Posts Tagged ‘salad dressing’

Unrecipe of the Week: How To Pack A Mason Jar Salad

January 21, 2016

 

How-Make-Mason-Jar-SaladAhh, mason jars; Pinterest’s vessel of choice. While we are totally tired of seeing them as mugs, vases and other types of kitchsy decor, we still love them for what they were originally intended to be used for, which is hold food. They are recyclable, don’t have any BPA’s or other harmful chemicals in them, and can go into the freezer, refrigerator and microwave when the metal top is removed.
The glass jars are the perfect vehicle for storing soups and sauces, and grains. They also allow you make a salad complete with the dressing and not let it get soggy. You can actually pack a few lunches in advance, and store them in the fridge until you are ready to eat them. The trick is the order in which you layer the ingredients in the jar.

First, add the dressing. It might be a tablespoon or two, or even more, depending on how much dressing you like and how big the salad is.

Next, layer the heaviest ingredients on top of it, that will not absorb the dressing. This means items like carrots, cucumbers, celery, and beets.

Add any grains, pasta or beans on top of that.

Next up is the protein layer, containing any chicken, meat, fish, hard boiled eggs, tofu or cheese.  Don’t add these yet if the salad is going to sit for several days. We recommend adding it within 24 hours of eating for best, freshest results.

Any soft vegetables and fruits such as avocado, tomatoes, or berries go on next. Again, if you are keeping the salad for several days, add these at the last minute. Avocado or apple should be soaked in lemon juice to avoid it turning brown.

Add any nuts, croutons or seeds in the next layer, followed by a hefty helping of clean and well dried greens. Screw on the lid, pop it in the refrigerator and anticipate lunch!

Chopped Salad

When ready to eat the salad, give it a little shake and dump it into a bowl. The lettuce will be on the bottom, and the other items on top of it. The dressing will mix in as it is poured. Enjoy!

Photo: top: POPSUGAR

bottom: Glasshouse Images

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Unrecipe of the Week: Avocado Salad Dressing

June 22, 2015

Today, I officially got tired of my regular repertoire of vinaigrettes. I have been making them for so long, that I was craving something with a little more texture to pour over my greens. We love avocado, so it was only fitting that I used it to create a creamy, flavorful dressing without any eggs or mayonaise. You can use a blender, food processor, or immersion blender to make this silky smooth avocado dressing in a matter of minutes.

Avocado Dressing:

Scoop the flesh out of a ripe avocado and discard the skin and pit. Add the juice of one lemon, and a small clove of garlic, and puree. Drizzle in olive oil until the dressing smoothes out and becomes thin enough to pour over a salad. Add salt and crushed red pepper to taste, and enjoy on top of the salad of your choice.

To customize this basic dressing, add fresh herbs, such as parsley or cilantro and puree them until they are mixed into the dressing.

Photo:  Glasshouse Images

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Take a peek at our Tumblr.

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Unrecipe of the Week: Asian Vinaigrette

December 27, 2013

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On Saturday night, I set out to make Ming Tsai’s Asian shallot vinaigrette to marinate fresh tuna, scallops and shrimp. I waited until I was all huddled in for the night, and was surprised to discover that I lacked most of the ingredients, first and foremost the shallots. Not one afraid to improvise, I used what I had and somehow it worked out just fine. It’s a little bit Asian by way of the soy sauce and rice wine vinegar, and very French, as it is a riff on the classic vinaigrette. The leftover portion is sitting in a jar in the refrigerator, waiting to flavor chicken, meat, sauteed vegetables, or top a green salad. Got an extra 2 or 3 minutes? Whip some up for dinner tonight!

Pouring a spoonful of olive oil

Asian Vinaigrette 

Place the ingredients in the blender (or if you are really lazy, in glass jar with a tight fitting lid)

1/2 cup of grainy Dijon mustard

1/4 cup soy sauce

1/4 cup of rice wine vinegar

a pinch of sugar

a tiny pinch of salt

black pepper to taste

With the motor running, drizzle in oil ( I used sunflower oil, but safflower, canola or any bland oil will work ) until it starts to emulsify. It will probably take 1/2 cup or so. If you are using a jar, shake it until it is fully mixed. It won’t thicken as much.

Feel free to add finely diced shallots, garlic or a dash of sriracha to give it an edge.

Use as a dressing or marinade and enjoy!

photos: Glasshouse Images

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Kitchen Tips Tuesday: Perfect Salad Dressing

April 16, 2013

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Homemade salad dressing is so easy to make, and so much better than the store bought variety. A simple vinaigrette can be made with oil, and anything acidic, such as vinegar, or citrus juice.
As a baseline, dressing should be 3 parts oil, to one part acid. Depending on the ingredients, and what the dressing is being used on, that might need to be tweaked a bit. Personally, I tend to  err on the side of extra acid, preferring a little more tang to the dressing.

To make the perfect salad dressing, start out with a good quality oil. Olive oil is the most common base for a vinaigrette, but other clean, flavorful oils such as walnut can also be used.  Vinegar, or citrus juice can provide the acid.

There are lots of types of vinegars on the market. Balsamic vinegars can range from tart, to syrupy and sweet, depending on how long it has been aged. There is even a white balsamic, that has a milder taste. Red wine vinegar is a bit more tart, and half wine vinegar and 1/2 balsamic can be a nice blend. There are also flavored vinegars which add an extra element.  Lemon juice is a nice alternative to vinegar, as is lime or even grapefruit juice.

Whisking, or shaking the mixture will cause it to emulsify, thickening it slightly.
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Once you have the basic recipe, it is fun to experiment with fresh herbs or other condiments.

One of my favorite tricks is to make the dressing in a dijon mustard jar that is almost empty. Just pour the oil and vinegar or lemon juice into the jar, and shake it vigorously. The mustard left on the sides of the jar will mix in and add another level of flavor to the mix.

Once you start making your own dressings, you will never want to go back to bottled versions, which are laden with preservatives and other unnecessary ingredients.

Enjoy!

Photos:Glasshouse Images

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Unrecipe of the Week: Thanksgiving Edition:

November 21, 2009

Looking for a light way to start off your Thanksgiving dinner? Here is a great salad that is tasty, festive and healthy! It’s the perfect foil for the all the heavy food to come!

Fennel, Radicchio and Arugula Salad with Dried Cranberries:

(serves about 10 people)

Toast about ½ cup of pecans until golden and set aside.

Mix 1 thinly sliced fennel bulb, 1 head of radicchio and a bunch of arugula in a salad bowl.

For the dressing, combine 1/8 cup each of red wine vinegar and balsamic vinegar with ½ cup olive oil.

Add in a finely diced garlic clove, ¾ teaspoons salt, and ¼ cup of chopped, dried cranberries and whisk until well mixed, and slightly emulsified.

Add the pecans and a handful of dried cranberries to the salad greens, and toss with the dressing.

Enjoy!!

Indigo Jones salad making tips:
When cooking for a crowd, we wash and spin the salad greens and put them in a clean, white pillowcase in the refrigerator until ready to use. The cotton absorbs any excess moisture and its shape shifting ability makes it easy to store.

How much is enough?  A healthy handful of greens per person should the right amount for a pre-dinner salad.

Photo: Glasshouse Images

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