The reason I remember the first time I was served a main-course salad, easily 15 years ago, is that it was such a revelation.
It was served to a group of us, six or more, in a large shallow wooden bowl and it was full of all kinds of good things; greens, chickpeas, nuts, seeds, sliced chicken breast and a dressing fragrant with fresh tarragon and basil. I remember my hostess saying how uncomplicated a meal it was to prepare, serve and clean up after.
Main-course salads are a terrific opportunity to combine a variety of ingredients creatively and colorfully. The late, celebrated U.S. cookbook author, James Beard said meat salads originated in North America as a way to use leftovers; maybe he was right.
Certainly, it's a chance to be imaginative in the kitchen. When it comes to main-course salads, there is no wrong way. Add grains if you like, or stick to vegetables and meat. Or don't use meat. Or don't use vegetables. One of the best things about main-course salads is how few rules there are, although one is that you really should make your own vinaigrette.
I once put my imagination together and marinated and grilled chicken breasts on a grill pan, but you could barbecue them instead -- and how they can be paired either with buckwheat noodles or with crunchy coleslaw. The chicken can easily be replaced with salmon or tofu.
In Heartsmart Cooking for Family and Friends, Bonnie Stern does a take on a classic nicoise - made with roasted salmon and grilled vegetables, and served with wheat berries. Or rice. Or barley. It's served on one large platter or in individual portions.
In "A Good Day for Salad", there's a recipe for a main-course salad made with strips of cooked lamb, white beans, arugula and a dressing flavored with cherry tomatoes, garlic and fresh rosemary. There's another for a mango-mint chicken salad featuring boned, skinned chicken breast, sugar snap peas, arugula, bean sprouts, mangos and mint sprigs for garnish. The dressing includes fresh lime and lemon juice, honey, mint leaves, soy and grated fresh ginger.
In her cookbook "Nigella Bites", Nigella Lawson includes a ginger-hot duck salad. A duck breast is grilled and then carved on the diagonal into thin slices, tossed with a couple of tablespoons fish sauce, the juice of half a lime and half an orange; a finely chopped hot pepper; some grated fresh ginger and a few drops of sesame oil, and turned out onto serving plate covered with baby spinach or watercress. Or both.
I've made all these salads -- and then some. I've taken recipes and changed them, played with them, added to them and subtracted from them. I've made main-course salads for myself and made them for a crowd. And I'm far from an expert cook. If I can do it, so can you.
We have a wonderful salad that makes a meal by itself called "Japanese Cabbage Salad" (Serves 8).
Japanese Cabbage Salad
Makes a full meal when served with any Asian-style chicken, fish or tofu.
2 cups shredded red cabbage
2 cups shredded green cabbage
6 greens onions, sliced
1/4 cup slivered almonds, to toast
1/2 cup sesame seeds, to toast
1/4 cup dried cranberries, optional
Dressing:
1/2 cup vegetable or olive oil
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
1 tablespoons tamari or soy sauce
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
1/4 teaspoon salt (optional)
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
Whisk together dressing ingredients and set aside. Spread sesame seeds on a baking tray and place in a 350F (180C) oven for about 5 minutes. Watch carefully -- they burn quickly. Toast almonds separately, at the same temperature but for a bit longer. Place all salad ingredients together in a bowl. Toss with dressing right before serving, so as not to lose the crunch. Makes 8 servings.
Per Serving: Calories 190, Protein 3g, Fat 16g, Carbohydrates 12g, Fiber 3g, Sodium 195mg (less if salt is omitted from recipe).
Author: Susan Rutter -- Publisher, Nutritionist, and Instructor who assists patients and the public make healthy choices and changes in their lives. Web Site: Healthy YOUbbies http://www.geocities.com/healthyoubbies/
custom home cleaning Winnetka ..It is always amazing to me when I find a... Read More
Ionized minerals, colloidal minerals, chelated minerals . . . What... Read More
Do you know the risks to daily intakes of Starbucks... Read More
Oats (botanical name Avena sativa)An oat is a grass that... Read More
"To eat an apple before going to bed will make... Read More
I would like to raise a question: Is Rejuvenation possible... Read More
The most incredible thing you can do for yourself is... Read More
In a new study published by the American Heart Association,... Read More
While there are many effective ways to get more energy... Read More
Coke, more commonly known as cocaine is a highly addictive... Read More
Because all of us have been brought up eating junk... Read More
There are a lot of very good reasons to eat... Read More
Each and every person living in the UK is... Read More
Eating healthy is fast becoming a way of life. American's... Read More
People who consume too much alcohol have good chance of... Read More
America's major dietary deficiency - EFA a panacea for good... Read More
Today we're shifting our focus from wealth to health. First... Read More
Niacin, also called nicotinic acid, is a member of the... Read More
PROTEIN DEFICIENT? CHANCES ARE YOU ARE!Did you know that 9... Read More
Studies support the benefits of eating a diet rich in... Read More
Scandinavian fishermen are a healthy bunch. It had long been... Read More
Finally, dieters and healthy eaters everywhere have reason to rejoice,... Read More
Approximately 30 years ago, food manufacturers were competing against the... Read More
It's really hard to believe that something could be worse... Read More
Most red and white meats are very fatty and are... Read More
professional home cleaners Glenview ..Liquid vitamin mineralThe liquid vitamin mineral dietary supplement is a... Read More
Diet nutrition physiqueToday, learning about diet nutrition physique isn't all... Read More
What are Glyconutrients? Glyconutrients are eight newly discovered biologically-active sugars... Read More
Hi Readers,My message today is simple short and perhaps blunt... Read More
Can a child thrive on a vegan diet? The answer... Read More
We come from a society where growing organic and just... Read More
Female and male athletes respond to training in a fairly... Read More
What is the Atkins diet and how can it help... Read More
1. Look for high quality, crystalline, free-form, amino acids (AAs)... Read More
1880s - Characterization of monosaccharides by Emil Fischer.1952 - Fresh,... Read More
Essential fatty acids are the number one recommendation for anyone... Read More
Essential Fatty Acids are oils, omega-3 and omega-6, that you... Read More
Nails are a protective horn at the end of our... Read More
One way to combat the boredom many people complain accompanies... Read More
Are you sick and tired of the confusion about our... Read More
While packages of the artificial sweetener Splenda claim, "made from... Read More
The secret of success is knowing how to deal with... Read More
During the Second World War, the Germans used fluoride as... Read More
The first place that we cut corners when we are... Read More
Constipation is the passing of dry, hard faeces fewer than... Read More
According to the renowned research scientist and inventor of the... Read More
Ionized minerals, colloidal minerals, chelated minerals . . . What... Read More
In health circles there has been much recent talk about... Read More
Fats have been unfairly lumped together as being all bad... Read More
For a natural and tasty way to improve your health... Read More
Nutrition |