Need a little refreshing recipe for a salad? As a chef and cookbook author I have a passionate goal, and that is to help people enjoy life to the fullest and eat healthy! Deep down I am a lazy cook, because I don’t like to spend too much time in the kitchen. But I only use shortcuts if they are still healthy choices.
Salads are easy to prepare, and good for us, if we do not drown the lettuce in too much salad dressing.
They are a daily staple in the American cuisine, especially when you go out for dinner; much more so than in other countries in the world. In southern Europe salads are being served as part of dinner, but in countries with a colder climate, salads are being eaten once or twice a week as main vegetable, and mainly in the summer.
The reason for that is that traditionally lettuce was only available from late spring to mid summer. Now counter-seasonal supplying countries like Argentina, Chili, South Africa, Italy, Spain, Mexico, India and China, make sure we can buy any type of fruit and vegetable at any time of the year. Asians eat a lot of vegetables, but less salads the way we know them. During my travels all over the world to 27 countries, I have learned a lot and enjoyed myself tremendously. I hope you will enjoy these recipes too.
Asian Salad
16 oz Napa cabbage, sliced thin
1 cup toasted slivered almonds
2 teaspoons toasted black sesame seeds
1 bunh green onions, sliced on the bias
1 cup cherry tomatoes, quartered
1 cup Ramen noodles, cooked for 2 minutes, drained
Prepare all ingredients and fold everything together in a colorful bowl.
Dressing:
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup rice vinegar
1 teaspoon white sugar
2 tablespoons soy sauce
Toss salad to coat or serve dressing on the side.
Spanish Salad
16 oz lettuce of choice
1 cup olives, pitted, sliced
1 cup cherry tomatoes, quartered
2 tablespoons capers
4 oz anchovy filets
2 hard boiled egg, diced
2 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley
Dressing:
1 cup balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup olive oil
ground black pepper
Serve dressing on the side.
Summer Salad
16 oz arugala
1/4 cup capers
2 cups watermelon, cut into cubes
1/4 cup pecan or walnuts
1 cup feta cheese
Dressing:
1 cup wine vinegar
1/2 cup olive oil
ground black pepper
pinch sea salt
Serve dressing on the side.
Super Refreshing Potato Salad
3 pounds potatoes, peeled, cubed, boiled until ‘al dente’
1 cup Vidalia onion, chopped
1 cucumber, shredded
2 hard boiled eggs, chopped
1 1/2 cups mayonnaise
1/2 cup chives, chopped
juice of 1 lemon
salt and pepper
Mix ingredients and let chill at least 30 minutes.