Winter might not seem like salad season, but by adding grains, fish or meats to your greens you you can bulk them up to be more substantial and satisfying.
Warm Ham Salad with Pineapple
Pineapple and honey vinaigrette:
1/2 cup (125 ml) olive oil
1/3 cup (75 ml) pineapple juice
1/4 cup (50 ml) white wine vinegar
2 Tbsp. honey
2 cloves garlic
1/2 to 1 tsp. (2 to 5 ml) ground cumin
Salt and ground pepper, to taste
2 Tbsp. (30 ml) honey
Salad:
4-8 leaves red lettuce
2 cups (500 ml) young arugula or shredded arugula
1 red onion, halved and sliced
1 Tbsp. (15 ml) olive oil
1 lb. (500 g) smoked ham, cut into small pieces
1 1/2 cups (375 ml) pineapple tidbits
6 thick slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
2 Tbsp. (30 ml) fresh cilantro, chopped
1/3 cup (75 ml) toasted pine nuts
In a bowl, whisk all of the vinagrette ingredients together well. Add honey, if desired and set aside.
Place 1 or 2 lettuce leaves in four plates and arrange arugula over top.
In a skillet, heat onion in oil for 2 minutes over medium heat, continue to mix. Increase heat slightly, add ham and pineapple pieces and cook for 4-5 minutes, or until food is browned.
Add 1/3 cup (75 ml) of vinaigrette and allow to reduce until almost dry. Add bacon and cilantro and mix well. Pour mixture over arugula, garnish with pine nuts and spray with vinaigrette, to taste. Serve immediately.
Serves 4.
Warm Lamb and Barley Salad with Jasmine Green Tea
In this recipe, the slightly sour taste of the green tea, the subtle perfume of jasmine and the spice of the arugula brings out the taste of the lamb. The combination with the barley is great!
1 cup (250 ml) pearl barley
3 cups (750 ml) water
2 tsp. (10 ml) jasmine green tea
1 cup (250 ml) boiling water
1 Tbsp. (15 ml) butter
1 Tbsp. (15 ml) olive oil
Whites and greens of one leek, chopped
2 carrots, diced
3/4 cup (175 ml) lamb or vegetable broth
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 red pepper, diced
1 Tbsp. (15 ml) balsamic vinegar
1 Tbsp. (15 ml) extra virgin olive oil
2 cups (500 ml) chopped arugula
2 tsp. (10 ml) jasmine green tea
3/4 tsp. (4 ml) sea salt
12 dried green peppercorns
4-6 (1 lb./500 g) lamb fillets
1 tsp. (5 ml) butter
1 tsp. (5 ml) olive oil
In a large bowl, soak barley in water for 6 hours at room temperature or 12 hours in the refrigerator. Drain and reserve. Brew green tea in the boiling water for 5 minutes. Strain and reserve liquid.
In a pan, heat the first portion of butter and oil and cook leek and carrots over medium-low heat for 5 minutes. Add barley and mix well. Add the brewed tea and the broth. Cover and cook at low heat for 20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and add the red pepper. Cover, remove from heat and let sit for 5 minutes.
Mix the balsamic and olive oil. Pour it into the barley and add arugula. Dress while on the plates. In the meantime, crush the other quantity of green tea with the salt and peppercorns using a mortar. Spread mixture evenly over the lamb fillets.
In a skillet, heat the second quantity of butter and olive oil over medium-high heat and cook the fillets on each side for 4-5 minutes.
Remove the meat from the skillet and plate. Let sit for 4-5 minutes and then slice them diagonally. Add to plates already garnished with barley salad.
Serves 4.
Crab Salad with Guacamole and Chipotle Mayonnaise
4 cups (1 L) shredded lettuce, packed
1 small red onion, halved and thinly sliced
2 cups (500 ml) cherry tomatoes, halved
1 1/4 cups (300 ml) cooked crab meat, bite-sized pieces
1 cup (250 ml) garlic croutons, coarsely crumbled
Guacamole and chipotle mayonnaise:
1 1/4 cups (300 ml) avocado, diced
3 Tbsp. (45 ml) lime juice
1/2 cup (125 ml) mayonnaise
6 1/2 Tbsp. (95 ml) tomato, diced
1 large garlic clove, pressed
2 or 3 Tbsp. (30 to 45 ml) fresh coriander, chopped
1 1/2 or 2 Tbsp. (20 to 25 ml) Tabasco sauce
On four plates, make a bed of lettuce and garnish with onion and reserve.
Prepare the mayonnaise. Put the avocado and the lime juice in a large, deep plate and crush the flesh with the back of a fork until you have a smooth puree. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix well. Keep refrigerated.
Spread the mayo mixture over the lettuce leaving a 1 1/2-inch (4 cm) border. Arrange the tomatoes evenly around the edge.
Place the crab pieces on the mayo mix and top with crushed croutons.
Serve immediately. Serves 4.
Chicken Caesar Salads
3 Tbsp. (45 ml) olive oil
3 (7 oz./200 g) chicken breasts, de-boned, without skin
8 slices of bacon
2 heads washed romaine lettuce
1 cup (250 ml) grated Parmesan cheese
1 1/2 cups (375 ml) croutons
Your favourite Caesar salad dressing, to taste
Heat the oven to 350 F (180 C). In a pan, heat oil over medium heat. Cook chicken breasts for 2 minutes on each side and put them in a baking dish. Bake 12 minutes.
Meanwhile, cook the bacon in the microwave, between two sheets of paper towel, for 7 minutes. Chop coarsely and reserve.
In a large bowl, combine lettuce, cheese, croutons, bacon and vinaigrette.
When ready to serve, place salad in four plates. Slice chicken breasts and place on each portion.
