Chopped Salad from The Luggage Room Pizzeria

Last week the Los Angeles Times printed the recipe for this chopped salad from one of our favorite restaurants, The Luggage Room Pizzeria in the 1934 Del Mar Train Station in Pasadena, CA.  The pizza is done in a wood burning oven and is phenomenal.

Chopped Salad from The Luggage Room Pizzeria

Serves 1

Champagne Vinaigrette
1/4 tsp yellow mustard
1 egg yolk
5 Tbs extra-virgin olive oil
2 Tbs Champagne vinegar
Salt and cracked pepper

In a bowl, whisk together the mustard and egg yolk. Whisk in the vinegar, then the olive oil in a slow drizzle. Taste, seasoning with salt and pepper and adjusting the flavorings if desired. This makes a scant one-half cup dressing. The dressing will keep, covered and chilled, up to 3 days.

Chopped Salad
2 cups chopped romaine and iceberg lettuce, cut into 1/8-inch-thick strips
1/4 cup chopped white cheddar
1/4 cup diced pepperoni, cut into ½-inch dice
1/4 cup diced cucumber, cut into ½-inch dice
1 Tbs green brined olives (such as picholine)
1 Tbs black oil-cured olives (such as beldi)
1 Tbs golden raisins
1 Tbs pistachios
Champagne vinaigrette, divided
2 Tbs julienned fresh basil
Fresh cracked pepper, to taste

In a large bowl, toss the lettuces with the cheddar, pepperoni, cucumber, olives, raisins and pistachios. Toss with 4 tablespoons vinaigrette, then continue to add a little more until the salad is coated to taste; you may not use all the vinaigrette. Transfer to a chilled plate and garnish with basil and cracked pepper.

Salmon, Asparagus & Green Bean Salad

This is leftover Broiled Salmon. I steamed some asparagus and green beans and put it all on a bed of mixed baby greens.  You could use any kind of vegetables you happen to have on hand. Also, you can use any fresh herbs you like in the dressing below. Serve it with a bone dry French Provençal rosé.

Fresh Herb Vinaigrette

1/8 cup white balsamic vinegar
1/2 Tbs Dijon mustard
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup fresh parsley, dill, or chives, finely chopped

In medium bowl, with wire whisk, mix vinegar, Dijon, salt, and pepper until mixed. In thin, steady stream, whisk in oil until blended. Whisk in herb.

If not using dressing right away, cover and refrigerate up to 1 day. Mix well before serving.

Israeli Couscous with Dried Cranberries, Apricots & Currants

This is such a colorful salad. I used Traders Joe’s Harvest Grains Blend, which has a little bit of orzo, baby garbanzo beans and quinoa in it.  You can just used plain Israeli couscous.

Israeli Couscous with Dried Cranberries, Apricots & Currants

Serves 6

Couscous:
2 Tbs olive oil
2 cups Israeli couscous (or barley or orzo)
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth or water
1/4 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
1/2 cup dried apricots, diced
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup dried currants
1/2 cup slivered toasted almonds or pine nuts

Vinaigrette:
1/4 cup white balsamic vinegar
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup olive oil

For the couscous: 
In a medium saucepan, add the olive oil and couscous and the chicken broth or water and bring to a boil. Simmer for 10 to12 minutes or until the liquid has evaporated. Transfer the cooked couscous to a large bowl and set aside to cool. Add the parsley, dried cranberries, dried apricots, dried currants and almonds.

For the vinaigrette:
In a small bowl, combine the vinegar, salt, and pepper. Whisk in the olive oil until smooth. Pour the vinaigrette over the couscous and toss to coat evenly.

Clementine, Burrata & Proscuitto Salad

Burrata is one of my favorite cheeses. Burrata is a fresh Italian cheese, made from mozzarella and cream. The outer shell is solid mozzarella while the inside contains both mozzarella and cream, giving it an unusual, soft texture. It is usually served fresh, at room temperature. It has a very short shelf-life.  The name “burrata” means “buttered” in Italian. Usually, one encounters burrata accompanied by tomatoes, basil and or pesto. I was lucky enough to tour Angelo & Franco – The Mozzarella Guys cheese facility a few years ago. They make amazing authentic Italian cheeses.

This recipe is a completely new way to serve it. It used to be on the menu at Fifteen, which is one of Jamie Oliver’s restaurants in London. You can substitute different kinds of seasonal fruit throughout the year.

Clementine, Burrata & Proscuitto Salad

Serves 6

6 clementines
2 balls of burrata cheese
Selection of mixed salad leaves
12 slices of prosciutto
6 Tbs of extra virgin olive oil
2 Tbs of balsamic vinegar
Salt and pepper to taste

Peel and slice your clementines.

To make the salad dressing
Combine the balsamic vinegar with olive oil and season to taste. Season to taste to taste.

Place the leaves onto plate and top with the slices of prosciutto. Finish off with your clementines segments and dress your salad to taste. Finally tear the barrata over the salad.

Broccoli Slaw

Yesterday, I bought a bag of broccoli slaw. I love regular coleslaw, but I think I like this better. You could use toasted almonds, cashews, sunflower seeds instead of pistachios. The bacon is also optional. I actually did’t put bacon in mine, too lazy.

Broccoli Slaw

10 slices of bacon, cooked, crumbled & drained
10 oz broccoli slaw
1/4 cup green onion
1/2 cup golden raisins
3 Tbs white wine vinegar
2 Tbs sugar
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup pistachio nuts

Combine all dry ingredients in a large bowl. In a small bowl, stir together mayo, sugar, and vinegar until smooth. 30 minutes before serving, pour dressing over salad and toss to coat or cover and chill up to 24 hours. Stir before serving.

Minty Grapefruit Vinaigrette

Here’s another grapefruit recipe! This vinaigrette is very light and fresh tasting. My husband, Eric, said it would be good with roasted chicken, green onions, toasted almonds and manchego cheese over a bed of greens.

Minty Grapefruit Vinaigrette

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup fresh ruby-red grapefruit juice
2 Tbs white-wine vinegar
2 Tbs finely chopped fresh mint
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp coarse salt

Whisk all ingredients together in a small bowl. Let stand 10 minutes.

Japanese Spinach Salad (Oshitashi)

When I made Japanese Beef Curry, I made a Spinach Salad using the methods of steeping vegetables with Dashi. I made this did this previously – Spring Vegetables Steeped in Dashi.

Dashi is the ever-present ingredient that gives Japanese food its distinctive flavor. It’s an amber colored, sea-flavored, all-purpose Japanese stock. The powdered product, when mixed with hot water, instantly gives you a very credible version of homemade dashi. It is available at Japanese groceries. To make 6 cups of strong dashi, mix together 6 cups of warm water in a saucepan with 3 tablespoons of dashi powder. Heat for 2 minutes stirring well.

There’s a wonderful method in traditional Japanese cooking: quickly boil leafy vegetables, then mix them with a cooled, flavored broth and let them sit for 3 to 6 hours. The result, served cold or at room temperature, might be construed by Westerners as a light and lovely salad. You could serve it either as a first course (for which you might pack the prepared spinach into small round or rectangular molds, and then unmold them on appetizer plates), or as a side dish.  I added some black sesame seeds on top.

Japanese Spinach Salad (Oshitashi)

Serves 4 as a side dish

2 lbs fresh, tender spinach, untrimmed (or 1 1/2 lbs trimmed and washed fresh spinach)
2 cups strong dashi, cooled
1 Tbs plus 1 tsp thin soy sauce
2 tsp Japanese rice vinegar
a few drops dark sesame oil (about 1/8 tsp)

Bring a large pot of well salted water to a boil.

Trim the roots (about 1 inch) off of the spinach leaves. If your leaves have no roots, only stems, leave the stems. Wash the spinach in a large basin, changing the water several times. Plunge the leaves into the boiling water and cook for one minute. Remove, and refresh with cold water. Wring out the spinach gently in your hands. Don’t squeeze too hard; don’t bruise; spread the leaves out after squeezing so they don’t compact.

Mix together the dashi, soy sauce, rice vinegar, and sesame oil. Place the spinach in a bowl, and pour the dashi mixture over it (it should just cover the spinach). Refrigerate for 3 to 6 hours, then serve spinach, with a little of the broth sprinkled over it. At 3 hours the dish is light and clean; at 6 hours it has maximum flavor from the broth.

Dashi is the ever-present ingredient that gives Japanese food its distinctive flavor. It’s an amber colored, sea-flavored, all-purpose Japanese stock. The powdered product, when mixed with hot water, instantly gives you a very credible version of homemade dashi. It is available at Japanese groceries. To make 6 cups of strong dashi, mix together 6 cups of warm water in a saucepan with 3 tablespoons of dashi powder. Heat for 2 minutes stirring well.

There’s a wonderful method in traditional Japanese cooking: quickly boil leafy vegetables, then mix them with a cooled, flavored broth and let them sit for 3 to 6 hours. The result, served cold or at room temperature, might be construed by Westerners as a light and lovely salad. You could serve it either as a first course (for which you might pack the prepared spinach into small round or rectangular molds, and then unmold them on appetizer plates), or as a side dish.

Fennel and Orange & Arugula Salad

This is such a refreshing salad.  The arugula or rocket, with its  rich, peppery taste, goes so well with the bright, citrus dressing.  Fennel is so under utilized. It is a highly aromatic and flavorful herb with culinary and medicinal uses and, along with the similar-tasting anise, is one of the primary ingredients of absinthe. You can make the vinaigrette and prepare the fennel and oranges ahead of time and refrigerate.

Fennel and Orange & Arugula Salad

Serves 8 – 10

For the citrus vinaigrette:
¼ cup fresh orange juice
2 Tbs fresh lemon juice
2 tsp grated orange zest
2 Tbs extra-virgin olive oil
2 Tbs canola oil
2 tsp Dijon mustard
½ tsp dried tarragon
1 shallot, chopped
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
1 large fennel bulb
3 large navel oranges
4 cups arugula

To make the vinaigrette, in a small bowl, whisk together the orange juice, lemon juice, orange zest, olive oil, canola oil, mustard, tarragon and shallot. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside.

Cut off the stems and feathery fronds of the fennel bulb and remove any bruised or discolored outer layers. Cut the bulb in half lengthwise and cut out any tough core parts. Cut the bulb halves crosswise into slices 3/8 inch thick and then cut the slices into 1-inch lengths.

Working with 1 orange at a time, and using a sharp knife, cut a slice off both ends of the orange to reveal the flesh. Stand the orange upright on a cutting board and thickly slice off the peel and pith in strips, following the contour of the fruit. Cut the orange in half crosswise, place each half cut side down, and thinly slice vertically to create half-moons. Repeat with the remaining oranges.

Place the fennel and arugula in a large serving bowl, add half of the vinaigrette and toss gently to coat thoroughly. Arrange the orange slices in a pinwheel or other design on top. Drizzle with the remaining vinaigrette and serve immediately.

Spinach Salad with Limed Pepitas and Dried Cranberries

Last night I catered a Halloween party. My client wanted me to make a salad using pepitas and dried cranberries. Pepita (from Mexican Spanish: pepita de calabaza, “little seed of squash”) is a Spanish culinary term for the pumpkin seed, the edible seed of a pumpkin or squash.

The following recipe is based on Mary Sue Milliken and Susan Feniger’s recipe from The Boarder Grill in Los Angeles. Their version of this salad uses pomegranate Seeds and jicama.  Also, if you are serving buffet style spinach is a good green to use.  It’s less delicate than lettuce and doesn’t go as limp.

I had never “limed” a pepitas before, but now I hooked!

Spinach Salad with Limed Pepitas and Dried Cranberries

Serves 12

1 cup pepitas or pumpkin seeds, raw and unsalted
1/4 cup lime juice mixed with 1 tsp salt
1 1/2 lbs baby spinach, washed
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
2/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 cup crumbled feta
1 cup dried cranberries

In a small, dry frying pan over medium heat, toast the pepitas until golden brown. Remove from heat, add the lime juice mixed with 1 teaspoon salt, and shake vigorously. Cook, shaking often, until the pan is dry and cool.

Whisk the 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, pepper, vinegar, and olive oil together in a small bowl and drizzle over the salad. Add the pepitas, feta, and dried cranberries and toss well. Serve immediately.

Chickpea and Paneer Salad

This is the perfect lunch to serve your vegetarian friends.

Paneer is an East Indian cheese. The two essential qualities of paneer is that it has no salt and does not melt (it just softens a bit when heated). Also, because no enzymes are added, paneer is completely vegetarian. You could substitute ricotta. Buy the extra firm brick, cube it up and pan fry. Or extra firm tofu.

Chickpea and Paneer Salad

Serves 4

15 oz can of chick peas, drained
3 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp dried chilli flakes
1 tsp paprika
4 Tbs olive oil
8 oz baby spinach
4 pre-cooked beets,cut into wedges
8 oz Paneer, cut into cubes
2 Tbs olive oil
1 lime
2 Tbs cilantro

Preheat the oven to 350˚. Toss the chickpeas in the garlic, spices and 3 Tbs olive oil; roast in the oven for 20–30 minutes.

Arrange the spinach leaves and beetroot on serving plates. Drizzle with the remaining 1 Tbs olive oil. Fry the paneer until warmed through and starting to turn golden. Divide this between the four plates, together with the roasted chick peas, while warm.

Drizzle each serving with the extra virgin olive oil and a squeeze of lime; season and garnish with the cilantro. Serve immediately.