I have unexpectedly started craving salads. Which is awesome - they take no time at all to make, they’re healthy as all get out, and my son doesn’t pester me for some (he does on occasion and I am too happy to give him a bite)!
So far here’s my standard setup…
1 medium bag of prechopped salad (I like the red lettuce, carrot, and radish deal)
1 box of grape tomatoes (note: do not add the tomatoes to the salad in the big bowl. Add them as garnish so it doesn’t get gooey after a day or so.
Quarter of a red onion, sliced
Half a cucumber, sliced
Half a bell pepper (both a green and red), sliced into strips
Chopped celery (if I have it)
The toppings are critical and almost as essential as the main works:
Croutons
Wonton strips
Real bacon pieces
Banana pepper rings
Black olives
Freshly ground black pepper
(every so often) sharp cheddar cheese
My dressing of choice? Kraft fat free Catalina, the nectar of the gods.
I no longer use ham chunks… Bacon works much better. I despise hard boiled eggs so they’re not going in there. Some candidates for inclusion are fresh mushrooms and sliced pickled beets…
So salad mavens, what can I add to the mix?
Also, any hints on keeping a salad for many days? I have a spinner but even after using it by day 3 the salad is starting to get watery and a little suspect.
I’d strongly suggest adding some raw baby spinach to your salad mix. It’s flavorful, but not so much that it detracts from any additions. It’s crispy, and it’s tremendously good for you.
Also, if you like nuts, a little sprinkle of toasted pine nuts or toasted walnuts is always a nice addition.
If you like a sweet touch to your salads, toss in a small hand full of raisins or dried cranberries.
Good stuff… I do add baby spinach when I have it; as you say the taste is really undetectable.
Nuts sound good! I might try cashews though. I do like walnuts… Kind of exotic.
I also sometimes take a chicken breast, coat in honey and mustard, then toss breadcrumbs on it… Toss in the over covered at 350 for 45 min, then uncover for 15 more. Let it sit for a bit, then slice thinly - voilà, breaded honey mustard chicken slices (when I want to go healthier than bacon).
You need bleu cheese or some other kind of pungent cheese.
I have to say, your choice of dressing is an abomination. Do yourself a favor and start experimenting with some simple homemade vinaigrettes. Dressing is crucial, and it’s easy to make good ones. That Kraft shit is nothing but HFC and emulsified oil.
Try a bleu cheese vinaigrette. Olive oil, red wine vinegar (cider vinegar is ok too), bleu cheese crumbles and a little salt and pepper to taste.
If you don’t like that one, there are a million other vinaigrettes (or other styles of dressing), you can whip up easily at home with healthier ingredients that will taste delicious. Seriously, your choice of dressing is a critical to a perfect salad and Kraft isn’t going to cut it. Making your own dressing is something that allows for a lot of personal creativity and experimentation, and opportunity for “wow” factors without needing a ton of expertise or technique.
While I wouldn’t go quite so far as to call your dressing choice an abomination, I would have second just about everything else Diogenes said. Kraft is good for the kiddies I suppose but do yourself a favor and experiment with some good olive oil and and a few basic vinaigrette formulas.
As far as veggies and other bits for your salad, I’ve always liked a handful of frozen peas thrown on top a few minutes before service.
broccoli
cauliflower
peas (in the pod is preferred)
zucchini
chives
carrots
artichoke hearts
cabbage, red or green
radishes
radicchio
avocado
parsley
jicama
beet greens
sprouts
kohlrabi
bamboo shoots
water chestnuts
apple
pear
any variety of spring mix, field greens or mesclun
Personally, I have to have sunflower seeds in my salad; I am also partial to feta. I have found that the fresher my ingredients, the longer my salad lasts. In the summer, I prefer to buy local at the farmer’s market. I have had salads stay fresh for up to ten days. The bagged pre-chopped stuff seems to start to go bad as soon as I open it up!
There are various red wine vinaigrettes available that are something like 99% fat free. These dressings are minor miracles, and you can also make yourself a sub sandwich and use these dressings on the sandwiches. No mayo, no oil of any kind.
I put sunflower seeds on my salads, when I’ve got them, as well as just about any sort of nut. I also like avocado slices and even artichoke hearts (marinated or packed in water, your choice). Don’t limit yourself to just cheddar, there are all kinds of nice cheeses to put on salad. Swiss, provolone, and mozzarella spring to mind.
Finally…salads don’t keep well, period. And it’s pretty much an exercise in futility to try to do so. What you CAN do is chop and slice the individual ingredients and try keeping them in plastic bags in the fridge. That way, if one ingredient decides to go all limp, at least it hasn’t contaminated the whole combination.
Also, your idea of Pickled Beets is a good one. I can barely eat a dinner salad without them any more. They are just that good.
The only other suggestion that nobody’s made is to ditch the bagged lettuce. Yeah, I know it’s handy. But the damn stuff is majorly expensive, and it’s far too industrial for me. Buy some real lettuce and cut it up yourself. Not only do you save some money, but it’s better.
I realize I’m in the minority here, but I hate that bagged lettuce stuff.
Feta cheese. Craisins. Candied walnuts or pecans for sweetness and crunch.
And yeah, make your own dressing. Vinaigrettes are dead easy, but even more complex ones aren’t hard. Cook’s Illustrated has a recipe for bleu cheese dressing that is beyond awesome, and takes five minutes. If it makes too much to use in a week or so, just scale it down.
Bag of baby spinach
Mandarin oranges - I use one “tub” out of those packages that contain 4 tubs, for lunches. Use more or less, to your taste
Feta cheese
Some sort of nut for crunch - last time, the Macadamias were pretty good. Usually it’s walnuts or pecans
Bottled Italian dressing - I know. Bottled? After I just railed against it? Yeah, it’s what I had.
Fry up some bacon, chop and add to salad.
Fry up some small chicken chunks or steak chunks in the bacon grease with a little fresh garlic; add to salad.
Deglaze the pan with a little bit of white wine, toss in sliced mushrooms
Add mushrooms to salad, along with some of the pan juices
Add chopped avocado and cashews
Toss and serve
I cooked at a sports bar for a while, and used to make this for myself almost every night.
Eventually the GUYS would ask me to make them some, because they couldn’t believe a ‘salad’ could be so yummy!
And no, it’s not the healthiest thing in the world.
But it’s awesome!
Baby spinach and romaine lettuce
Sliced turkey
Diced garlic dill pickles
Finely diced red onion
Very sharp shredded cheddar
A little bit of the pickle brine in lieu of dressing
Lots of fresh cracked black pepper
Surprisingly, grapes are quite good in a green salad. My favorite lunch salad is a “spring mix” bunch of greens, spinach, croutons, sliced almonds (preferably toasted), feta cheese, sliced grilled chicken, and a home made honey mustard dressing.
If you like Catalina, try making the carrot dressing they serve at Japanese restaurants. It’s sweet and tangy and you just throw all the ingredients in a food processor. No doubt this is better for you too. You can leave out the ginger if that’s not your thing. I recommend rice wine vinegar instead of white; it is milder and sweeter. Try the recipe at http://www.democraticunderground.com and search for “Japanese carrot” (I couldn’t link directly to it for some reason). Yum. Do try.
Not sure about a whole salad, but to keep lettuce fresh start buying whole heads instead of the prechopped stuff. Cuts are where the problems begin to start, so by keeping the leaves as whole as possible you will slow down the wilting process. It is cheaper to do this anyways. When you get it from the store, wash it, shake off as much extra water as possible and then store it in a ziplock with a papertowel wrapped around the lettuce. Even iceberg will last about a week using this method.
