Archive for the ‘Shallot’ Category
Day Fourteen: Iron! Steak & Mixed Greens
Posted in 100 Days of Salad, Balsamic Vinaigrette, Casein Free, Gluten Free, Meal in Salad Form, Mint, Shallot, Steak, Tomato, tagged balsamic vinegar, extra virgin olive oil, garlic, meal, mint, mixed greens, salad, shallot, steak, tomato on November 4, 2014| Leave a Comment »
Day Eleven: Navel Orange, Garbanzo Bean, Cilantro Lunch
Posted in 100 Days of Salad, Button Mushrooms, Casein Free, Cilantro, Garbanzo Beans, Garlic, Gluten Free, Lemon Citronette, Meal in Salad Form, Mixed Baby Greens, Navel Orange, Shallot, Vegan, tagged cilantro, extra virgin olive oil, garbanzo beans, garlic, greens, lemon juice, meal, mixed baby greens, mushrooms, orange, salad, shallots, zest on October 30, 2014| Leave a Comment »
Yummy. I used up some leftover lemon citronette from yesterday’s dinner. Lunch was simply a bed of mixed greens, lots of garbanzo beans, a very juicy navel orange, a big fistful of cilantro, some quartered mushrooms, the zest from the orange, and some sliced shallot. I’d forgotten how much I love orange in salad.
Day Ten: Walnuts, Grapes, and Mint with a Lemon Citronette
Posted in 100 Days of Salad, Button Mushrooms, Casein Free, Garlic, Gluten Free, Grape, Lemon Citronette, Meal in Salad Form, Mint, Mixed Baby Greens, Shallot, Vegan, Walnut, tagged citronette, extra virgin olive oil, garlic, grapes, greens, lemon, lemon zest, meal, mint, mushroom, salad, shallot, walnuts on October 29, 2014| 2 Comments »
Ah, this was good. My first citronette since starting this challenge. This salad is much lighter than some of my meals–perfect dinner since I had a burger with the kids for lunch…I love mint and lemon. I love grapes and walnuts. Toss some mushrooms in as delightful flavor sponges, and pile the bowl high with mixed baby greens–really perfect.
Day Five: Mozzarella, Tomato, Arugula AKA Lunch
Posted in 100 Days of Salad, Arugula, Avocado, Balsamic Vinaigrette, Basil, Gluten Free, Meal in Salad Form, Mozzarella, Shallot, Tomato, tagged Arugula, avocado, balsamic vinegar, basil, extra virgin olive oil, greens, mozzarella, salad on October 22, 2014| Leave a Comment »
Yummy. Arugula, tomato, mozzarella, basil, shallots, avocado, balsamic vinaigrette.
Day Two: More Arugula
Posted in 100 Days of Salad, Arugula, Balsamic Vinaigrette, Button Mushrooms, Casein Free, Dried Cranberries, Gluten Free, Kidney Beans, Meal in Salad Form, Shallot, Tomato, Vegan, tagged Arugula, balsamic vinegar, basil, casein free, dried cranberries, extra virgin olive oil, gluten free, greens, kidney beans, salad, tomato, vegan on October 17, 2014| Leave a Comment »
Still using up the arugula, cherry tomatoes, shallots, and mushrooms. Today’s variation includes kidney beans, basil, dried cranberries and a pomegranate balsamic vinaigrette.
Here I Go Again.
Posted in Arugula, Button Mushrooms, Casein Free, Cilantro, Corn, Cucumber, Gluten Free, Rice Wine Vinaigrette, Shallot, Tomato, Vegan, tagged Arugula, cilantro, corn, extra virgin olive oil, maple syrup, mushrooms, rice wine vinegar, salad, salt, shallot, tomato on October 16, 2014| Leave a Comment »
My salad-a-day practice slowly died a couple years ago. For health and happiness reasons, I’m determined to get it going again. For now, I’m trying a new experiment. I’ll use this space to document my salads. Minimum of one meal per day that is a salad, craziness encouraged. That might mean I post just a picture, or just a brief description. In other words, my posts should be prolific but less detailed and polished. (Of course, I reserve the right to get detailed and fancy if I feel like it.) We shall see! Here’s yesterday’s salad, a day late. It included arugula, cucumber, corn, cherry tomatoes, shallots, cilantro, and a rice wine vinaigrette. I ate it with a small piece of veggie lasagna, so it maybe shouldn’t count. Still, I developed this plan while I was making it, so it gets to be included: 
Today’s lunch salad is coming soon.
Spicy Sesame Balsamic Vinaigrette with Candied Walnuts, Daikon, Young Ginger, and Opal Basil
Posted in Balsamic Vinaigrette, Button Mushrooms, Casein Free, Chicken, Daikon, Garlic, Ginger, Gluten Free, Meal in Salad Form, Mixed Baby Greens, Mizuna, Opal Basil, Red Chili Flakes, Romaine Lettuce, Scallion, Sesame Oil, Shallot, Tatsoi, Tomato, Walnut, tagged baby, balsamic, basil, breast, candied, casein free, cherry, chicken, chili, daikon, dark, dinner, drumstick, extra virgin olive oil, flake, food, garlic, ginger, gluten free, green, lettuce, lunch, maple syrup, meal, mixed greens, mizuna, mushroom, mushrooms, mustard, oil, opal, red, romaine, salad, salt, scallion, scallions, sesame, shallot, side, side dish, tatsoi, tomato, young, zest on February 16, 2011| Leave a Comment »
My husband loves spicy food. I can handle it, in small doses. He also recently requested “crazier” salads. I aim to please.
I bought opal basil and young ginger at the Berkeley Bowl recently, as well as daikon and mixed asian greens. I wasn’t sure exactly how the salad would come together, but I knew I wanted to play with some slightly more unusual ingredients. We both had busy days planned, so I made two matching lunch salads, packed to go. This was a perfect opportunity to really spice up his salad, and I did. Mine stayed mild enough for me to enjoy, and I made his salad hot hot HOT.
Here are the ingredients, ready to face the blade.
Ingredients:
(Lunch salad, serves one.)
4 cups of mixed asian greens, including mizuna, tatsoi, baby mustard greens, and baby romaine.
1 fistful of opal basil, chopped.
4-5 cherry tomatoes, whole.
2 large mushrooms, sliced.
2 scallions, sliced.
1/2 cup candied walnuts.
1 knob of young ginger, peeled, sliced, and cut into small matchsticks.
9 slices of peeled daikon, halved. (Use a mandoline or a good cheese slicer to get thin slices.)
1/4 leftover roast chicken breast, cubed.
1/2 leftover roast chicken drumstick, shredded.
Spicy Sesame Oil Balsamic Vinaigrette:
(Use only what you need. Refrigerate extra for a couple of days.)
2 T extra virgin olive oil.
1 T dark sesame oil.
1 T balsamic vinegar.
1 small shallot, diced.
1 small clove garlic, smashed and minced.
1-3 hefty pinches of red chili flakes, to taste.
1/2 tsp maple syrup.
Pinch of salt, to taste.
Twin salads ready to go!
I doubled all of the ingredients above and made two matching salads, complete with vinaigrette. I began by mixing up the vinaigrettes in little jars, giving him three big pinches of red chili flakes to my one very small pinch. I tasted my dressing, and just hoped for the best for him. Then I created a lush bed of greens for each of us, and layered all of my other ingredients in two glass bowls. I chopped and sliced and sliced and chopped, putting my knife down only to use a spoon to peel the ginger and to use a fine Norwegian cheese slicer to quickly slice the daikon into perfect, thin circles. Finally, both glass bowls were full of a colorful, hearty salad. I nestled the salad dressing jars in the larger containers, popped the lids on, and we each went off for the day.
Quick snapshot taken with my phone of the glossy beauty before I devoured it.
The Verdict:
This was really amazing. Like nothing I’ve tried before, at home or in a restaurant. Full of strong, punchy flavors that worked very well together. I liked the balsamic vinegar with the sesame oil, and the bits of ginger really sparkled. The walnuts and the daikon added crunchy joy, and the sweetness of the nuts and the tomatoes worked well with the spicy dressing and the peppery greens. It was crazy, in a good way. My husband loved the chili heat, and the explosive flavor. This is one that I’m sure I’ll revisit.
Notice the dressing jar nestled cozily in with the salad.
Make it a Meal:
Done.
Pack it to Go:
Done.
Sesame Chicken and Asparagus Lunch Salad
Posted in Arugula, Asparagus, Basil, Button Mushrooms, Casein Free, Chicken, Gluten Free, Meal in Salad Form, Radish, Red Wine Vinaigrette, Scallion, Shallot, tagged Arugula, asparagus, basil, casein free, chicken, extra virgin olive oil, food, gluten free, lunch, mushroom, radish, red wine vinegar, salad, salt, scallion, sesame, shallot on February 11, 2011| Leave a Comment »
Arugula, leftover chicken, asparagus, and red wine vinaigrette.
Basil, scallion, mushrooms and radishes ready for slicing.
Since I was supposed to be walking out the door for a homeschooling park day when I realized I hadn’t eaten yet, speediness mattered.
I raided the fridge for leftovers and found a jar of shallot red wine vinaigrette, and some sesame chicken with asparagus. I grabbed arugula, mushrooms, basil, and a scallion to make it a meal.
Salad ingredients:
3 generous cups of arugula.
4 radishes, sliced.
3 large mushrooms, sliced.
1 scallion, sliced.
1 fistful of basil, chopped.
2 small sesame chicken tenderloins, sliced.
3 fat spears of asparagus, chopped.
Red Wine Vinegar Shallot Vinaigrette:
(Mine was leftover from a double batch I’d made the day before. If you want to replicate it at home, here are the ingredients for a single batch. Use what you need, there may be extra.)
1 T of red wine vinegar.
3 T of extra virgin olive oil.
1 small shallot, diced.
1 pinch of salt, to taste.
I chopped fast, and dumped everything into the bowl. After drizzling the dressing over the top, I did a quick toss with my fork and then inhaled my lunch. Even when salad is quick to make, it’s never very quick to eat, but I did my best.
Dressed and ready to eat!
The Verdict:
Diverse flavors, many tasty bites, but the salad as a whole didn’t quite hang together. I think the basil and asparagus didn’t mesh as well as I’d hoped. If I’d had more time, I would’ve made a citronette instead, and replaced the basil with mint and lemon zest. I think a bright, citrus dressing would’ve been a better fit with the chicken and asparagus leftovers. Still, it was a decent lunch and provided me with plenty of energy for the park outing.
Make it a meal:
Already done!
Pack it to go:
This one would work well to go, just as-is, but why bother? Make a citronette instead, and use mint and lemon zest instead of basil. The ingredients are all hardy enough to handle spending the morning in the fridge. So, pack all the salad ingredients in a large container. The dressing goes in a small jar (I like jars that are little enough to nest inside the salad so you’ve just got one item to haul around). Add some dressing (start with a little so you don’t drown the salad), fork toss, and munch away.
Brussels Sprouts and Bacon Teaser
Posted in Almond, Arugula, Bacon, Brussels Sprouts, Casein Free, Cracked Pepper, Gluten Free, Red Wine Vinaigrette, Shallot, Side Salad, tagged almond, Arugula, bacon, brussels sprouts, extra virgin olive oil, food, marcona, pepepr, red wine vinegar, roasted, rosemary, salad, salt, shallots on February 7, 2011| Leave a Comment »
I give you: Arugula, roasted brussels sprouts, bacon, and rosemary marcona almonds in a red wine vinaigrette with shallots and cracked pepper. Enjoy.
Try it. You'll like it.
Introducing Kefir Rice Wine Vinaigrette with Fennel Powder
Posted in Arugula, Avocado, Bell Pepper, Button Mushrooms, Cilantro, Cucumber, Fennel Powder, Garlic, Gluten Free, Kefir/Yogurt Dressing, Mint, Rice Wine Vinaigrette, Romaine Lettuce, Shallot, Side Salad, tagged Arugula, avocado, bell pepper, cilantro, cucumber, dinner, extra virgin olive oil, fennel powder, food, garlic, kefir, maple syrup, meal, mint, mushrooms, red, rice wine vinegar, romaine, salad, salt, shallot, side, yogurt on January 21, 2011| Leave a Comment »
I was making curried chicken with potatoes and basmati rice for dinner, and I decided to get creative. I knew I wanted a salad with a creamy dressing to help me tolerate the heat of the spicy curry. Riffing on the idea of raita, I wanted a yogurt salad dressing with lots of cucumber and mint. My plan was to turn that into a flavor base for a rich veggie salad. I pulled out all the vegetables that seemed like they might work, and I tossed in an avocado. I grabbed the cilantro on a whim, and then turned to the spice cupboard. I wanted something to round it out, and to capture a little of the delicious complexity of actual Indian food. I sniffed every jar we had of powdered yumminess from Vik’s Chaat Corner, and finally found what I needed. Fennel powder. My secret ingredient.
Simple veggie ingredients, ready for chopping.
A gorgeous green bed of romaine and arugula.
Ingredients:
(Side salad, serves four.)
1 heart of romaine, chopped.
3-4 cups of arugula.
1 red bell pepper, sliced.
1 avocado, quartered and sliced.
6 mushrooms, quartered.
1/3 of an english cucumber, quartered and sliced.
1 small shallot, chopped.
1 large fistful of mint, chopped.
1 fistful of cilantro, chopped.
Tossed and ready to serve!
Kefir Rice Wine Vinaigrette with Fennel Powder:
(Use only what you need. Refrigerate extra for a couple of days.)
1 T plain kefir.
1 T rice wine vinegar.
2 T extra virgin olive oil.
1 garlic clove, smashed and minced.
1/2 tsp maple syrup.
1/4 tsp fennel powder.
I mixed up the dressing first, playing with it and testing it as I worked by dipping leaves into the jar and tasting. I chopped my romaine and made my bed of greens, gently finger tossing the arugula with the romaine. I sliced, quartered, and chopped all of the vegetables and herbs, adding them while monitoring the curry and listening for the rice timer.
The Verdict:
This salad was amazing. It worked perfectly with the curry. It’s obviously not even remotely authentic Indian cuisine, but it was seriously delicious. My husband was really impressed by the unusual flavors. The creamy dressing clung to the greens, and the variety of fresh vegetables was refreshing and fun alongside the simple, hearty curry. The kids all enjoyed it as well — I thought it would be too weird for them, so we barely had enough to share.
Isn't it lovely on the plate with the curried chicken and potatoes?
Make it a Meal:
I think it could work as a meal as it is, but if you need more protein, I recommend adding simple chicken or garbanzo beans.
Pack it to Go:
.As always, but the avocado in with the dressing and give it a gentle shake to coat it with the acidic vinaigrette to prevent browning. Keep the dressing in a small jar, and all the rest of the salad ingredients in a large container (I recommend glass or stainless steel with a tupperware style lid). When you’re ready to eat, shake up the jar of dressing and drizzle it over the salad. Use only what you need. Fork toss, or put the lid back on the large container and give it a few good shakes to combine. Enjoy.
Salad Play 