
1. Combine all ingredients in immersion blender cup and blend until smooth. 

Comments
This recipe is from [all(recipes.com](http://all(recipes.com/recipe/famous-japanese-restaurant-style-salad-dressing/).  I love the bright orange dressing that you get at Japanese restaurants.  I think I could eat salads with it by the bowlful.  I don’t know why I’ve never tried to replicate it but, for whatever reason, I haven’t.  The other day when I made Congee, and was trying to think of a side, salad with homemade dressing came quickly to mind.  This dressing is even better than the stuff in restaurants.  And, with the help of your trusty immersion blender, it comes together in a jiffy.

Internet - all(recipes

Ingredients
2-3 heads romaine or leaf lettuce, cut into pieces
6 eggs, hardboiled and chopped (I use the hardboiling method here.) 
6-8 ounces bacon, cut into small pieces, cooked until crisp, and drained
6-8 ounces deli meat such as chicken, ham, or turkey
1 small cucumber, chopped
1 small red onion, sliced into half moons
1 pint small tomatoes, quartered or halved
1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
8 ounces mushrooms, sliced
Croutons
Salad dressings of choice

Instructions
1. Arrange all ingredients on dinner plates or dinner bowls.  Serve with desired dressings. 

Comments
Sometimes it’s just nice to have a nice, big salad for dinner.  Mix and match whichever toppings you want and love.

Person - Gwen

Ingredients
For the croutons
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
5 cups ciabatta bread, cut into ³⁄₄ inch cubes (or similar crusty bread)
¹⁄₄ cup water
¹⁄₄ teaspoon table salt
2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese, finely grated

For the salad
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons lemon juice
¹⁄₂ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
6 anchovy fillets patted dry with paper towels, minced fine, and mashed to paste with fork
2 large egg yolks
5 tablespoons canola oil
5 teaspoons olive oil
1 ¹⁄₂ ounces Parmesan cheese,  finely grated
Freshly ground black pepper
2-3 romaine hearts, cut crosswise into ³⁄₄-inch-thick slices, rinsed, and dried very well (8 to 9 cups total)

Instructions
1. Combine 1 tablespoon oil and garlic paste in small bowl; set aside. Place bread cubes in large bowl. Sprinkle with water and salt. Toss, squeezing gently, so bread absorbs water. Place remaining 4 tablespoons oil and soaked bread cubes in 12-inch nonstick skillet. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until browned and crisp, 7 to 10 minutes.

2. Remove skillet from heat, push croutons to sides of skillet to clear center; add garlic-oil mixture to clearing and cook with residual heat of pan, 10 seconds. Sprinkle with Parmesan; toss until garlic and Parmesan are evenly distributed. Transfer croutons to bowl; set aside.

3. For the salad: Whisk garlic paste and 2 tablespoons lemon juice together in large bowl. Let stand 10 minutes.

4. Whisk Worcestershire sauce, anchovies, and egg yolks into garlic-lemon juice mixture. While whisking constantly, drizzle canola oil and extra-virgin olive oil into bowl in slow, steady stream until fully emulsified. Add Parmesan and pepper to taste; whisk until incorporated. (You can also blend all of this stuff with an immersion blender.) 

5. Add romaine to dressing and toss to coat. Add croutons and mix gently until evenly distributed. Taste and season with up to 1 additional tablespoon lemon juice. Serve immediately.

Comments
This recipe is from the Cook’s Illustrated 2011 Annual.  I thought it was quite good, although I would advise serving the croutons on the side at the table instead of mixing them into the salad.  That way they’ll stay crispy if you have leftovers. 

Shown here with Pomegranate-Balsamic Glazed Salmon.

Cook’s Illustrated 2011

Ingredients
3 cups vegetable broth or water
1 cup quinoa, rinsed well
6-8 ounces baby spinach
4 (6-ounce) salmon fillets, skin removed and diced
6 tablespoons olive oil
4 celery stalks, finely chopped
1 onion, finely chopped
4 tablespoons parsley, finely chopped
4 tablespoons cilantro, finely chopped
4 tablespoons mint leaves, finely chopped
6 tablespoons sunflower seeds
6 tablespoons pumpkin seeds (The raw green sort, also known as pepitas.)
3 tablespoons sesame seeds
Salt and pepper
1-2 pinches red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons sugar or honey
Greek yogurt, for serving

Instructions
1. Bring water or broth to boil in medium saucepan.  Add quinoa and reduce heat to low.  Cover and simmer until liquid has been absorbed, about 20 minutes.  Place spinach on top of quinoa and cover to steam while preparing the rest of the meal. 

2. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in skillet over medium heat.  Add salmon and cook, stirring occasionally, until cooked to your liking.  Remove to plate. 

3. Add remaining 4 tablespoons oil to large skillet and heat.  Add celery, onion, parsley, cilantro, and mint.  Cook, stirring constantly, until onions begin to soften, about 5 minutes.  Add all seeds, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes.  Continue cooking 2 minutes.  Add sugar or honey and stir well.  Add salmon, quinoa and spinach to skillet and stir well to heat. 

4. Serve and top with dollop of yogurt, if desired. 

Comments
This recipe is from Holly and Rose and it’s one of those that I was totally looking forward to.  Sadly, it was a flop and I’m not sure why.  At first I thought that it could have just used some acid, like lemon juice, but I added lemon juice to leftovers the next day and it was insufficient to make everything taste good.  I really like all the ingredients in this dish, so I’m not sure where it went wrong, but it just wasn’t that great.  Oh well - can’t win them all.

Internet - Holly and Rose

Ingredients
For the chicken
3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
¹⁄₂ cup olive oil
4 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoon lemon zest
4 cloves garlic, minced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the tzatziki dressing and salad
1 cup plain Greek yogurt
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 teaspoon lemon juice
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons fresh dill, minced
2 cups tomato, chopped
1 small red onion, diced
2 cups cucumber, chopped
6 ounces feta, crumbled
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Instructions
1. 30 minutes to 2 hours before serving, season chicken with salt and pepper.  Place in a zip-top bag or shallow container and cover with marinade ingredients.  Refrigerate for 30 minutes to 2 hours. 

2. While chicken is marinating, combine dressing and salad ingredients in large bowl.  Refrigerate until ready to serve. 

3. Heat grill, grill pan, or skillet to medium high heat and cook chicken until done, about 5 to 10 minutes per side depending on thickness of breasts.  Remove to cutting board and let rest until cool enough to cut.  Cut chicken into small cubes and then toss with salad. 

4. Serve on pitas, toast, or just eat out of a bowl with a spoon.

Note: This salad can be a little wet, so consider serving it with a slotted spoon. 

Comments
This recipe is from How Sweet It Is and reminded me quite a bit of my Falafel and Tzatziki Salad.  It was one of those meals that I thought “I will love this and Art and Lance will tolerate it.”  Surprisingly, we all loved it quite a bit!  I served it with pita and we devoured the salad both at dinner and then with the few leftover servings that were left.  This is a super tasty salad and it was a great way to use some of the last tomatoes and cucumbers of the year. 

You could easily make this vegetarian by replacing the chicken with garbanzo beans.

Internet - How Sweet It Is

Ingredients
1 pound fresh mozzarella, cut into small cubes
1 pound tomatoes, cut into small cubes, or small tomatoes, halved or quarted
1 (15 ounce) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed well
2-4 tablespoons pesto (I’d start off with 2 and add more to taste.)
¹⁄₄ cup balsamic vinegar
Salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions
1. Mix all ingredients together then season with salt and pepper to taste.  Stir well. 

Comments
I wanted to add more protein to a chopped Caprese-type salad and thought that cannellini beans would be a great way to do this.  It worked very well, the balsamic vinegar really brought the whole salad together.  I added a bit too much pesto and found it slightly overpowering, so I’ve modified the amount in this recipe so you can add more depending on your own pesto tastes.  This makes a great lunch salad!

Person - Gwen

Ingredients
1 head green cabbage, cored and shredded
2 large carrots, shredded or 2 large handfuls baby carrots, shredded
1 cup mayonnaise (Good quality mayo, please.)
2 tablespoons sour cream
¹⁄₂ small red onion, shredded
2 tablespoons sugar or to taste
2 tablespoons vinegar (I used red apple balsamic vinegar.  Use a vinegar you love.)
1 teaspoon dry mustard
2 teaspoons celery seed
2 teaspoons poppy seed
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

Instructions
Note: I used the food processor to shred everything. 

1. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and stir well to combine.  Add additional sugar, salt and pepper to taste. 

2. Chill completely before serving and recheck for seasoning. 

No photo

Comments
This recipe is a mixture of a number of various coleslaw recipes.  We were invited to a crab and brisket feast at Zekiah (our local meat farm) and I wanted to bring some food aside from brisket.  Having never made coleslaw before, I googled up a bunch of recipes, read them all, and came up with this.  The slaw had great flavor, the right amount of sweet and sour, and delicious cabbage goodness.  It even got a few compliments much to my delight!  Sadly, I did not get a picture.  Maybe next time!

Person - Gwen

Ingredients
For the salad
1 large head iceberg lettuce, washed and cut into pieces
6 strips bacon

For the croutons
1 8-inch long ciabatta, cut into small cubes
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 sundried tomatoes, minced
¹⁄₂ teaspoon salt
²⁄₃ teaspoon dried basil
¹⁄₈ teaspoon cayenne pepper
4 tablespoons olive oil

For the dressing
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
2 tablespoons sour cream
2 tablespoons Greek yogurt
1 garlic clove, minced
¹⁄₄ teaspoon onion powder
Freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
2 tablespoons fresh chives, minced, or 1 tablespoon dried chives
1 cup Parmesan cheese, grated or shredded

Instructions
1. Heat oven to 375*F. Spread bacon over rack set in baking sheet. Bake until crispy, about 20 minutes.  Likewise, you can chop the bacon and cook it up in a skillet.  If doing so, pour bacon fat into baking sheet once bacon is finished. 

2. Meanwhile, combine garlic, sundried tomatoes, salt, basil, cayenne and olive oil for croutons in food processor or mini-grinder.

3. Massage sundried tomato mixture into bread cubes, making sure each cube is coated.

4. When bacon is finished, remove rack from baking sheet and crumble bacon. Stir coated bread crumbs into bacon fat on baking sheet, reduce oven to 350*F and bake croutons for 20 to 25 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes, until crispy and golden brown.

5. Mix all dressing ingredients together in large salad bowl.

6. Toss lettuce, bacon, and croutons in bowl with dressing. 

Comments
A little while back, I made More Than Salad based on a recipe from Kayotic Kitchen.  I was disappointed and felt that there was entirely too much going on with that salad and, as a result, the salad suffered for it.  However, the dressing and croutons were really great and I wanted to revisit those ideas. 

This version of the salad is much more basic and leaves out everything except the lettuce, bacon, dressing, and croutons.  It was perfect.  I could see adding red onion and cherry tomatoes if I had them, and a crispy lettuce mix would be nicer than iceberg, but this salad really worked and we all loved it.  YUM!  Sometimes simplifying is the best solution.

Internet - Kayotic Kitchen