Tangy cucumber salad

Going through my refrigerator yesterday, I discovered an English cucumber I'd forgotten about. Voila! Cucumber salad.

From inspiredtaste.net:

2 hot house or seedless cucumbers (about 1 1/2 pounds)
Kosher salt
2 to 3 teaspoons granulated sugar, depending on how sweet you like the salad
1/4 cup (60 ml) cider vinegar, or distilled white vinegar
2 teaspoons Dijon-style mustard
1 medium red onion, thinly sliced (optional)

Slice cucumbers into 1/16-inch (1.5 mm) slices, toss with 2 teaspoons of salt then add to a colander. Drain for 30 minutes. Rinse cucumbers then squeeze excess water from them. In a large bowl, whisk together 2 teaspoons of sugar, vinegar and mustard. Taste then add the additional teaspoon of sugar if needed. Add cucumbers and red onion then toss. Refrigerate salad at least 1 hour and up to a day before serving.

Pickled nectarine and burrata salad

It sounds weird, I know. But this is actually the most delicious salad I've had in a while.

Burrata is fresh mozzarella with a near-liquid center. If you can't find it, fresh mozzarella is fine.

From Bon Appetit, reprinted below:

2 nectarines, thinly sliced
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
1 tsp sugar
Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper
4 cups mixed bitter greens (such as arugula and mizuna) (I used regular mixed greens)
1 cup fresh mint leaves
2 tablespoons olive oil plus more for drizzling
8 ounces burrata or fresh mozzarella, cut or torn into 1-inch pieces

Toss nectarines, onion, vinegar, and sugar in a large bowl; season with salt and pepper. Let sit 10 minutes. Pour off pickling liquid from nectarines and onion, reserving liquid. Add greens, mint, 2 tablespoons oil, and 2–3 tablespoons reserved liquid; toss to combine. Place burrata on plates, top with salad, and drizzle with oil. Season with salt and pepper.

Shallot vinaigrette

I made a simple green salad the other day, just mixed greens, cucumber, and goat cheese. The onion flavor of this dressing was perfect with it. The recipe calls for shallots, but you could use red onion or sweet onion instead.

1 finely chopped shallot
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
Salt and pepper
1/3 cup olive oil

Combine the first four ingredients in a jar and let sit 20 minutes at room temperature. Add the olive oil, shake to combine, and serve.

Corn and goat cheese salad

Aaaaand yet another make-ahead cold salad! Perfect for hot days.

Note: the recipe calls for grilled roasted corn but I used plain old thawed frozen corn. And I left out the tomatoes, because I didn't have any.

From The Healthy Foodie:

8 ears of fresh corn on the cob, silk removed
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 cup grape tomatoes
2 cups haricots verts, ends removed and cut into 1" pieces
1 cup fresh parsley, chopped
1 large jalapeno pepper, seeded and very finely chopped
the juice of 1 lime
1 tsp Himalayan salt
½ tsp freshly cracked black pepper
75g unripened goat cheese, crumbled
½ cup walnuts, chopped

Preheat your outdoor grill to high heat (around 400-450). Place your ears of corn directly on the grill without removing the husks (remove the silk to avoid burning). Close the lid and cook the corn for about 20 minutes, rotating the ears every 3-5 minutes, to insure even cooking on all sides. Remove corn from the grill and allow to cool for about 10 minutes then remove the husks. Remove kernels from the cobs and place in the fridge to cool completely, preferably overnight.

Of course, you can also use leftover corn or even frozen corn. When corn is good and cold, add it to a mixing bowl along with the rest of the ingredients. Blend to combine. Serve immediately or leave in the fridge for a couple of hours to allow for flavors to combine.

Quinoa and white bean salad

Another one of those cold salads that can be made ahead, and eaten either cold or at room temperature. (Also good as a wrap filling.)

Reprinted below:

1 cup quinoa
2 cups cooked white beans of your choice or 1 14 oz can butter beans or cannellini beans, drained of all liquid
½ lb green beans
1 red bell pepper, diced
½ small red onion, finely diced
2-3 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
3 Tbsp good extra virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and fresh cracked black pepper


Place quinoa in a medium sauce pot with 2 cups water and a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer, cover and cook about 10 minutes or until all liquid is absorbed. Fluff with a fork and set aside to cool (You will want to assemble the salad when quinoa is still warm, but not hot). In a large pot of boiling salted water, blanch the green beans for about 5 minutes (they should be cooked, but still crisp), then transfer them to an ice water bath. When cool, drain them and cut into 1 inch batons. In a large mixing bowl combine the quinoa, drained white beans of your choice, green beans, diced onion, diced pepper, lemon zest and juice, vinegar, and olive oil. Season to taste with salt and pepper and garnish with chopped parsley.

Lemony white bean and arugula salad

Summer has finally arrived here in the Pacific Northwest. Temperatures are expected to be in the high 80s for the next few days. It's sunny and bright, and we're planning to finally drive to Mt. Rainier tomorrow.

However, working in un-air-conditioned restaurants when it's 85 degrees outside is no fun. I had to scamper out to Costco yesterday to buy up some fans for the apartment, and some Gatorade for myself. Today I'll need to cook a bunch of food for the week ahead, but who wants to cook when it's so hot?

So instead, I'm making a bunch of cold dishes. Bean salads, corn salads, pasta salads. First up: this lemony and delicious cold white bean salad, reprinted below:

Salad:
5 packed cups (5 ounces) arugula (I used mixed greens, that's all I had)
1 (15-ounce) can cannellini or great Northern beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced (I used a shallot)
3 tablespoons capers, rinsed and drained

Dressing:
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (about 1 large lemon)
1 tablespoon maple syrup
1 teaspoon lemon zest
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Directions

Salad: In a large salad bowl, combine the arugula, beans, red onion, and capers.

Dressing: In a small bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, maple syrup and lemon zest. Slowly whisk in the oil until smooth and combined. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Pour the dressing over the salad and toss well to coat. Serve.

Chicken salad puff pastry sandwiches

Leftover chicken = chicken salad, right?

Chicken salad is basically just cooked chopped chicken, some celery, some raw onion (I use shallots), and enough mayo to hold it together. Salt and pepper to taste. I threw in some pecans and an apple, too.

Then I took two thawed sheets of puff pastry, cut each into 6 rectangles, and baked those at 400 for 10 minutes. Layer and eat.

Warning: this is flaky and delicious. It will make a mess. A tasty mess.

Tabbouleh with radishes and peppers

I love tabbouleh, but it's hard to find decent tomatoes ten months out of the year. Occasionally I'll make a no-tomato tabbouleh just to mix things up a little. This one has thinly sliced raw breakfast radishes and one raw yellow pepper, plus parsley and mint, minus the usual tomato and cucumber. I also added some pickled ramps, for onion flavor.

The great thing about tabbouleh is that you can make it ahead of time, eat it cold or at room temperature, or throw it into a wrap with some greenery. It's very versatile, very forgiving (you can leave it in a hot car), and very delicious.

Salad with baby kale, radish and pickled ramps

Sometimes simple things are the best.

I made a salad of mixed greens, with some baby kale from my little roof garden, a thinly sliced breakfast radish, and a few finely chopped pickled ramps. I added salt, pepper, olive oil, and some rose vinegar.

I drank it with a glass of funky, acidic rose wine, and the pairing was perfect. The texture of the baby kale, with the peppery crunch of the radish and the vinegar bite of the pickled ramps was perfect.

Duck fat and grapefruit salad

Awwww yeah. Hot duck fat poured over napa cabbage. Just what you always wanted, right?

It's actually a much more balanced salad than it sounds. The crispy raw cabbage is cut by the acidity of the grapefruit but then there's the richness of the duck fat. Delicious hot or cold, but best hot.

2 grapefruit
6 cups shredded napa cabbage
1/4 cup duck fat
1 tablespoon minced shallot
1 tablespoon sherry vinegar

Grate the zest off the grapefruit and set aside. Cut out the segments (without the pith or membrane) and juice the remainder. Save the grapefruit segments and juice. Shred the cabbage and place in a large bowl.

Heat 1 tablespoon of the duck fat over medium heat and add the shallot. Cook til softened, add the remaining duck fat and the grapefruit segments and juice. Stir until hot. Add the vinegar, salt and pepper to taste. Pour the dressing over the cabbage and toss to mix. Serve immediately.

Arugula and pea greens salad with balsamic dressing

Who knew a simple salad could be so delicious? The tenderness of the pea shoots perfectly balanced the bitterness of the young arugula. I threw in some parmesan and some cherry tomatoes, too, just because.

This balsamic dressing is thicker than I'd normally make, but then it clung nicely to each individual leaf. Be sure to use your hands to gently work it into the salad.

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar (aged)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 tablespoon stone ground mustard
1 tablespoon honey
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
Fresh ground pepper

Add all except olive oil into a bowl. Mix, then whisk in olive oil slowly to emulsify.

Warm golden beet salad with greens and almonds

From The Kitchn, reprinted below: 

1 bunch golden beets, roasted, peeled and cubed

The beet greens

Olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 cloves garlic, minced
4 ounces goat cheese, crumbled
2/3 cup toasted almond slivers

Chop the beet greens into bite-size ribbons. In a large skillet, heat a drizzle of olive oil over medium heat and add the garlic. Cook on low for about 5 minutes or until the garlic is golden and fragrant. Add the chopped leaves and stir to coat with the garlic. Cook on medium-low for about 10 minutes or until the leaves are soft and tender. Remove from the heat.

Toss the beet pieces with the cooked greens, goat cheese, and almonds. Taste and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve warm or cold. (This also makes an excellent pressed sandwich filling, especially with some extra goat cheese.)

Kale and mint salad with spicy peanut dressing

There are only so many mint juleps you can drink, so now I have most of two bunches of mint to use up. Fortunately, that shouldn't be hard.

I used regular (not lacinato) kale in this, and left out the pomegranate molasses (didn't have any).

From Food52, reprinted below:

1 bunch (large) lacinato kale, chopped very small, almost minced
1 cup fresh mint, minced
1 cup walnuts, chopped
3 tablespoons smooth natural peanut butter
3 tablespoons warm water
3 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
1 tablespoon pomegranate molasses
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon fresh garlic, minced
2 teaspoons fresh ginger, peeled and minced
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon dried red chili flakes

Toss the chopped kale, chopped mint and the walnuts together. Put the peanut butter, warm water, garlic, rice wine vinegar, pomegranate molasses, soy sauce, minced ginger, sesame oil and red chili flakes into a blender and whirl away at high speed until everything is smooth. Toss the dressing with the salad.

This makes an excellent wrap filling, as well.

1.  

Warm mushroom and grated beet salad

This is just cooked mushrooms, with grated roasted beets, and a wee bit of cheese. If you have greenery (spinach, arugula, lettuce), you could serve this over a bed of greens. But I ate it all by itself and it was delicious.

1 box button mushrooms, sliced
2 medium roasted beets, peeled
Butter, olive oil, fresh thyme
Freshly grated parmesan cheese

Lightly saute the mushrooms in butter and olive oil until they start to give up some liquid. Add fresh thyme, and grate the beets into the pan. Mix together and continue cooking until the mushrooms are as done as you want them. Salt and pepper to taste. Serve warm, with cheese.

As an aside, this was an excellent way to use up both some old mushrooms and a couple of old beets I found in the vegetable drawer.

Beets and burrata

Another nice thing about working in a restaurant is the inspiration factor. My restaurant is doing a new beet and burrata salad, which looked so delicious I thought I would take a stab at it.

Burrata is fresh mozzarella cheese, with a combination of fresh mozzarella and cream on the inside. I sliced it (well, "sliced," the inside is mostly liquid), drizzled it with olive oil, salt and fresh thyme, and laid it alongside roasted sliced beets. The beets got salt and pepper.

Verdict: not as good as the original, of course, but still an excellent use of beets. The creaminess of the cheese plays really well with roasted beets.

Kale and avocado salad with lime-Sriracha viniagrette

You know I can't resist a good raw kale salad. This one has avocados (2 for $1, on sale) and a lime-Sriracha dressing. Yum, yum!

Salad:
1 head of kale, stripped from the stems and torn into pieces
2 avocados, peeled and diced
Salt and pepper

Dressing:
Juice of 1 lime
2 teaspoons Sriracha (or more to taste)
Olive oil

Mix the lime juice and Sriracha together, then drizzle in olive oil while whisking until an emulsified dressing is formed. Add Sriracha to taste. Pour over the salad, then using your hands, massage the dressing into the kale. Let sit for at least an hour. Add salt and pepper and serve.

Israeli couscous with roasted sweet potatoes, apples, and basil

The recipe is really just that. A box of cooked Israeli couscous, mixed with two roasted (peeled and cubed) sweet potatoes, half an apple (diced), and lots of chopped fresh basil. Season with salt, pepper, and just a dusting of cinnamon and cayenne. Eat warm or cold.

Kale salad with apples, pecans, goat cheese, and dried cherries

Man, I love a good kale salad. Especially some lovely red kale.

1 bunch kale, stripped from the stems and torn into pieces
1/2 cup toasted pecans
1 Granny Smith apple, cored and cubed
1/2 cup dried cherries (or cranberries)
2 oz goat cheese

Dressing:

3 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar (or white wine vinegar)
1 tablespoon smooth Dijon mustard
1 1/2 teaspoons honey
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

Toss everything together, add the dressing, and toss well again. Let sit for 10-20 minutes before eating.

Quinoa salad with apples and sweet potatoes

Spring actually is right around the corner, the weather notwithstanding, which makes me want to eat green, healthy things. However, the lettuces at the supermarket are still looking limp and tasteless, so I'm attempting a spring-like salad out of winter ingredients. To wit, this quinoa salad. I've made a quinoa salad with sweet potatoes before, but this one feels spring-ier to me.

Note: I'm not a huge fan of raw onion, so I left it out and used scallions instead.

From Food and Wine:

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/2 cups quinoa
Salt
1 1/2 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 3/4-inch dice
Freshly ground pepper
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
2 large Granny Smith apples, cut into 1/2-inch dice
1/2 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
1/2 medium red onion, thinly sliced
8 packed cups baby greens, such as arugula or kale (about 6 ounces)

Preheat the oven to 400°. In a large saucepan, heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Add the quinoa and toast over moderate heat, stirring, for 2 minutes. Add 3 cups of water, season with salt and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer the quinoa for 16 minutes. Remove from the heat and let stand for 10 minutes. Fluff the quinoa, spread it out on a baking sheet and refrigerate until it is chilled, about 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, on a baking sheet, toss the sweet potatoes with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast for about 25 minutes, stirring once, until golden and softened. Let cool.
In a large bowl, whisk the remaining 6 tablespoons of olive oil with the vinegar; season with salt and pepper. Add the quinoa, sweet potatoes, apples, parsley, onion and greens and toss well. Serve right away.

Raw mustard greens salad, take 2

I've made this raw mustard greens salad before, but I think I like this one better. The Parmesan and soy/anchovy notes give the salad a really nice Caesar-dressing-like savoriness, and you can fix it ahead of time. The more the greens sit with the dressing, the less sharp and peppery they will be.

2 bunches mustard greens
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup lemon juice
3 large cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 minced anchovy fillet or 1/2 teaspoon anchovy paste (optional, but really nice)
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Strip leaves from the stems (discard stems). Wash and dry the leaves. Tear the leaves into small pieces and place in a large bowl. Add Parmesan, oil, lemon juice, garlic, soy sauce, anchovy (if using), pepper and salt. With clean hands, firmly massage and crush the greens to work in the flavoring. Stop when the volume of greens is reduced by about half. The greens should look a little darker and somewhat shiny. Taste and adjust seasoning with more Parmesan, lemon juice, garlic, soy sauce and/or pepper, if desired.