Southwestern Layered Salad

Ahh, layered salad. I heard about them for years, and never thought I would like them, until I made one, and then I loved ’em.

So this was sure to be a hit, and it was, and we ate every last drop.

One of the shocking things about a layered salad, is that if constructed correctly, it keeps pretty well for a few days in the fridge and maintains it’s crispness and doesn’t get soggy either.

So do think about trying it.

INGREDIENTS:

• 6-8 cups of lettuce of your choice, but I think iceberg just does the best here. But you can use romaine and even a bit of leaf lettuce.
• 2 cups of shredded cabbage
• 1 can of rinsed and drained beans of your choice. Pintos, red beans, garbanzo, black, etc.
• 1 can of corn, drained (frozen can be used as well)
• 2 green chiles, roasted, seeded and chopped
• 2/3 cup of black olives, chopped
• 1 cup of chopped tomatoes (drain well)
• 2/3 cup or so of scallions sliced, green parts included
• 2 avocados diced
• 2 cups shredded cheese of your choice–cheddar, Monterey Jack, etc.
• 4 oz. of cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 c sour cream
• 1/3 c mayonnaise
• 1 small can green chiles
• salt and pepper

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Layer your veggies up to the cheese in any order you like, but start with the lettuce. Make sure you lay your tomatoes on a couple of pieces of paper towelling. Do this with the black olives too, to get them as dry as possible. Once they are as dry as possible, then layer them in. It’s best to end with the avocado so the dressing can seal it off from air which keeps it nice and green.
2. Mix together the cream cheese, sour cream and mayo. Add the can of chiles, and mix. Add salt as needed and some pepper to taste.
3. Spread the dressing over the top of the veggies making sure to get to the edges so you “seal” in the veggies well.
4. Sprinkle with the cheese so that it covers the top.
5. Cover with plastic wrap until ready to serve.

SERVES: 8

NOTES: It’s best to use a straight sided bowl if possible. To serve you want to cut straight down, so each serving contains the full array of the contents. The salad is sturdy enough to usually hold its place so that the last serving has some of all of the ingredients, most especially the dressing. Serve with some tortilla chips on the side.

SOURCE: Sherry Peyton

Advertisement

Cauliflower Salad with Radicchio, Pistachios and Raisins

Living in an area of the country where summer is longer than most, we grill a lot. And so having lots of options for salads really matters.

This one is delightful. Good for you and pretty and just great with all sorts of grilled meats.

Best of all, it’s all raw so you can make this up quickly. I make this all up in the morning and just add the dressing an hour or so before eating and let it sit out. Good cold or at room temperature.

INGREDIENTS:

For the Salad

• 1 Head Cauliflower (if you use organic), about 2/3 of a regular head
• 1 Small Head Radicchio, shredded
• 2/3 c celery, diced
• 4 Scallions, Diced
• 1/2 Cup Golden Raisins
• 1/2 Cup Shelled Pistachios

For the Dressing

• 3 to 4 Tablespoons Apple Cider Vinegar
• 1/2 Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1 Teaspoon Dijon Mustard
• Salt & Pepper To Taste

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Place all the salad ingredients in a bowl.
2. Whisk the dressing ingredients in a separate bowl.
3. Pour dressing over the salad ingredients. (I didn’t use all the dressing) and stir to coat all.
4. Serve cold or at room temperature.

SERVES: 8

NOTES: You could add carrots perhaps, radishes, etc.

SOURCE: Italian Food Forever

 

Horiatiki (Greek Salad)

I spent years working two blocks from Greek Town in Detroit. So I know Greek food quite well. This is standard just about everywhere, but there are purists and there are purists.

Since this is peasant food, every Greek on the face of the earth has their own recipe, and they vary to a degree, but not too much. I’m giving you the one that I like best, but will note some of the variations.

What a true horiatiki does not contain is lettuce. This makes it great fare for leisurely meals or for the buffet, since lettuce only wilts.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 1/2 c of tomatoes (use any variety, from cherry to romas), in bite-sized chunks (do note that the seedier types will be more juicy. Small cherry varieties can be left whole to minimize this)
• 1 cucumber, peeled, seeded and then chunked
• 1 half of a fairly good-sized red onion, cut in rings, not razor thin, more like 1/4 inch
• 1 small green pepper, in a large dice
• 2/3 c beets, canned or pickled (this was common in Detroit, not so much elsewhere but a personal favorite)Blot dry before adding to minimize the bleeding.
• 1 c olives kalamata or black as you desire. I prefer the tang of the kalamata.
• 1/2 c pepperoncini peppers for garnish
• 1/2 c or more feta cheese (purists like it in one chunk laid on the top, others are fine with diced up)
• juice of one lemon (purists again use red wine or no acidic addition at all)
• 2/3 c EVOO
• 2 tbsp fresh oregano, chopped
• salt and pepper

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Assemble all your veggies in a bowl
2. Whisk the lemon, olive oil, oregano and salt and pepper together and pour over the salad, garnish with the pepperoncini.
3. Alternatively, serve the dressing on the side and allow people to drizzle what they want onto the salad.

SERVES: 6

NOTES: If you leave the salad undressed, it can be stored for several days quite well. If dressed, a couple of days is about all you can expect. Use the best quality feta you can get, the brick forms I find are better than the crumbled form.

SOURCE: Sherry Peyton

Asian Broccoli Salad

If you want your vitamins and want a tasty salad to boot, this is a great one.

A peanut sauce flavors this wonderful broccoli and edamame creation.

Easy to put together, and it holds up well as a left-over.

Great with grilled food or other summer fair. Also nice as a light lunch by itself.

Do try.

 

 

INGREDIENTS:

• • 1 large head broccoli, cut into small florets
  • 1 cup shelled cooked edamame
  • 1/2 cup thinly-sliced green onions
  • 1/2 cup peanuts
  • sesame seeds, for garnish
  • 1/4 cup  peanut butter
  • 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • 1/8 teaspoon sesame oil
  • 1-2 tablespoons hot water, as needed to thin the sauce

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Cut up your broccoli into small flowerets–bite-size.
2. Place in a steamer if possible and steam until fork tender
3. Cool in a serving bowl.
4. Starting with the peanut butter, whisk the balance of the ingredients, thinning as needed to get the consistency you wish.
5. Add the edamame, onions and sesame seeds.
6. Pour the dressing over and mix well.

SERVES: 6

NOTES: You could substitute other vegetables such as green beans, or peas for the edamame if you wish. Or if you don’t like peanut sauce, you could make a generalized Asian dressing just by eliminating the peanut butter.

SOURCE: Gimme Some Oven

Brussel-Kale Crunch Salad

Okay, so I kinda have this love affair with Brussels sprouts. It’s got to do with the fact that they are so cute but more important I just love the taste. I’m always looking for a good recipe, and this is sure one of them.

It’s also as you can imagine quite good for you, but that’s a bonus.

Do give it a whirl. I think it works well as a summer salad with some nice barbecue but I can also see this as a great side to a true Thanksgiving feast, especially if you are setting up a buffet. It does hold well as a leftover for a few days at least.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon minced shallot
• 1 small garlic clove, finely grated
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt plus more for seasoning
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 2 large bunches of Tuscan kale (about 1 1/2 pounds total), center stem discarded, leaves thinly sliced
• 12 ounces brussels sprouts, trimmed, finely grated or shredded with a knife
• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 1/3 cup almonds with skins, coarsely chopped
• 1 cup finely grated Pecorino or Parmesan or Asaigo

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Remove outer leaves of the sprouts and then slice very thinly or use a food processor.  I would cut off the bottom 1/4, as the central core can be a bit tough, but in any case thin is best.
2. Wash and remove the central stem in your kale and then roll up and chiffonade , again fairly fine ribbons.
3. Add the lemon juice, shallot, garlic, salt and pepper and the olive oil together and whisk until emulsified.
4. When you are ready to eat, add the cheese and the almonds (these should be roasted lightly ahead of time) .
5. Add the dressing and toss.
6. Serve

SERVES: 8

NOTES: You could change up the nuts and the cheese type is pretty much up to you, but I’d stay with very hard cheeses. Feta might work or a Mexican Queso Fresca. The softer the cheese the more it doesn’t hold up as a left over since the cheese gets a slimy coating. So I’d stick with the Italian hard cheeses.

SOURCE: Epicurious

Mexican Layered Salad

This is a lovely salad, fit for a picnic, and if done properly, lasts a couple of extra days in the fridge. So leftovers are fine, as long as you follow the rules.

Additionally, there is another Mexican Layered salad that starts with a base of refried beans and was quite popular in the late 80’s. It is wonderful but is more of a dip than a true salad, and I’ll post that recipe another time.

 

INGREDIENTS:

• 4 cups of assorted lettuce of your choice. It’s fine if it is a mix, or your own creation, and may include some red cabbage and grated carrot if you wish.
• 1 can rinsed and very very well drained beans, such as pinto, red, black, or kidney.
• 3 roma tomatoes, seeded, and chopped small, drained very well.
• 4-6 scallions, chopped, including the green parts.
• 1 1/2 c corn, canned, frozen and defrosted, or fresh
• 2 avocados, diced and tossed gently with the juice of a lime.
• 1 cup queso fresca cheese, crumbled, or of a similar type.
• 1 c mayo
• 1/2 c sour cream
• 3 diced jalapeno’s (seeds removed if desired)
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tbsp fresh oregano
• juice of one lime with 1 tsp of zest
• 1 tsp chipotle or milder chile powder as desired
• pepper to taste, and salt
• 6 oz of shredded cheese (cheddar, Monteray Jack or combo)
• salsa chips or corn tortillas baked until chrispy and broken up into bits

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. In a large bowl, layer in the order given all the ingredients until you get to the mayo.
2. It is essential that you get everything as dry as possible, since this will allow the sealed salad to hold up for a couple of days in the fridge if you don’t eat it all on day one.
3. The issue for the avocado is that it is in a flat layer that will be cut off from air, which is what discolors it. It must be well sealed in with the dressing.
4. After layering everything, prepare the dressing
5. Spread the dressing over the entire top making sure to seal around the edge completely.
6. Cover with the shredded cheese, and then saran wrap the salad, leaving the chips to use as a garnish in a separate bowl.

SERVES: 6-8

NOTES: You could use other chiles in the dressing, and roast them ahead of you desire. In serving attempt to make sure that each serving has of all the ingredients.

SOURCE: Sherry Peyton

Asian Pot Luck Salad

This salad, or a similar version can be found almost anywhere on the Internet.

It is nicely crunchy and has lots of interesting flavors that make it a great pot luck dish, or in a smaller version perfect for a grilling day.

Feel free to omit any of the extras if they aren’t to your liking.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 (16-ounce) bag coleslaw mix or about 3 cups of chopped cabbage with some slivered carrots and red slaw. Also feel free to add in some broccoli slaw as well. Half and half works well.
• 1 (3-ounce) packages of ramen noodles, crumbled (you will not use the seasoning packet)
• 1 cup shelled edamame (you could substitute any bean you like including garbanzos or peas)
• 1 mango, peeled, pitted, and julienned (or diced) (other fruit is also acceptable such as dried cranberries, or peaches or omit
• 1/2 cup thinly-sliced almonds
• 1/2 cup thinly-sliced green onions (scallions)
• 2/3 cup vegetable oil (or any cooking oil)
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1/3 cup rice wine vinegar
• 2 teaspoons soy sauce
• 1/4 teaspoon sesame oil
• pinch of salt and black pepper
• a dish of dry unsalted peanuts

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Crush and spread the ramen noodles on a cookie sheet and add the sliced almonds. Put in a 400º oven just until they start to brown, mix a bit, and leave a couple of minutes more. Remove and cool and place in a separate container.
2. Place all the rest of the veggies into a large bowl.
3. Mix the oil on down together in a separate bowl until emulsified.
4. Dress the vegetables with the vinaigrette.
5. Serve with the ramen noodles on the side along with the peanuts.

SERVES: 6

NOTES: I don’t recommend placing the ramen noodles in the salad unless you are fairly sure it will be eaten that day to keep the crunchiness intact. Others of course may want the ramen noodles softened up. I prefer to add them as a topping.

SOURCE: Adapted from a general recipe found everywhere.