MOSTLY VEGAN SALADS
1. Cube watermelon and combine with tomato chunks, basil and basic
vinaigrette. You can substitute peach for the watermelon or the tomato
(but not both, O.K.?). You can also add bacon or feta, but there goes
the vegan-ness.
2. Mix wedges of
tomatoes and
peaches, add slivers of red onion, a few red-pepper flakes and
cilantro. Dress with olive oil and lime or lemon juice. Astonishing.
3. A nice cucumber salad: Slice cucumbers thin (if they’re fat and
old, peel and seed them first), toss with red onions and salt, then let
sit for 20 to 60 minutes. Rinse, dry, dress with cider vinegar mixed
with Dijon mustard; no oil necessary.
4. Shave raw asparagus stalks with a vegetable peeler. Discard the
tough first pass of the peeler — i.e., the peel — but do use the
tips, whole. Dress with lemon vinaigrette and coarse salt. (Chopped
hard-boiled eggs optional but good.)
5. Grate or very thinly slice Jerusalem artichokes; mix with pitted
and chopped oil-cured olives, olive oil, lemon juice and a sprinkling
of coarsely ground cumin. Unusual and wonderful.
6. Sichuan slaw: Toss bean sprouts, shredded carrots and celery,
minced fresh chili, soy sauce, sesame oil and a bit of sugar. Top with
chopped peanuts and chopped basil, mint and/or cilantro. (The full trio
is best.)
7. Grate carrots, toast some sunflower seeds, and toss with
blueberries, olive oil, lemon juice and plenty of black pepper. Sweet,
sour, crunchy, soft.
8. Chop or slice radishes (or jicama, or the ever-surprising
kohlrabi) and combine with chopped or sliced unripe (i.e., still
crunchy) mango, lime juice and mint or cilantro.
9. Chop or slice jicama (or radishes or kohlrabi) and mango and mix
with coconut milk, lime juice, curry powder and cilantro or mint.
10. Cook whole grape tomatoes in olive oil over high heat until they
brown lightly, sprinkling with curry powder. Cool a bit, then toss
with chopped arugula, loads of chopped mint and lime juice.
11. Chop and steam baby or grown-up bok choy until crisp-tender,
then shock it in ice water. Drain, then toss with halved cherry
tomatoes, capers, olive oil and lemon juice.
12. Combine sliced fennel and prune plums; serve with vinaigrette spiked with minced ginger. Nice pairing.
13. A red salad: Combine tomato wedges with halved strawberries, basil leaves, shaved Parmesan and balsamic vinegar.
14. A classic Moroccan thing: Thinly slice carrots, or grate or
shred them (the food processor makes quick work of this). Toss with
toasted cumin seeds, olive oil, lemon juice and cilantro. Raisins are
good in here, too. There is no better use of raw carrots.
15. Cut cherry or grape tomatoes in half; toss with soy sauce, a bit
of dark sesame oil and basil or cilantro. I love this — the tomato
juice-soy thing is incredible.
16. Slice fennel and crisp apple about the same thickness (your
choice). Combine, then dress with mustardy vinaigrette and chopped
parsley. Come fall, this will be even better.
17. With thanks to Szechuan Gourmet restaurant: Finely chop celery and mix with a roughly equal amount of pressed or smoked
tofu, chopped. Dress with peanut oil warmed with chili flakes and Sichuan peppercorns, then mixed with soy sauce.
18. Roughly chop cooked or canned chickpeas (you can
pulse
them, carefully, in a food processor) and toss with olive oil, lemon
juice, lots of chopped fresh parsley and mint, and a few chopped
tomatoes. Call this chickpea tabbouleh.
19. Mix cooked cannellini or other white beans, chopped cherry or
grape tomatoes and arugula or baby spinach. Lightly toast sliced garlic
in olive oil with rosemary and red pepper flakes; cool slightly, add
lemon zest or juice or both, then pour over beans.
20. Shred Napa cabbage and radishes. The dressing is roasted
peanuts, lime juice, peanut or other oil, cilantro and fresh or dried
chili, all whizzed in a blender. Deliciousness belies ease.
21. Dice cucumbers (if they’re fat and old, peel and seed them
first) and toss with cubes of avocado, a little mirin (or honey, but
then it’s not vegan), rice vinegar and soy sauce. (You could mix in a
little lump crab meat, really not vegan, even rice, and call it a
California roll salad.)
22. Thinly slice button mushrooms; toss with finely chopped carrots
and celery and mix with mung bean sprouts. Finish with peanut or olive
oil, sherry vinegar, a little soy sauce and minced ginger. (This is a
super vinaigrette, by the way.)
23. Thinly slice some cucumbers (if they’re fat and old, peel and
seed them first), red onions, radishes and fresh chili pepper. Soak for
a few minutes in equal amounts vinegar and water, with some salt and
sugar. When they taste lightly pickled, drain and serve, alone or over
rice.
24. Blanch spinach, then drain and shock in ice water. Squeeze it
dry, chop it and toss it with toasted pine nuts, raisins, olive oil and
a tiny bit of balsamic vinegar. Capers are good, too. Quite elegant,
actually.
25. Combine chopped bell peppers, tomatoes, red onion, chilies and
cilantro, then toss with corn tortilla strips, toasted in a 350-degree
oven until crisp (or yes, use packaged chips; why not?). Dust with
chili powder and lots of lime juice.
26. Combine mushroom caps and thinly sliced red onions with olive
oil; broil gently until tender and browned. Toss with a lot of chopped
fresh parsley or basil (or both) and a simple vinaigrette. Some chopped
escarole, arugula or watercress is good, too.
27. Cook whole, unpeeled eggplant in a dry, hot skillet or on a
grill, turning occasionally, until completely collapsed and soft. Chop
and toss with toasted pita, toasted pine nuts, cooked white beans and
halved cherry tomatoes. Dress with olive oil, lemon juice and lots of
black pepper. Or a (non-vegan) yogurt dressing is good, especially one
laced with tahini.
28. Toss mâche or another soft green with toasted slivered almonds
and roughly chopped fresh figs. Thin some almond butter with water and
sherry vinegar to taste and use as a dressing. Some will like this with
fresh goat
cheese.
29. Pit and halve cherries (or halve and pit cherries), then cook
gently with olive oil and a little balsamic vinegar until they break
down. Toss with chopped radicchio, endive, escarole or a combination,
some toasted hazelnuts and more oil and vinegar, if necessary.
30. Fast, grown-up potato salad: Boil bite-size red potatoes. While
still warm, dress them with olive oil, lemon juice, whole grain
mustard, capers and parsley. Chopped shallots, bell peppers, etc., all
welcome, too.
31. Roast beets whole (or buy them precooked), then slice or cube
and toss with a little chopped garlic (or a lot of roasted garlic),
toasted walnuts, orange juice and olive oil.
32. Same deal with the beets, but toss with cooked corn, arugula, olive oil, sherry vinegar and chopped shallots.
33. The real five-bean: Chickpeas, cannellini or other white beans,
kidney or other red beans, steamed string beans and steamed yellow wax
beans. Toss with vinaigrette, chopped scallions or red onion, and
parsley.
34. Grill quartered romaine hearts, radicchio and/or endive. Drizzle
with olive oil and sherry vinegar, and add dill and chopped shallots.
Teeny-tiny croutons are great on this.
35. Combine cooked or canned black beans with shredded cabbage and
this vinaigrette: olive oil, fresh orange juice, not much sherry
vinegar, ground cumin.
36. Mix cooked or canned chickpeas with toasted coconut, shredded
carrots, chopped celery, curry powder, olive oil, lime juice and
cilantro.
VEGETARIAN SALADS
37. Cube smoked tofu, then brush it with a mixture of honey and
orange juice; broil until browned. Toss with chopped cucumbers,
radishes and peas or pea shoots; drizzle with soy sauce and lime juice.
38. Cube watermelon; combine with roughly chopped mint, crumbled
feta, sliced red onion and chopped Kalamata olives. Dress lightly with
olive oil and lemon juice. Despite saltiness of feta and olives, this
may need salt.
39. Yucatecan street food as salad: Roast fresh corn kernels in a
pan with a little oil; toss with cayenne or minced chilis, lime juice
and a little queso fresco. Cherry tomatoes are optional.
40. Slice cucumber and top with capers, olive oil, lots of pepper
and little dollops of fresh ricotta. Note: cucumbers, ricotta and oil
must all be really good.
41. Halve avocados and scoop out some but not all of their flesh.
Roughly chop and toss with black beans, queso fresco, cilantro, chopped
tomatillos and lime juice. Serve in the meaty avocado shells.
42. Trim crusts if necessary from day-or-two-old bread (or even
three-day-old bread), cube and marinate in black olive tapenade thinned
with more olive oil. Add chopped capers and toss with tomatoes, basil
and mozzarella. (Anchovies optional.)
43. Grate raw beets (use the food processor to avoid ruining
everything within spattering distance) and toss with watercress or
arugula. Top with sherry vinaigrette and a little goat cheese.
Especially obvious, perhaps, but also especially popular.
44. Make a crisp grilled cheese sandwich, with good bread and not
too much good cheese. Let it cool, then cut into croutons. Put them on
anything, but especially tomato and basil salad. This you will do
forever.
45. Halve or quarter cooked artichoke hearts (the best are fresh and
grilled, but you can use canned or frozen) and combine with cherry
tomatoes, bits of feta or Parmesan or both, olive oil and lemon juice.
46. Sauté mushrooms and shallots in olive oil. Add a lot of spinach,
chopped unless the leaves are small. When it wilts, stir in parsley
and crumbled blue cheese. Feels like a steakhouse side-dish salad.
47. Thinly slice raw button mushrooms; combine with sliced or shaved
Parmesan, parsley and a vinaigrette of olive oil, sherry vinegar and
shallots.
48. Toss roughly chopped dandelion greens (or arugula or watercress)
with chopped preserved lemon, chickpeas, crumbled feta and olive oil.
(Before you start cursing me out, here’s a quick way to make preserved
lemons: chop whole lemons and put in a bowl with the juice of another
lemon or two, sprinkle with a fair amount of salt and let sit for an
hour or so.)
49. Toss greens with walnuts, blue cheese and raspberries; drizzle with a simple vinaigrette. Sell for $14 a serving.
50. It’s puttanesca-ish: Egg salad with pitted black olives, chopped
tomatoes, capers, anchovies (optional), a tiny bit of garlic and some
red onion; mayonnaise as needed.
51. Arrange sliced ripe tomatoes and hard-boiled eggs on a platter;
scatter a handful of chopped pitted green olives on top. Drizzle with a
dressing made with olive oil, sherry vinegar and a teaspoon of
pimentón.
52. Chop hard-boiled eggs and mix with just enough mayonnaise to
bind; spoon into endive leaves. Top each with a small canned sardine
and drizzle with a vinaigrette of olive oil, lemon juice and mustard.
53. Peel beets and grate them in a food processor. Mix equal parts
plain yogurt and tahini, and toss with the beets along with lemon juice
and za’atar (a mixture of toasted sesame seeds, dried green herbs and
ground sumac; you can make it yourself using dried thyme).
54. Slice roasted red peppers (if you must use canned, try to find
piquillos) and fresh mozzarella. Toss with cooked white beans, olive
oil, red wine vinegar, a chopped shallot and fresh rosemary or parsley.
SALADS WITH SEAFOOD
55. Mix watercress with chopped smoked salmon, avocado, red onion
and capers. Make a vinaigrette with olive oil, sherry vinegar and
mustard powder.
56. Salade niçoise, sort of: On or around a bed of greens, make
mounds of olives, cooked new potatoes and green beans (warm or at room
temperature), good tomatoes, capers, fennel slivers, hard-cooked eggs
and good quality Italian canned tuna. None of these is crucial; you get
the idea. Serve with vinaigrette or aioli.
57. Toss cubes of day-or-more-old good bread with soy sauce, chopped
sautéed shrimp, chopped radishes and cilantro. Like a weird shrimp
toast panzanella.
58. Sear tuna until rare (for that matter, you could leave it raw)
and cut it into small cubes. Toss with shredded jicama or radish and
shredded Napa cabbage; season with mirin, soy sauce and cilantro.
Avocado and/or wasabi paste are great with this, too.
59. Sear tuna, or use good canned tuna. Chop it up and mix with chopped olives, capers, tomatoes, parsley and olive oil.
60. Ditto on the tuna. Mix with chopped apples, halved seedless
grapes, chopped red onion, olive oil, a bit of cumin and black pepper.
61. Mix canned salmon (sockeye, or use cooked fresh) with capers,
chopped celery, yogurt or mayonnaise, and lemon juice. Serve on greens
or in endive leaves.
62. Dust shrimp with chili powder. Sauté in butter or oil (or a
combination) with fresh corn kernels and flavorful cooking greens (bok
choy is good, as is watercress). Add halved cherry tomatoes and lime
juice at the last minute.
63. Sunday brunch salad: Mix diced cucumbers, chopped tomato, minced
red onion and capers with bits of smoked salmon. Dress with lemon
juice (you won’t need much oil, if any). Take a step further by adding
croutons of cubed toasted bagels.
64. Alternative Sunday brunch: Shred or chop cucumbers (if they’re
fat and old, peel and seed them first), then toss with flaked smoked
trout or whitefish, capers, dill, lemon juice and olive oil.
65. In a hot pan, flash-cook cut-up squid in a little olive oil for
no more than two minutes. Toss with cooked or canned chickpeas, chopped
bell peppers, lemon juice, a little more oil and parsley.
66. In a hot pan, sear sea scallops for a minute or two on each
side, depending on size. Slice or chop, then toss with thinly sliced
fennel and lemon or orange vinaigrette and some chopped fennel fronds.
67. Bread salad for anchovy lovers: Chop together many anchovies, a
few capers, lemon juice and olive oil (or anchovy oil). Toss with cubes
of toasted bread and chopped tomatoes or halved cherry or grape
tomatoes.
68. Mix crab meat with pan-roasted corn, chopped avocado, halved
cherry or grape tomatoes, olive oil, lemon juice and perhaps a bit of
cilantro and crumbled ancho chili.
69. Stir-fry small or chopped shrimp in olive or peanut oil with
lots of ginger; while still warm, combine with tomato wedges, chopped
romaine, cilantro, scallions and lots of lime juice. Good in pita.
SALADS WITH MEAT
70. Shred brussels sprouts in the food processor, preferably with the slicing disk. Toss with vinaigrette and crumbled bacon.
71. Combine sliced green tomatoes and sliced fresh mozzarella; top
with roughly chopped basil, olive oil, black pepper and crumbled bacon.
72. Sort-of carpaccio salad: Broil or grill skirt or sirloin steak
very rare and slice very thin. Arrange on a plate with tomato wedges,
lettuce and lemon juice.
73. Hawaiitalian: Combine pineapple chunks with bits of any cured
pork product — cooked guanciale is ideal, or any ham — and a
not-too-subtle chili vinaigrette.
74. Julienne red, yellow and orange bell peppers; mix with thinly
sliced red onion, olive oil and cooked crumbled sausage or chopped
salami.
75. The Little Italy salad: Chop or julienne salami and prosciutto,
then toss with cubed mozzarella, chopped tomato, pepperoncini, oil and
wine vinegar.
76. Slice fresh figs — many, if you live where they grow — and
top with crumbled bacon, balsamic vinegar (the best you have) and
crumbled blue cheese.
77. Combine shredded cabbage or lettuce with bits of good turkey,
Swiss cheese and rye croutons. Top with good old Russian dressing, call
it a turkey sandwich salad and don’t knock it until you try it.
78. What happens when your Chicago hot dog falls apart: Toss
together tomato wedges, chopped pickles, hot peppers, shredded lettuce
and a few slices of broiled or grilled hot dog. Dress with a
vinaigrette made with mustard (should be yellow for authenticity, but
…) and celery salt. (You could throw in freshly made croutons;
inauthentic, but better than a hot dog bun.)
79. Sear a steak and move it to a cutting board (don’t wash the
pan); wait a minute or two, then slice. Cut kale (preferably black,
also known as Tuscan, or dino kale) into thin ribbons and toss in the
pan over high heat for a minute. Turn off the heat, add chopped black
olives, olive oil and sherry vinegar. Serve kale with steak on top.
80. Sort-of-Cobb salad: Choose any combination of hard-cooked eggs,
chopped prosciutto, cooked chicken, crumbled Gorgonzola, chopped
tomatoes, chickpeas or white beans, sliced red onion, olives. Make
vinaigrette with capers and anchovies.
81. Soak sliced prune plums or figs in balsamic vinegar for a few
minutes, then add olive oil, chopped celery and red onion, shreds of
roasted or grilled chicken, chopped fresh marjoram or oregano and
chopped almonds. Serve on top of or toss with greens. So good.
82. Cut pancetta into matchsticks and crisp in a skillet with some
oil, then caramelize onions in the fat. Toss both with chopped bitter
greens — radicchio, escarole or endive, for example — toasted pine
nuts and halved cherry or grape tomatoes.
83. Toss thinly sliced Vidalia or other sweet onions with olive oil
and red wine vinegar. Sear a skirt steak and let sit a minute; slice it
thin. Toss salad greens with the onions, roasted red peppers, and
steak; add a little more oil and vinegar if necessary.
SALADS WITH NOODLES
84. Spring rolls, unrolled: One at a time, soften a few sheets of
rice paper in warm water. Drain, pat dry, cut into strips and toss with
chopped cucumber, grated carrots, chopped cilantro, bean sprouts,
chili flakes and chopped roasted peanuts. Dress with toasted sesame
oil, fish sauce or soy sauce, and rice vinegar or lime juice. A few
shrimp are a nice addition.
85. Mix lots of arugula with somewhat less cold whole wheat penne,
lemon zest, olive oil and Parmesan. The idea is an arugula salad with
pasta, not a pasta salad with arugula.
86. Toss chilled cooked soba noodles with diced cucumber (if they’re
fat and old, peel and seed them first), a small amount of hijiki
reconstituted with water, toasted sesame seeds and a vinaigrette laced
with soy sauce and miso.
87. Cold not-sesame noodles: Combine about a half-cup peanut butter
with a tablespoon soy sauce and enough coconut milk to make the mixture
creamy (about a half cup), along with garlic and chili flakes in a
blender or food processor. Toss sauce with cooked and cooled noodles, a
load of mint, Thai basil, and/or cilantro, and lime juice. Shredded
cucumber and carrots optional.
88. Toss cooked pasta with roasted red peppers, toasted walnuts,
fresh goat cheese, basil and olive oil. Corny, but still good.
89. Soak or cook rice noodles, drain and rinse; toss with cubed
unripe mango, chopped peanuts, shredded carrot and minced scallion.
Make a dressing of rice vinegar, fish sauce, lime juice, chili and a
bit of sugar.
90. Sort of classic pasta salad: Pasta, artichoke hearts, sliced
prosciutto or salami, chopped plum tomato. Dress with olive oil and a
bit of balsamic vinegar, perhaps with some mustard.
GRAIN SALADS
91. Cereal for grown-ups: Start with puffed brown rice; toss with
chopped tomatoes, scallions, a minced chili, cooked or canned chickpeas
and toasted unsweetened coconut. Dress with coconut milk and lime
juice.
92. Simmer a cup of bulgur and some roughly chopped cauliflower
florets until tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Toss with chopped tarragon,
roughly chopped hazelnuts, minced garlic, Dijon mustard, olive oil and
lemon juice.
93. Mix leftover rice with lemon or lime juice, soy sauce and a
combination of sesame and peanut oils. Microwave if necessary to
soften the rice, then serve at room temperature, tossed with sprouts,
shredded radishes, chopped scallions, bits of cooked meat or fish if
you like and more soy sauce.
94. Cook and cool quinoa. Toss with olive oil, loads of lemon juice,
tons of parsley, some chopped tomatoes and, if you like, toasted pine
nuts. Call it quinoa tabbouleh.
95. Mix cooked couscous or quinoa with orange zest and juice, olive
oil, maybe honey, sliced oranges, raisins or dried cranberries, chopped
red onion and chopped almonds. Serve over greens, or not.
96. Cook short-grain white rice in watered-down coconut milk (be
careful that it doesn’t burn) and a few cardamom pods. While warm, toss
with peas (they can be raw if they’re fresh and tender), chopped
cashews or pistachios, a pinch of chili flakes and chopped raw spinach.
97. Toss cooked, cooled farro, wheat berries, barley or other chewy
grain with chopped-up grapes. Add olive oil, lemon juice and thinly
sliced romaine lettuce; toss again, with ricotta salata or feta if you
want.
98. Toss cooked bulgur with cooked chickpeas, quartered cherry or
grape tomatoes, a little cumin, lots of chopped parsley, and lemon
juice.
99. Toss cooked quinoa with fresh sliced apricots, cherries, pecans,
and enough lemon and black pepper to make the whole thing savory.
100. Mash a canned chipotle with some of its adobo and stir with
olive oil and lime juice. Toss with drained canned hominy, fresh corn
cut from the cob (or drained pinto beans), cilantro and green onions.
101. Cook a pot of short-grain rice. While it’s still hot, toss with
raw grated zucchini, fermented black beans, sriracha, sesame oil, sake
and a touch of rice vinegar. Add bits of leftover roast chicken or
pork if you have it, and pass soy sauce at the table.
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