Classic Salad with Blue Cheese Dressing

I think it's because I didn't get to have hot dogs and go to a ball game on July 4th that I've been craving some all-American food. Burgers, chips, that sort of thing, and last night I made a solid burger and this simple salad. The choice of lettuce is up to you, I like to mix a couple different types like Romaine and green leaf. Also, if we weren't on a pinched budget I would have bought more blue cheese and made twice as much dressing - to save some for later!

There are all sorts of make ahead options here - the croutons, the bacon, the dressing - and if you can I suggest you make extra of all: prep twice as much bacon and croutons as you will need and you'll have two salads practically done for the week.

Classic Salad with Blue Cheese Dressing

(serves 6-8)

3 c cubed baguette

1/4 c - 1/3 c veg oil

1/2 lb bacon

1 clove garlic

kosher salt

2 tbs mayo

3 tbs buttermilk

1 1/2 tbs red wine vinegar

1 tsp Dijon

4 oz blue cheese

1/2 onion, sliced thin into half moons

1 celery stalk, thinly sliced crosswise

dash of cayenne

few handfuls of lettuce, chopped

1) Toss the bread chunks with a glug or do of veg oil, then pop them under the broiler until golden.

2) Cook the bacon until crisp, then break into about 1" pieces.

3) Mash the clove of garlic with a pinch or two of salt in a bowl (you can use a fork but a muddler gets the job done more easily).

4) Whisk in the mayo, buttermilk, vinegar and mustard. Slowly add the veg oil while whisking then season with salt and the dash of cayenne.

5) Combine the lettuce, onion, celery, bacon and croutons then dress and serve.

Chickpea Salad

I love chickpeas, and I love the fresh meaty-ness of this salad. The brightness of the mint and lemon with the salty feta and the warm chickpeas just make for a perfect lunch, snack or dinner salad on a summer evening.

Chickpea Salad
(Serves 6)

1 small red onion, peeled and thinly sliced
2 red chillies, deseeded and thinly sliced crosswise
3 handfuls red and yellow tomatoes, grape and cherry
2 lemons, juiced
evoo
sea or kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1 can of chickpeas, drained
handful of mint, chopped
handful of basil, torn
5 oz feta

1) Put the chillies and onions in a large bowl, then chop your tomatoes (halves and quarters) and add them with their juice.

2) Add the juice of the lemons and a few glugs of olive oil (to taste), then season.

3) Heat the chickpeas in a pan, mushing up some of them. When they are nice and warm add to the bowl.

4) Allow to sit for a few minutes while you prep other components of the meal, they flavors come together nicely at room temp. Add the mint, basil and feta just prior to serving.

Chicken Paillard and Warm New Potato Salad

One of the most recent Food & Wine e-mails included a feature on "April Fools" dishes - recipes that are impossibly simple but really impress. With only five ingredients in each, they make for really easy meals to pull off at the last minute (say, when I'm dead tired from work and can barely fathom making it up the stairs let alone making a nice meal!).

Since the ingredients are so focused, the recipes are very easy to scale up or down, and what follows are my recipes inspired by that same focus and scalability. If you like, you can find Food & Wine's recipes here.

Chicken Paillard with Tomato and Goat Cheese Salad

(4 servings)

4 chicken breasts, brined and pounded to an even thickness (about 1/3" thick)

1 c cherry tomatoes, halved

1 c grape tomatoes, halved

2-3 oz chevre, crumbled

3 tbs extra virgin olive oil

sea salt (a few very heavy pinches)

freshly ground pepper

1) Put the tomatoes in a colander over a bowl and salt liberally. Then toss and let stand (at least 15 minutes). Whisk 2 ounces of the goat cheese into the tomato juices that drain into the bowl. Add a couple tablespoons of olive oil and season with pepper. Crumble the remaining goat cheese and fold in.

2) Light a grill or heat up your grill pan. Brush the chicken breasts with the remaining olive oil and season well with salt and pepper. Place on the grill, leave for about five minutes on the first side. Turn, and cook an additional two minutes (or until cooked through).

3) Transfer the chicken to plates and top with the tomato and goat cheese mix.

Warm New Potato Salad with Arugula

(Serves 4-6)

2 lbs new potatoes, cleaned

1/2 lb fromage d'affinois

4 handfuls arugula

2 tbs extra virgin olive oil

salt

freshly ground pepper

Preheat the broiler

1) Place new potatoes in a saucepan, cover with water, and bring to a boil. Salt, and simmer until the potatoes are tender, then drain.

2) Toss the arugula with olive oil, then transfer to an ovenproof dish. Halve the cooked potatoes and place in a layer on top of the arugula.

3) Break up the cheese overtop of the potatoes, season generously with salt and pepper. Pop it all under the broiler for a minute to let the cheese met. Serve!

Chicken Salad with a Mint Dressing

This salad is refreshing, filling and oh so tasty! I love a nice salad for lunch, and this is by far one of the best recipes I have tried lately. The original calls for being a bit more luncheon-fancy with a serving of the dressed chicken mix over a single lettuce leaf, but I'm interested in getting plenty of leafy greens so I prefer taking a handful of the lettuce and tearing it up to make a proper salad. So simple, so easy and so rewarding!

Chicken Salad with a Mint Dressing
(serves 4)

Salad:
1 rotisserie cooked chicken, meat broke up (about 2 c)
1 c cucumber, seeded and chopped
2 round tbs red onion, diced
handful pecans, toasted
2-3 nectarines, seeded and chopped
red leaf lettuce, torn

Dressing:
1 c mint leaves
1/3 c sugar
1/4 white wine vinegar
1 tbs lemon juice
few pinches salt
few grinds of black pepper

1) To prepare the dressing either chop up the mint leaves and combine with the rest of the ingredients, or blitz the leaves in a food processor with the sugar and then combine with the remaining ingredients.

2) Combine the chicken, nectarines, cucumber, pecans and onion. Toss with dressing.

3) Serve over a handful of torn lettuce leaves.

Creamy Lentil Salad

Lentils are an amazing source of protein and a pretty unplumbed depth of culinary goodness. For any doubting their tasty potential, try this delicious and hearty salad. You can sprinkle the bacon and goat cheese on top if you don't want it to go all melty, but I think it's best gone all creamy and slightly warm!

Creamy Lentil Salad
(serves 8)

8 oz lentils
2 bay leaves
1 sprig ofthyme
1 large carrot, chopped fine
1 large celery stalk, chopped fine
2 rounded tbs shallots, minced
1 round tsp garlic, minced
3 Roma tomatoes, seeded and sliced thin
1 large handful of chopped hers (oregano, thyme, parsely)
4 oz goat cheese, crumbled
1/2 lb thick bacon, cooked and crumbled
kosher salt
freshly ground pepper

1) Combine the lentils, bay leaves, thyme, carrot, celery, shallot, and garlic in a saucepan and cover with water plus 1". Bring to a boil then simmer until veggies are soft.

2) Drain and pitch the bay leaves and thyme, set the rest aside in a large bowl.

3) Gently fold in the tomatoes, herbs, bacon and goat cheese then dress and serve!


Vinaigrette Dressing

1 c veg oil
1/3 c red wine vinegar
1 tbs, shallot, minced
3 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp salt
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1) Whisk the vinegar, mustard, shallot, salt and pepper together.

2) Slowly, very slowly, whisk in the oil. Adjust seasoning.