exciting salads

[jfer]

I love salad! Which has got to be a good thing!

Have people got any interesting yummy salad recipies?

Here's one to start:

a load of wild rocket
cooked beetroots, sliced thinly
french feta cheese, crumbly
thinly sliced mint leaves
toasted pine nuts

all mixed up and then...
drissle of olive oil, and balsamic vinegar.

[Mathisk]

Interesting! I love salad too, i eat on for lunch 4 times a week and Im always looking for new items for the salads.
I dont know what beetroot is or wildrocket.

I like artichokes and hearts of palm in my salad.
Fresh peas, uncooked are good.
melon cubes are good to add sweetness.

[Stedders]

Beetroot - red vegetable that needs to be boiled before it can be used.

In the UK it is very versatile - we have it in salads straight from the refrigerator, and also pickled in vinegar to have with stews, hotpots, etc.

Now do you know what it is? I'm not sure how else to describe beetroot! Can't help with the wild rocket!!!


Stedders

[fletch10]

I believe Arugula is called rocket in the UK.

[adriley]

If I'm not mistaken what you call beetroot, is just called beets in the USA. The description sounds the same.

[Julius]

I've always liked salads, but since I've switched my WOE completely, I can't go long without one! (I cheated not too long ago and ordered pizza - but once I had finished eating, I craved a salad more than anything!)

I like greek salads:
some romaine
tomato
green pepper
cucumber
feta cheese
if it's for a main meal, I'll add some grilled chicken or shrimp
dressing: olive oil, vinegar, squirt of lemon juice and oregano to taste

also, a 'club' type salad:
lettuce (I like romaine and boston)
tomatoes
sliced lunch meat (ham or turkey)
crumbled bacon (I use chicken bacon)
cucumbers
grated cheese
my boyfriend likes olives in his, but I'm not an olive fan at all.
anything else you'd like to throw in
this doesn't even really need a dressing, but any oil/vinegar would work well, I'm sure.

[Stedders]

Originally posted by adriley
If I'm not mistaken what you call beetroot, is just called beets in the USA. The description sounds the same.

Nothing like being divided by the same language, eh, adriley?!?!?

[adriley]

ya know, it is amazing how different English can be. ;-)

[jfer]

I love those UK / USA food differences! Things like courgette vs zuchinni!! ... I'd always wondered what 'beets' were! doh!!!

Julius, I love your salads... mmm... I also crave a salad if I go the wrong way!

[TheTomato]

Last year, a friend brought a delicious salad to a potluck I attended. I could not get enough of it:

Chopped hearts of romaine
Sliced cooked chicken breast
Sliced bananas
Sliced red bell peppers
Grape tomatoes
A can of mandarin orange slices
Toasted sliced almonds
Gourmet honey mustard dressing

And this is the salad I like to make for potlucks, myself:

Field greens & spinach
Sliced smoked chicken or turkey breast
Sliced red bell peppers
Thin-sliced red onions
Crumbled blue or Gorgonzola cheese
Sliced canned pears
Pear vinaigrette (made from the canned pear liquid and white balsamic vinegar, in a ratio of two parts canned pear liquid to one part vinegar, a couple tablespoons of honey and a teaspoon of salt)
Honey-roast walnuts (walnuts spritzed with oil, coated in honey and toasted @ 375 degrees for about ten minutes.)

[anglewormm]

For a really refreshing salad try some tomato (small carbs), cuccumber, maynaise (which has no carbs), and pepper. You could add a small amount of green onion for a new height of flavor. It doesn't take very much mayonaise at all, since the wetness of the tomatoes will thin the mayonaise out. Very yummy.

Or quartered tomatoes, thin sliced mozerella, and basil. Spinkle olive oil and fresh pepper on top. Good too.


BTW, if you use the english cucs, you are less likely to have gas, because the seeds are different. The seeds in regular cucs are what gives most people gas, so if you use the regs, just cut in half and scoop out the seeds.

[anglewormm]

Here is one that CAN be low fat, if you use low fat substitutes....

1 packet of ranch dressing mix (like hidden valley, unkle dans)
1 tub (12 oz I think) low fat sour cream
8 oz chunk of medium cheddar cubed
small onion chunked
12-16 oz frozen peas thawed and drained
bacon bits as desired (we use the oscar meyer real ones, but any would do, even fresh home made ones)
fresh or dried dill to taste (we use a lot, yum)

mix dressing packet and sour cream
add remaining ingredients. So very easy.

I get tired of salads with lettuce, so we start to invent others.


jfer, your salad sounds awesome, but Dh won't eat mint. maybe I will try it when I am alone some time. I am a huge mint lover.


Oh also, here is a warm salad.

1/2 head of red cabbage chopped (easier to chew if smaller bites)
3-5 oz of goat cheese
1/2 cup pecans
3 tbsp olive oil (or bacon drippings)
2-3 tbsp balsamic vinegar
fresh ground pepper
3-4 slices of bacon ( we omit fresh pepper and use peppered bacon)

cook bacon, removed and let drain.
in the hot pan, add olive or use the drippings so you have about 3 tbsp and add the vinegar. you can saute the pecans in the sauce, but not necessary.
break up the goat cheese and the bacon and toss with the cabbage. Then toss with the sauce. The hot sauce should wilt the cabbage slightly.

Many times we have eaten this as the complete meal, as it is very satisfying and filling.

[berta]

My favorite salad is a steak salad. I am a PA native and a restaurant here in Arizona serves the "Pittsburgh Steak Salad," which is just like salads that I used to order at home in PA.

I have also made my own version at home:

Mixed green salad
Red onion
Shredded carrots
Shredded purple cabbage
Fresh raw mushrooms

Mix the salad, then on top add:

Steak (cooked to your liking and can be lean)
A few french fries (I like the bigger fat/steak fries)
Sprinkle grated cheddar cheese on top of steak and fries (I allow it to melt before I eat)

*Could also add hard boiled egg*

Add the dressing of your choice. Is very good with an Italian dressing (Wish-Bone Just 2 Good) or ranch dressing (from my pre-weight loss days).

I love this salad.. give it a try.

[ArtLover]

Thanks for posting the various salad recipes--they look great--I love salads and I like to experiment with different ingredients.
Usually I'll add lots of veggies to my salads--thinly sliced carrots, peppers, mushrooms, onions, etc. They can give a lot of flavour plus they make a colourful presentation.
I usually stir up a quick vinaigrette: olive oil, vinegar (I prefer balsamic) some seasonings and sometimes a bit of dijon mustard.

[Ajani]

Jamie Oliver has some great combinations. Peaches with mint, arugala (rocket), proscuitto and boconccini (fresh mozerella), celery and celeriac (celery root) with pomegranate and a lemon dressing, hot potatoes with mustard cress... Great stuff.

ETA - Beets (beetroot) are perfectly fine to eat raw. In fact, it's a great salad addition if you grate it or just jullienne it. Nice crunch and flavour.