Last year was the year, my daughter wanted elaborate salads. Fancy ingredients or not the usual salad ingredients.
I am not creative with salads. Lettuce, peppers, cukes, tomatoes. Fancy is Israeli Salad.
I was listening to a podcast on my daily walk, and this episode was about new cookbooks. One got my attention - Salad Freaks.
Made my first salad this weekend: Roasted and Raw Brussel Sprout Caesar Salad and it was FANTASTIC!
I have been incorporating more salads into our family dinners. My daughter loves an "elaborate" salad, which really means, lots of interesting things into a typical green salad. She likes edamame, chickpeas, candied almonds and craisins.
But the typical green salad was getting boring, as was Israeli Salad, which is another standard at my house.
Deborah Madison's Greek Salad from Vegetarian Cooking For Everyone:
2 cups of salad greens
2 ripe tomatoes (the recipe called for four, but two large ones were plenty)
1 large cucumber, halved, seeded and thinly sliced (turns out my daughter prefers her cucumbers this way, as she doesn't like the "stuff" surrounding the seeds.)
1 large bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 small sweet onion, thinly sliced
8 pepperoncini
2 T capers, rinsed
12 green olives
4 oz feta cheese, and I like this cheese
1 t Greek oregano
1/3 cup coarsely chopped parley
Salt
Pepper
1 lemon, cut into wedges.
On a platter (I have always used a bowl for salads, but this method has inspired me) scatter the greens. Arrange the tomatoes, cucumber and peppers on the platter. Place the onion rings on top, and then place the pepperoncini, capers, olives and cheese around the platter.
Sprinkle the oregano and parsley over the salad.
Season with salt and pepper.
Garnish with lemon wedges.
Some days, I see a recipe, and think it is super creative. I tried this recipe from Israeli Soul, which I really like. Basically you BRINE a whole head of cauliflower, which I had never done before in my life.
I cut mine up into pieces, and provided pita bread to make a sandwich.
Ingredients:
2 quarts of water
2 cups kosher salt
2 Tablespoons Shawarma Spices
1 large head of cauliflower
4 T Canola oil
Mix together the water, salt and 1 T of spice. Blend in a large pot. Warm over medium heat whisking the whole time until the salt is dissolved. Turn off the heat, put in the cauliflower and let it brine for 2 hours at room temp.
Preheat oven to 450. Add 2 T of canola il to the spices and stir into a paste. Remove cauliflower from liquid and shake it off. Rub the paste over the head of cauliflower but leave a small spoonful for later. Put the cauliflower onto a baking sheet and roast for 45 minutes.
Remove from oven and let it cool. Cut it into small pieces (florets) and transfer to a large bowl and add 1 T canola oil and spice rub. Sear in hot cast iron skillet for 3 minutes.
Serve with pita.
I also had Israeli Salad and hummus. And a side of air fried Brussel sprouts.
