South Beach Cabbage Salad

I got this recipe from my friend Annie. I believe she said it was from the South Beach book - I'm not sure, but it sure is good, and easy!

1/2 head cabbage (purple or green)
3 scallions, chopped fine
2 Tbs. Sesame oil
2 Tbs. Rice vinegar
2 Tbs. toasted sesame seeds

Combine all of it in a bowl. Serve.

Tip: The grocery store will cut large vegetables in half for you. Just find the grocer and ask for 1/2 a head of cabbage. A great way to cut down on waste!

Blue Cheese Wedge

Clipped this recipe out of Wine Spectator magazine. It's phenomenal. Below is just the dressing, you'll also need the iceberg lettuce, bacon (probably about 1 - 2 pieces per person), some yummy tomatoes chopped up (the small cherry or grape tomatoes are usually good) and reserve some blue cheese for crumbling over top.

Bok Choy Salad

1 head Bok Choy, chopped
3 green onions, chopped
2 packs Ramen noodles (break the noodles up. throw out the seasoning packet)
1/4 cup butter
Dressing:
3/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup rice vinegar (or white wine vinegar)
1/2 cup sugar
1 Tbs. soy sauce

Melt butter in a skillet, brown ramen noodles in butter. In a small saucepan, heat the ingredients for the dressing until just to a boil. Remove from heat and cool thoroughly. Toss the Bok Choy and green onions in a large bowl. Either mix and dress the entire salad, or just what you need. Store salad, dressing and noodles separately. Add a pinch of salt before serving.

Spinach & Blue cheese salad with sliced apples & caramelized pecans

1 apple, chilled

juice of 1 small lemon

8 oz spinach, washed, thoroughly dried, and stemmed

1 small head radicchio (about 3 oz), cut into chiffonade (shredded)

1/2 cup blue cheese, crumbled

kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

about 1/2 cup of Spago house dressing (recipe follows)

1 cup Spiced Caramelized Pecans (recipe follows - an adaption)

Cut the apple into quarters, remove the stem and seeds, and cut into very thin slices. Sprinkle lemon juice over the slices and set aside.

When ready to serve, in a large bowl, combine apple, spinach, radicchio and blue cheese. Season lightly with salt and pepper and toss with the dressing. Adjust seasoning to taste. To serve, divide the salad among 4 plates and sprinkle with pecans.

Dressing:

3 Tbs. balsamic vinegar

1 Tbs. sherry wine (or red wine) vinegar

1 Tbs. dijon mustard

1 small shallot, minced

1/2 tsp. minced fresh thyme leaves

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/3 cup walnut oil

1/4 tsp kosher salt

1/8 tsp ground white pepper (or black)

In a medium bowl, whisk together the balsamic and sherry or red wine vinegars, the dijon mustard, minced shallot and minced thyme. Slowly whisk in the oils and when emulsified, season with salt and pepper. Refrigerate in a covered container. (it will keep for 3 to 4 weeks).

Pecans (This is an adaptation of the recipe that I think is easier):

1 cup pecan halves

1 tsp kosher salt

1/4 tsp cayenne

1/2 cup confectioners sugar

Pam cooking spray

Preheat oven to 350. Boil pecans in small sauce pan of water. remove with slotted spoon to a bowl and immediately sprinkle over the sugar, salt and cayenne. Stir until well coated. Spray a cookie sheet with Pam then place pecans on cookie sheet. Spray the pecans with another quick coating of Pam. Bake and watch very closely, as not to burn, stir a few times to move around and get them uniformly cooked. Probably will caramelize and toast in 5 - 10 minutes. When you remove the pan, stir again and let cool (you don't want any large clusters of pecans - try to even out while hot).

* This salad also good with grilled chicken.

Chopped Mango Salad

Amounts of ingredients are up to you. Add as much or little as you like.

Lettuce, chopped (Romaine, red leaf, or green leaf)

Green onions, chopped

Red bell pepper, chopped

cilantro, chopped fine

ripe mango, chopped

pumpkin seeds, raw

Dorothy Lynch salad dressing (this might be regional to the mid-west. I can get it in Denver - it's a sweet dressing, maybe french style)

You could add grilled steak or chicken for a main dish salad

Chinese Chicken Salad

2 chicken breasts (boneless, skinless)

Marinade: 1 Tbs toasted sesame oil

            1 Tbs chili garlic paste

sprinkle of garlic powder

sprinkle of ground ginger

salt and pepper

*Marinate 30 + minutes and grill (I use my Foreman Grill)

Salad:

Red leaf lettuce

purple cabbage, shredded or chopped very fine

green onions, chopped

cilantro, chopped

cucumber, peeled, sliced and seeded

slivered almonds (could be toasted or untoasted)

chow mein noodles

(shredded or julienned carrots or red pepper are great in this too)

Dressing:

1/4 cup rice vinegar

3 Tbs canola oil

2 Tbs toasted sesame oil

1 Tbs. creamy peanut butter

1 Tbs honey

1 tsp dijon mustard

1 tsp soy sauce

1 egg yolk (I cook mine slightly in double boiler. But I was pregnant when I made for the first time ... I'd eat a raw yolk otherwise)

Salt & Pepper to taste

Whisk dressing ingredients and add Salt and Pepper to taste. Toss with salad ingredients and plate. Top with grilled chicken.

BBQ Chopped Chicken Salad

Amounts on the ingredients in this salad are up to your interpretation.  No measuring necessary - just throw stuff in.

1 head Lettuce (romaine, iceberg are both good - even great mixed)

1/2 container fresh basil, chopped

1/4 jicima, chopped (jicima is a vegetable that you can have your grocer cut in half for you. Sometimes this is necessary, because they can be very large.)

black beans (I usually use about 1/2 a can, drained and rinsed)

White shoepeg corn (again, usually use about 1/2 a can, drained)

shredded montery jack cheese

crushed tortilla chips

Ranch Dressing (I like Marie's from the produce section)

1 Avocado, chopped

1 tomato, chopped

1 lime wedged - to garnish and serve with salad

2 Grilled chicken breasts, chopped and coated with BBQ sauce

In a large salad bowl, toss lettuce, basil, jicima, beans, corn, chips, cheese and dressing. It's pretty if you transfer to a large platter to serve. I usually edge the platter with tomatoes and top with chicken and avocado.