With the change of season, I've gotten out fall and winter clothing, and I've come to the joyous realization that even my fat pants are snug. So salad it is. This is a little bothersome because the toddler boy needs "real" food. So far it's worked out fine but I know long-term this will become and issue. Stay tuned. For now though, I thought I'd share my approach to the boring SALAD.
First and foremost is prep. During the summer I frequented the farmer's market and whatever was in-season and looked good was what I got. Normally though, I buy whatever lettuce is on sale or a mix of different greens that strike my fancy. I'm not above the bag of salad either.
Tip: Though the following idea may sound obvious, I thought it was pure genius (thanks AJ for sharing) . . . wash the lettuce, dry it, store it, and serve it in a giant salad spinner. It works great to have everything ready to go and keeps me from derailing due to well, let's call a spade a spade here, complete laziness. Personally, I also store the veggies in the salad spinner that I will want in each type of salad. For instance, something like cucumber I may use in every salad, whereas carrot I would not so I'd leave the carrots in their bag, not the spinner.
Next you have all your toppings and quite frankly this makes or breaks a salad in my opinion. I like to have all the toppings on hand for any type of salad I could possibly decide to want for dinner. This also helps keep me on the straight and narrow because if I was in the mood for miso I would potentially bail on the salad if I didn't have what was needed for a miso salad. I try to fool-proof everything so the salad is actually the fastest and simplest thing to eat for dinner, besides a bowl of cereal of course.
Here is where I contradict myself and say next is NOT the toppings but figuring out which salads you like best and may want to make. Below is my list of favorites, check them out and they may be your new favorite too!
Bobby Flay's Sophie's Chopped (served at Mesa Grille)
Molly Woo's Miso Salad (aka House Salad)
Panera's Fuji Apple (sans chicken)
CPK's BBQ Chopped (sans chicken)
The others are my recipes which I will describe briefly below each.
Taco Salad
This is a modern version of my moms 1980s taco salad with Catalina dressing and Taco Sauce. I add black beans, veggies, and non-iceberg lettuce in this. It is requested each time I visit family & friends in Texas.
Cheddar Apple
I love cheddar and apple together and often eat that as a sandwich on a baguette or ciabatta bun with some honey mustard. Take it off the bread and put it into a salad - WaLa!
Wedge Salad
I think you probably know this one; it's not really my recipe. Of course I use fake bacon in mine. I always have tomatoes as well and sometimes diced cucumber for extra veggies. This is my only iceberg lettuce salad; sometimes I just really want the crisp, watery iceberg.
Santa Fe Lime
I just made up that name though the salad is real. This is based around a couple things - jicama, black beans, and Lime Vinaigrette (one of my current loves). I have no clue what makes it Santa Fe in my mind considering I've not had anything like this when visiting Santa Fe. Maybe it's actually more San Diego? Who knows. I don't particularly care; it's good and I like it.
This many salad recipes may sound like you'll need to keep a lot of ingredients on hand, but that's not really true. I could make all but the wedge salad right now and that's due to the iceberg lettuce. Most of these salads have similar ingredients. Once you have determined your favorite salads look at the ingredients and make your grocery list from that. It is important to me to have just the right dressing; I have two shelves on the door of my fridge full of dressings. Again this is to keep from being derailed by my salads being too far off the mark from the original, not satisfying and hence leading to desserts (yes, plural).
Once you've bought your toppings - from veggies to beans and from croutons to fancy imported cheeses - organize and store them in a way that works for you. I keep all my salad fixings in one drawer in the fridge and on one shelf in the pantry so I can see it all. Then I grab and go for whatever I have in mind. Remember, these are your favorite salads so you won't need a recipe. Likely you've eaten these a million times so you know exactly what to grab!
Tip: Looking to add crunch without the wasteful calories of a crouton (I'm not really anti-crouton but WW's point system is.)? Try roasted garbanzo beans. They're easy to make, packed with protein and add the needed crunch to a salad. Use 1 TBS of olive oil per can of beans. Drain and rinse the canned beans and place in bowl - add the oil and your whatever seasonings you like. Don't be shy with the seasoning! The beans need flavor so add about 2 teaspoons of dried seasoning per can plus salt to taste. If you like them plain just add salt, pepper and the olive oil and bake. You'll want to watch these the first time you make them. My first batch was undercooked and my second nearly overcooked. Bake at 450 degrees for 30-40 minutes. They crunch up slightly more once cooled too. I set the timer for 10 minutes and shake the pan each time it goes off to stir them a bit. Enjoy!
Though autumn has arrived with all it's comfort foods, I will be eating as if it's spring and summer until those skinny pants are fitting again. I need to locate my weight watcher's book with all the points. I'm seriously not buying a new wardrobe. It's becoming my MO to end with a question, so . . . . what's YOUR favorite restaurant salad (or salad of your own creation)?
