Apple and Cheddar Crisp Salad

 Apple and Cheddar Crisp Salad

• SERVINGS: 2 GIANT SERVINGS OR 4 WITH A MEAL
•  TIME: 30 MINUTES 
• SOURCE: SMITTEN KITCHEN

This will make almost double the crispy stuff you need for this salad, but I think you’ll be glad for leftovers. An an 8-10 ounce bundle of curly or lacinato/Tuscan/dinosaur kale with the woody stems and rib removed will yield the 5 ounces of leaves used here. I usually cut the apple right before serving, just in case it’s prone to browning (but not all are). The crispy nuts are adapted from the ones on the kale salad at Beauty & Essex in the Lower East Side.

DRESSING

• 1 small shallot, minced
• 3 tablespoons (45 grams) apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon smooth dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon (15 grams) mayonnaise or Greek-style plain yogurt
• 6 tablespoons (80 grams) olive oil
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

CRISPY STUFF

• 1 cup (115 grams or 4 ounces) sharp cheddar, coarsely grated
• 1 cup (85 grams) sliced almonds
• 2 tablespoons (15 grams) powdered sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne

ASSEMBLY

• 5 ounces (140 grams) kale leaves, any variety, cut into thin ribbons [see Note]
• 1 large crisp apple, halved, cored, and cut thin

Heat oven to 400°F.

Start the dressing: In a medium bowl, combine shallot and apple cider vinegar and set aside while you make the crispy stuff.

Make cheddar crisps and sugared almonds: Line a large (half-sheet size) rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Scatter cheddar evenly over half the parchment, in about a 8×12-inch, 1/4-inch thick rectangle. Sprinkle with a little cayenne or black pepper, if you wish.

In a colander, rinse almonds under cold water (yes, really!) and shake off excess liquid. In a bowl, toss wet almonds with powdered sugar, salt, and 1/4 teaspoon cayenne until evenly coated. Spread on second half of parchment-covered baking sheet in a thin, even layer, leaving an inch around it bare so it can spread.

Bake almonds and cheddar together for 4 to 9 minutes, until the cheese is melted into a lacy, evenly deep golden brown crisp and the almonds are dark at the edges and lightly golden throughout. Please hear me on this: Watch it closely. Both the cheddar and the almonds will go from not-yet-golden to perfectly bronzed to burnt in what feels like a one-minute period. Check it at 4 minutes, then every minute or two thereafter until the pan is just right. Remove and let cool while you finish the salad.

Finish the dressing: To the shallots and vinegar in the bowl, whisk in dijon, mayo or yogurt, then drizzle in olive oil, whisking the whole time. Season dressing with salt and lots of freshly ground black pepper.

Assemble: In a large wide bowl or salad plate, toss greens with 2/3 the dressing to start, then tasting and adding the rest if you wish. Arrange the apple over the greens, fanning out slices. Break off clustered of almonds from the baking sheet and scatter them over the salad. If the cheddar crisp seems very oily, you can blot it with a paper towel, before tearing or cutting it into large bite-size pieces and scattering them over the salad. Season the salad with additional salt and pepper and serve right away.

Do ahead: The nuts can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for a week. The cheese crisps are best kept the fridge, lightly covered. The dressing will keep for several days in the fridge. Washed and blotted dry kale keeps in a large zipped bag in the fridge for several days, provided you keep it out of the spots that are prone to freezing produce (or maybe this is just my terrible fridge).

Holiday Honeycrisp Salad

Holiday Honeycrisp Salad

This gorgeous Holiday Honeycrisp Salad is full of flavor and texture, with fresh apple slices, crunchy toasted pecans, chewy dried cranberries, zippy blue cheese, and a tangy-sweet apple cider vinaigrette.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup light vegetable oil such as sunflower or safflower OR extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1/4 cup unsweetened apple juice OR apple cider
• 2 to 3 tablespoons honey
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• Freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 3 medium Honeycrisp apples (about 1 pound) thinly sliced
• Juice of ½ lemon
• 12 ounces salad greens spring mix, baby spinach, arugula, baby romaine, OR a combo of your favorites
• 1 cup pecan halves toasted or candied
• 3/4 cup dried cranberries OR dried cherries
• 4 ounces crumbled blue cheese

Instructions

• To prepare Apple Cider Vinaigrette, measure oil, apple cider vinegar, apple juice/cider, honey, lemon juice, salt, and pepper into a mason jar. Tightly screw on lid and shake vigorously until everything is thoroughly combined. Alternatively, you may briskly whisk the ingredients together in a medium bowl, or blend them in a blender or mini food processor.
• Place apple slices in a large plastic baggie and squeeze the fresh lemon juice (from the lemon half) over them. Close bag and shake to coat. In a large salad bowl, layer salad greens, apple slices, pecans, dried cranberries, and blue cheese. Just before serving, dress with desired amount of Apple Cider Vinaigrette and toss until salad ingredients are evenly coated.

Notes

You may prep the individual components of this salad ahead of time and then assemble everything just before serving.

A day or two ahead of time:

• Make the vinaigrette and store in the refrigerator. Before using, allow it to come to room temperature and then shake well.
• Toast the pecans, allow to completely cool, and store in an airtight container.
• Wash and dry the salad greens (if they're not already washed).

A few hours ahead of time on the same day:

• Cut the apples and shake the slices with a generous amount of lemon juice. Squeeze the air out of the bag and store in the refrigerator until you're ready to assemble the salad. Honeycrisp apples will typically hold their bright color (shaken with lemon juice) for several hours. Other varieties of softer apples (such as Gala) will brown more quickly, so those shouldn't be sliced and shaken with lemon juice until just before serving.

Tuna Salad dressed up

 Tuna Salad dressed up½ cup rice-wine vinegar

1 tablespoon sugar

2 teaspoons kosher salt

1 red onion, peeled, halved and thinly sliced

In a clean glass jar with a tightfitting lid, mix vinegar, sugar and 1 teaspoon kosher salt with 1/2 cup hot water. Shake until sugar is dissolved. Bring a pot of water to the boil, and add the onions. Let it sit for just a few seconds in the hot water, then drain well and transfer onions to the jar with the vinegar. The pickled onions will be ready to use in an hour, or can be made ahead and kept in the fridge for up to a week.

3 Persian cucumbers, peeled if skin is thick and waxy, sliced about 1/4-inch thick

2 spring onions, thinly sliced

2 limes, juiced, about 1/4 cup

In a large mixing bowl, dress the cucumber and spring onions with the remaining kosher salt and lime juice. It should be fairly wet. Pour into a deep serving plate or a wide bowl, along with any extra liquid at the bottom of the bowl.

5 to 7 ounces olive-oil-packed tuna

1 avocado, peeled and cubed

½ teaspoon or more finishing salt, such as Maldon

 Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

 Handful basil leaves, washed and torn

 Handful cilantro sprigs, washed and torn

 Handful fresh mint leaves, washed and torn

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Spoon tuna out of the oil, and use your hands to break it into bite-size pieces, directly into the now-empty mixing bowl. Add avocado, 3 tablespoons of pickled red onion and 1 tablespoon of pickling liquid from the jar, and mix gently with your hands to dress. Scatter over the cucumber mixture, and season with finishing salt and black pepper. Cover with torn herbs, and generously drizzle everything with olive oil. Eat right away, with spoons.

Crispy Thai Eggplant Salad

Crispy Thai Eggplant Salad

Day before: 

1 large or 2 small eggplant – cut to 1” cubes

Salt cubes, line cookie sheet with paper towels, pour in eggplant. Top w/ papertowels, and another cookie sheet and weigh it down. Leave overnight. In the morning change out paper towels and let the eggplant air out. 

2 c. vegetable oil

Heat oil in large Dutch oven over high heat to 375 degrees. Fry eggplant, stirring occasionally, until flesh is deep golden brown and edges are crispy, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer to paper towel–lined baking sheet or plate and blot to remove excess oil. Transfer to bowl with nam prik and toss to evenly dress. 

Nam Prik (dressing)

2T fish sauce 

2T unseasoned rice vinegar 

2T lime juice 

2T light brown sugar

1  ginger, (1 (2-inch) piece) peeled and chopped coarse 

2 garlic cloves, chopped coarse 

Blend until smooth- about 1 minute. 

1 c cherry tomatoes, halved 

Stir tomatoes and fried eggplant into dressing. 

5 g fresh cilantro leaves 

5 g fresh mint leaves 

5 g fresh Thai basil leaves 

3 g lime juice 

Toss cilantro, mint, basil, and lime juice together in small bowl. Thoroughly fold half of herb mixture into eggplant. 

25 g fried shallots  

Top eggplant mixture with remaining herb mixture and sprinkle with fried shallots. Serve.

Sweet Potato Pecan Salad

Sweet Potato Pecan Salad

4 medium sweet potatoes (about 2 pounds), peeled and cut into uniform 2-inch chunks

2 tablespoons salt

Put sweet potatoes in a large saucepan, add the salt and water to cover, and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium and simmer until potatoes can be easily pierced with a fork but still offer some resistance and don’t break apart, 10 to 12 minutes.

Drain potatoes and immediately put them into the ice-water bath. After 1 minute, remove potatoes, drain again

½ red bell pepper, seeded and diced small

½ green bell pepper, seeded and diced small

½ large red onion, diced small

¼ cup finely chopped parsley

Put into a large bowl along with diced peppers, onion and parsley.

3 tablespoons Dijon mustard

3 tablespoons ketchup

1 teaspoon minced garlic

¾ cup olive oil - or sub: use 1/3c oil and 1/4c lemon juice

¼ cup cider vinegar - see above

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

 Salt and pepper to taste

In a large bowl, combine mustard, ketchup and garlic. Add olive oil in a slow, steady stream, whisking constantly. Whisk in vinegar, Worcestershire and lime juice, then season to taste with salt and pepper.

⅓ cup pecan halves, lightly toasted

Pour dressing over sweet potatoes, add pecans and toss gently.

Lobster Salad

Lobster Salad

2 2-pound live lobsters

Bring enough water to the boil to cover the lobsters when added. Add the lobsters and salt and cover. When the water returns to the boil, let the lobsters simmer 12 minutes. Let stand five to 10 minutes and drain the lobsters well. Remove the meat from the lobster shells. Cut the meat into bite-size pieces. There should be about four cups.

1 pound romaine lettuce

Cut away and discard the core of the lettuce. Cut the leaves lengthwise into quarters. Cut the leaves crosswise into very fine shreds. There should be about six to seven cups.

Make the dressing:

1 tablespoon imported mustard

¼ cup white-wine vinegar

2 tablespoons finely chopped shallots

 Salt to taste, if desired

 Freshly ground pepper to taste

1 hard-cooked egg, finely chopped (I forgot to make the egg so I quickly hard fried an egg and used that!)

½ cup peanut, vegetable or corn oil

½ cup olive oil

Put the mustard, vinegar, shallots, salt and pepper in a mixing bowl. Add the egg. Blend the oils. Start beating with a wire whisk while gradually adding the oil.

1 cup finely chopped green onions or scallions

2 firm, ripe, unblemished avocados, about 3/4 pound each

 Juice of 1/2 lemon

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh basil

Put the lettuce in a salad bowl. Add the green onions or scallions. Toss lightly with half the dressing. 

Cut the avocados in half lengthwise. Discard the pits. Peel the halves. Cut each half lengthwise into thin strips. Sprinkle with lemon juice.

Arrange the lobster and avocado slices neatly over the salad. Drizzle the rest of the dressing and sprinkle with the basil.

Zucchini Salad

Zucchini Salad 

1 pound medium or small zucchini, preferably a mix of green and yellow

Slice the squash as thinly as you can. Sprinkle with salt, preferably kosher salt, and let sit for 15 to 30 minutes. Rinse and drain on paper towels.

3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 garlic clove, crushed

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Mix together the lemon juice, garlic and olive oil. Toss with the zucchini. Season with salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate for four to six hours.

2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley, mint, chives, dill or a combination

Remove from the refrigerator and remove the garlic clove. Add the fresh herbs and toss together. Taste, adjust seasoning and serve.

Figs, Arugula, Prosciutto, Walnuts, Parmesan Salad

Figs, Arugula, Prosciutto, Walnuts, Parmesan Salad

Do ahead:

2 oz Prosciutto - sliced thin and pan fried in 1 T oil to crisp

1/2 c. walnuts - toasted and chopped

Whisk together:

3 T Balsamic vinegar

1 T jam- preferably raspberry jam

1 T finely minced onion (pref shallot)

1/4 t. salt

1/8 t. pepper

3T oil - Slowly whisk in 

Stir in-

10 figs - washed and halved or quartered - depending on size.  

Ready to serve:

8 cups (8 oz) Baby Arugula - Toss with dressing.

Top salad with:

Prosciutto and walnuts (see above), and

2 oz parmesan - shaved

 

Mexican Cole Slaw

Salad:
1 head green cabbage
2-3 carrots
1 red bell pepper
1 bunch of cilantro

Dressing:
1 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup sour cream
1 small clove of garlic, diced very fine
1-2 teaspoons cumin
1-2 tablespoons maple syrup
4-6 tablespoons lime juice
1 teaspoon salt
Fresh ground black pepper

Shred the cabbage and carrots. Chop the bell pepper and cilantro. Mix salad ingredients thoroughly.

Mix the dressing ingredients. Add to salad and mix thoroughly. Refrigerate for four hours before serving. Can be made 24 hours in advance.

Top Ramen Salad

1 med. head green cabbage, chopped
3-4 green onions, sliced
2 pkgs. Chicken Top Ramen, uncooked, crushed
2 tbsp. sesame seeds, toasted
1 c. slivered almonds, toasted

DRESSING:

3 tbsp. vinegar
1/2 c. oil
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
2 tbsp. sugar
2 pkgs. seasoning from Top Ramen

Put cabbage and onions in large bowl. Top with crushed Ramen, almonds and sesame seeds, mixed. Just before serving toss with dressing. Can add cooked chicken cubes, shrimp or crab for main dish meal.

Layered Green Salad

Use a wide 4 quart serving dish, layer

1 head iceberg lettuce - washed & chilled & sliced
1 bunch green onions - sliced thin
1 can 8oz water chestnuts - chopped
1/2 red bell or green pepper seeded and chopped fine
2 stalks cellery chopped fine
1 pkg frozen green peas - break apart and sprinkle

Spread
2 c. mayonnaise

Sprinkle
2 t. sugar
1/2 c. parmesean
1 t. salt
1/4 t. garlic powder
3/4 c. bacon - crisp and chopped
3 hard cooked eggs - chopped

Chill 4 - 24 hours.

If desired top with tomatoes. Lift out servings to include some of each layer.

Mary Jackson's Pea Salad

1 c. Mayonnaise 

1/2 c. Italian Dressing 

 2 - 10oz. pkg frozen peas, thawed and drained 

2 c. celery chopped 

12 slices bacon - cooked crisp and crumbled 

2 c. peanuts 

1/2 c red onion - chopped fine 

 Mix lightly - chill.

Spinach Salad

From Mom - and served up at Mom and Dad's 50th

Spinach Salad

2 pk spinach
1 pk cranraisins (~ 1/2 cup)
2c slice strawberries (optional)
1 pk sliced almonds (~ 1/2 cup)
2 cans mandarin oranges

Dressing
2/3 c. vinegar (balsalmic is good)
1 ½ t. salt
1 ½ c. oil
2 T. dry mustard
2/3 c. sugar
1 ½ T. poppy seeds
¼ c. grated onion