Salad Recipes For Dummies E-Book

Wendy Jo Peterson

• Herausgeber: John Wiley & Sons
• Kategorie: Fachliteratur
• Sprache: Englisch

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2022

Beschreibung

Tap into the secrets of great salads, from sassy dressings to crispy, crunchy greens that awaken your taste buds.

Salad Recipes For Dummies is packed with 150+ recipes for delicious salads for every lifestyle. Discover different ways to craft a salad, from zesty dressings to unique greens and grains. Explore the necessary tools to serve creative salads, from knife skills to a composed design. Get ready to globetrot, whipping up creamy salads from Eastern European to vibrant herb-focused Mediterranean main dishes and curried legumes inspired from India. Go from boring to bold with over 20 dressings. Skip the salad kits at the store and learn how to craft your own! Step beyond romaine and ranch with ideas for different base options (kale, watercress, or Swiss chard anyone?) eye-popping toppings, DIY salad kits, fruit salads, seasonal salads, and beyond. Leave the oven off and feel nourished with recipes like Lemon Orzo Pasta Salad, Cucumber Tomato and Goat Cheese, Italian Tortellini and Bean, German Potato Salad, Thai Bun Noodle Salad, Crunchy Taco Salad, and Thai Steak Salad. Hungry yet?

• Learn what top chefs know about crafting and preparing an amazing salad
• Make 150+ easy recipes for leafy salads, pasta salads, dressings, and more
• Prep ahead for healthy premade meal options—and skip the fast-food line
• Save time and money by creating your own salad kits and dressings

Home chefs looking to elevate their salads will love the incredible ideas found in Salad Recipes For Dummies.

Leseprobe

Salad Recipes For Dummies®

Published by: John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774, www.wiley.com

Copyright © 2023 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey

Published simultaneously in Canada

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Library of Congress Control Number: 2022946488

ISBN 978-1-119-90671-1 (pbk); ISBN 978-1-119-90673-5 (ebk); ISBN 978-1-119-90672-8 (ebk)

Salad Recipes For Dummies®

To view this book's Cheat Sheet, simply go to www.dummies.com and search for “Salad Recipes For Dummies Cheat Sheet” in the Search box.

Table of Contents

Cover

Title Page

Copyright

Introduction

About This Book

Foolish Assumptions

Icons Used in This Book

Beyond the Book

Where to Go from Here

Part 1: Breaking Down the Parts of a Salad

Chapter 1: Salad Basics

Types of Salads in This Book

Building a Salad Formula

Seasonal Considerations

Chapter 2: Tools and Techniques

Time-Saving Tools for Building the Perfect Salad

Plating a Beautiful Salad

Chapter 3: Going Shopping

Considering Your Options

Making a List, Checking It Twice

Part 2: Making a Plan

Chapter 4: Boosting Nutrition with Salads

Recognizing the Nutritional Benefits of Salads

Packing a Lunchtime Punch

Chapter 5: Making Salad-Inclusive Meal Plans

Savoring Seasonal Goodness

Adding Foreign Flair with Salads from around the World

Planning Meals When you Follow a Special Diet

Part 3: Jump-Starting Your Salad Journey

Chapter 6: Dressings

Chapter 7: The Classics

Chapter 8: Weeknight Side Salads

Chapter 9: Going Global

Chapter 10: Going Bold with Bowls

Chapter 11: Plant-Forward Protein Salads

Chapter 12: Crowd Pleasers

Part 4: Getting Creative with Salads

Chapter 13: Pantry Stars

Chapter 14: Starchy Salads

Chapter 15: Fruity Concoctions

Chapter 16: Sweet Salads

Part 5: The Part of Tens

Chapter 17: Ten (or So) Tips for Building Salads in a Jar

Start with the Dressing

Know Which Vegetables Can Touch the Dressing

Protect Delicate Ingredients with a Layer of Grains

Pack a Protein Punch

Use Nuts and Seeds to Separate the Protein Foods from the Toppings

Think Crunchy for Toppings

Choose Hardy Greens

Finish the Salad with Cheese

Chapter 18: Ten Homemade Salad Kits

Cobb Salad

Caesar Salad

Cranberry and Pecan Salad

Rancher’s Delight Salad

Southwestern Salad

Mediterranean Salad

Thai Salad

Harvest Salad

Carrot Crunch Salad

Orange Poppyseed Salad

Chapter 19: Ten Fun Ways to Add Crunch to a Salad

Croutons

Crispy, Fried Onions

Sweet or Savory Nuts

Seedy Wonders

Roasted Garbanzo Beans

Parmesan Crisps

Crunchy Noodles

Dried Fruit

Crushed Chips

Crisped Bacon

Chapter 20: Ten Common Types of Produce and How to Keep Them Fresh

Greens

Tomatoes

Cucumbers

Mirepoix

Herbs

Berries

Tubers

Green Beans

Citrus

Salad Toppings

Part 6: Appendixes

Appendix A: Metric Conversion Guide

Appendix B: Food Storage Guide

Appendix C: Food Safety Guide

Food Temperature

Cross-Contamination

Index

About the Author

Supplemental Images

Connect with Dummies

End User License Agreement

List of Illustrations

Chapter 2

FIGURE 2-1: How to hold a knife.

Guide

Cover

Table of Contents

Copyright

Title Page

Begin Reading

Index

About the Author

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Introduction

Raise your hand if you love salads? Me, too! It’s easy to find yourself in a rut when crafting a salad, though. Bored with your greens? Not sure what to add to the salad? No enticing dressings on hand? Well, cozy up to this book and try something new! Knowing how to build a salad takes some basic knife skills, but most salads can be made quickly and with little extra effort. When you understand the basics of salad making and you have some key ingredients on hand, you’re ready to get started. Whether they’re made with greens, grains, or gelatin, salads are the perfect addition to any meal or occasion. Consider this book your go-to guide for all things salad, from dressings to desserts. So, grab your cutting board and your chef’s knife and let’s get chopping!

About This Book

The purpose of this book is to empower you to be a savvy salad maker, from whipping up a dressing, to understanding the variety of salads you can create, and even how to make a dessert salad. This book works with a lot of familiar ingredients and helps you explore new and unique salad ingredients. You discover different ways to cut and serve fruits and vegetables and how to serve up a salad fit for a party. I include recipes from around the globe, from Ethiopia to Thailand, as well as some Southern favorites and classics. This book introduces you to the hows and whys of salad making. Think of it as your own personal coach to crafting the perfect salad!

The recipes in this book are very straightforward and easy to understand. But here are a few notes on the ingredients, which apply to all the recipes:

All oven temperatures are given in Fahrenheit. If you’re cooking with Celsius, you can find conversions in

Appendix A

.

Vegetarian recipes are marked with a tomato () in the Recipes in This Chapter lists, as well as in the Recipes in This Book.

Whole-fat dairy products are used, from milk to cheese to yogurt, unless specified otherwise in the ingredients list.

All eggs are large.

All flour is all-purpose flour, unless specified otherwise in the ingredients list.

All sugar is granulated sugar, unless specified otherwise in the ingredients list.

Salt is table salt unless specified otherwise.

Pepper is cracked pepper from a pepper mill, unless specified otherwise.

All dry ingredients are measured using nestled dry measuring cups, and all liquids are measured with clear glass measuring cups.

Lemon zest or orange zest refers to the outer colored peel, not any of the white pith.

Generally, canned, fresh, or frozen fruit can be substituted, unless the recipe specifies one or the other.

Many canned ingredients are used in this book. The recipes in this book were created with regular, not low-sodium, canned items. You can use low-sodium or regular, just be sure to test for the flavor profile prior to serving. If the canned item is packed in oil, the recipe will state this.

Within this book, you may note that some web addresses break across two lines of text. If you’re reading this book in print and want to visit one of these web pages, simply key in the web address exactly as it’s noted in the text, pretending as though the line break doesn’t exist. If you’re reading this as an e-book, you’ve got it easy — just click the web address to be taken directly to the web page.

Foolish Assumptions

In writing this book, I made a few assumptions about you, the reader:

Your time is important to you, and you want to spend less of it in the kitchen. You’re looking for simple, easy, and straightforward recipes.

You may be an experienced cook or a beginner. Whichever end of the spectrum you fall on (or somewhere in between), this book is for you!

Healthy and delicious meals are important to you and your family, and you don’t have a ton of time on your hands to make them.

If this sounds like you, you’ve come to the right place!

Icons Used in This Book

Throughout this book, you’ll see the following icons in the margin. Here’s a guide to what the icons mean:

The Tip icon marks information that can save you time and money as you’re planning, shopping for, and prepping meals in advance.

I use the Warning icon when I’m filling you in on important safety tips or tricks.

When offering an important message or reminder, I use the Remember icon.

Beyond the Book

In addition to the book you have in your hands, you can access some helpful extra content online. Check out the free Cheat Sheet by going to www.dummies.com and entering Salad Recipes For Dummies in the Search box. You’ll find a guide to greens, salad-making tips, and special tips for making delicious dressings.

Where to Go from Here

If you’re struggling to put together salads or craft just the right salad combo, spend some time getting to know the process in Part 1. If you’re looking for ways to add more salads into your daily routine, check out Part 2. Looking for that go-to salad dressing you can keep on hand? Head over to Part 3! Parts 3 and 4 have all the recipes — page through and earmark ones you’re most curious about making. Then make a plan by drafting a grocery list for three or four days and give them a try! You’ll even find tips on how long you can keep a salad prepped or fully made in your refrigerator. Part 5 includes The Part of Tens, which is always my favorite part in the For Dummies series!

I hope this book helps you fall in love with salads, if you aren’t already. I want you to discover recipes here that you’ll come back to for a lifetime. I want you to have confidence trying each of these recipes and using them for a special occasion or party. I hope that it’s the first book you pick up when you’re looking for ways to ramp up your veggies. Salads are fun and delicious, and they can be the star of any meal. So, break out your chef’s knife and cutting boards and jump in to salad making!

Part 1

Breaking Down the Parts of a Salad

IN THIS PART …

Discover the different types of salads and how to craft a plated salad.

Stock your kitchen with the right tools and ingredients for simple salad preparation.

Explore the best ways to shop for and store produce.

Chapter 2

Tools and Techniques

IN THIS CHAPTER

Discovering tools and techniques used in preparing salads

Serving salads like a pro

Not another kitchen gadget, right? Overall, I am a fan of an excellent knife and solid cutting board for most salad recipes. Tools can help with storage and preparation techniques, and they can enhance your use of ingredients. If you have a tiny kitchen, I get it — be mindful of the tools you have. If you have more space to store kitchen toys and tools, then some of these may speak to you. In this chapter, I break down my favorite tools used in salad making and give you ways to ramp up your presentation skills when serving up salads. Break out your best chef’s knife and let’s get started!

Time-Saving Tools for Building the Perfect Salad

When you’re making a salad, you don’t need much — just a good knife, a solid cutting board, and a fun way to serve your salad. Those are the basics. But if you want to create some cool cuts or create salads that have roasted or spiralized vegetables, you may want to grab some more tools.

If you love stocking up on kitchen gadgets, use this list as your excuse to cut loose! But you don’t need all the fancy tools to make a successful salad.

You can find each of the following items (listed roughly in order from most important to least important) at Williams-Sonoma or on Amazon:

Chef’s knife: A 6- or 8-inch chef’s knife is ideal for many tasks when you’re making salads. Top-rated knife brands include Mercer, Opinel, Victorinox, Wüsthof, and Zwilling.

One good knife is better than a bunch of cheap knives.

Cutting board:

Many people keep a couple of different colored cutting boards on hand to identify what they use them for — for example, green for produce, red for meats, and white for breads. The advantage of plastic cutting boards is that they’re usually dishwasher safe. Wood cutting boards are my favorite, though, and I oil mine with mineral oil every couple of weeks to keep the boards in top shape. IKEA has inexpensive wood cutting boards; if you keep wood cutting boards oiled, they’ll hold up to heavy use. Plus, wood cutting boards break down in landfills, unlike plastic.

Paring knife:

A paring knife is handy for smaller knife skills or hand peeling.

Tongs:

A variety of sizes exist. In my kitchen, I keep three sets of tongs on hand for turning meats or tofu in a frying pan, grilling, and tossing salads.

Salad spinner:

Salad spinners really help prolong the life of your greens. Wash them as soon as you get them and spin them dry to have lettuce ready any day of the week. OXO makes a small salad spinner that’s a great starting point.

Food processor:

Whether I’m whipping up a dressing or slicing vegetables, I regularly use my food processor. I’ve had a Cuisinart food processor for almost 30 years, and it still works well. You can find less expensive brands and more expensive brands — just consider your budget and what works best for your kitchen space.

Bread knife:

A well-made serrated knife is great for slicing your favorite crusty French bread to serve with your salad.

Vegetable peeler:

A multifunctional peeler can help with finite cuts, such as a julienne. The Deiss PRO Dual Julienne and Vegetable Peeler is well rated and can be found on Amazon.

Mandoline:

I have owned both a giant mandoline and a hand-held version, but I prefer a simple hand-held mandolin. The OXO Good Grips Simple Mandoline Slicer is easy to use and is dishwasher safe. Be mindful and use the guard when using a mandoline — even experienced chefs have cut the tips of fingers on a mandoline.

Spiralizer:

You can make

zoodles

(vegetable noodles) or curly fries in an instant with a spiralizer. The Spiralizer 7-Blade Vegetable Slicer has earned top marks but is bulky and large. Look for one that fits in your kitchen and works well for your preferred vegetables. Read the reviews before making a purchase.

Blender:

Blenders can be good when whipping up larger batches of dressings or blending soups. If you have a food processor, you may not need a blender.

Sheet pans:

While I was living in Europe, I fell in love with cast-iron and heavy black steel pans. I like how these are versatile and can be used on the stovetop, on a grill, or in the oven. Cast iron also heats evenly. Aluminum pans are lightweight and easy to use in the oven. USA Pan Bakeware is a good brand for lightweight baking sheets and can be found on Amazon.

Digital thermometer:

Many people still cut into meat to check for doneness, but I always encourage the use of a meat thermometer to check for doneness instead. A digital thermometer is inexpensive (ranging from $15 to $30) and quickly registers temperature, giving you an accurate measurement of the food’s internal temperature.

TAKING ADVANTAGE OF A MULTICOOKER

Rice, grains, and legumes can be made to perfection in a multicooker like an Instant Pot. Making grains or legumes in bulk and freezing them will help future meals come together quickly. Multicookers are particularly useful when making bowls, which often have a grain, a legume, and raw and roasted vegetables with a dressing. Check out my book Instant Pot Cookbook For Dummies (Wiley) for tips on how to use a multicooker, as well as more than a hundred recipes.

Plating a Beautiful Salad

We eat with our eyes first. I’m not suggesting that you need to create a work of art for the plate, but a little effort in meal presentation can encourage even a picky eater to try something new! In this section, I walk you through knife skills and preferred cuts when plating a salad, foods used in garnishing salads, and a variety of ways to style or plate a salad.

Sharpening your knife skills

Learning how to hold a knife and work a knife can make you much more efficient in the kitchen. In culinary schools, knife skills are always taught within the first week and emphasized throughout every course.

When holding a knife, move your hand up closer to the blade (see Figure 2-1). Have a firm grip, with your index finger over the spine of the knife and your thumb pressed on the flat part of the knife. This grip allows for a solid hold on the knife, creating a safer cut. Plus, it’s more efficient when cutting.

Photograph by Wendy Jo Peterson (author) and Grace Geri Goodale

FIGURE 2-1: How to hold a knife.

Keep your knives sharp! A sharp knife is less likely to cause an accident than a dull blade. A dull blade can slip with pressure, possibly causing injury.

When you’re making a salad, a lot of time goes into the aesthetics (the way the salad looks), and although you may not realize it, taste is affected by presentation as well. If you have a giant chunk of bell pepper and a tiny piece of carrot, you may not even taste the carrot. The recipes in this book offer suggestions on how to cut each item, because it does play into the overall taste profile of the salad.

Here are common cuts I recommend throughout the book:

Brunoise:

A French knife technique creating a tiny dice. Typically, a julienne is cut first, and then the matchsticks are cut into tiny dice. Often used with carrots, cucumbers, and bell peppers in salads.

Dice:

Cutting food items into cube shapes, either small (¼ inch), medium (½ inch), or large (¾ to 1 inch). Often used with potatoes, sweet potatoes, butternut squash, kohlrabi, or beets.

Grate:

Grab your box grater or hand-held grater to create a fine or large grated texture with hard vegetables. Carrots, beets, zucchini, or any hard fruit or vegetable can be grated.

Julienne:

A French knife technique referring to long, thin strips that look like matchsticks. Often used with carrots, cucumbers, and bell peppers.

Spiralize:

A continuous cut around food, creating a long spiral. This cut requires a spiralizer to make. Spiralizing is an attractive way to serve cucumbers, summer squash, carrots, or any other hard vegetable.

Zest:

You can use a microplane or hand-held zesting tool to create a fine grate. Often used with citrus to extract natural oils found in the rind of the citrus peel. You can also zest ginger, carrots, garlic, shallots, onions, and chocolate.

Making garnishes

Garnishes can really elevate your salad game. The general rule is to garnish only with items that are already in your salad. So, you wouldn’t want to garnish with parsley if there isn’t any parsley in the recipe. In the recipes in this book, you’ll find suggestions for garnishes.

Here’s a simple list of garnishes that are frequently used in salads. Keep this list on hand when you want to elevate any dish, including salads:

Bacon (crumbled)

Berries (thinly sliced and fanned)

Cheese (grated)

Cilantro (sprig or chopped)

Cracked red pepper flakes

Cucumbers (sliced and fanned)

Dressings

Green onions (thinly sliced)

Lemon (zest or wedges)

Lime (zest or wedges)

Mayonnaise

Mint (sprig or chopped)

Orange (zest, wedges, or sliced)

Parsley (sprig or chopped)

Peanuts (chopped or whole)

Pine nuts

Pomegranate arils

Rosemary (sprig)

Sea salt (large flakes, such as Himalayan pink sea salt or Hawaiian black sea salt)

Sesame seeds (black or white)

Sriracha sauce

Sunflower seeds

Vinaigrette

Walnuts (chopped or whole)

Styling a salad or a bowl

Styling a salad can be simple or require a bit more patience and skill. The great thing about a salad is that there really isn’t a wrong way to serve it up. You can tap into your creative side or simply toss and serve.

If you want to impress your guests or entice your family, try some of the following techniques:

Charcuterie:

This technique is great for a crowd! Charcuterie refers to prepared cold cooked and cured meats served with cheeses, crackers, breads, fruits, and salads. You can also see salads served up this way, allowing for guests to pick and choose their favorite toppings. Many restaurants have started to refer to this as a

grazing table.

Spread out a piece of parchment paper, and let your kids help you artistically design your grazing table!

Circular:

The salad is arranged to form a circle, with the center being the toppings (like cheese, croutons, or dressing). I like to place the dressing in a bowl in the center and create individual ingredients around the dressing bowl. It’s best if the ingredients have bold colors that you want to highlight. This technique works well with the French Tuna Niçoise Salad in

Chapter 9

.

Layered:

Think about the classic Layered Bean Salad (

Chapter 12

) — each ingredient is a layer, like a lasagne. Often these can be made as an overnight salad with ingredients that hold up well stored for a couple days in the refrigerator.

Linear:

If you look at a round plate filled with lettuce, you use the toppings or additional ingredients to draw lines over the base ingredients. This technique is great in the Cobb Salad or Chopped House Salad (both in

Chapter 7

). You can also use this technique when making bowls (see

Chapter 10

).

Tossed:

Tossing a salad may seem obvious, but there is a technique to this serving style as well. I recommend tossing your greens or salad with the dressing in a separate bowl; then place the tossed salad in the serving bowl. This evenly distributes the dressing and allows you to reposition the toppings on top of the dressed greens for presentation while your greens aren’t swimming in dressing.

Styling salads can be fun with kids because it gives them a chance to play with their food! And playing with food can increase their likelihood of trying the food. Sounds like a winning match!

STORING SALADS FOR LATER

Salads can be prepped in advance (either by preparing individual ingredients or by preparing the salads themselves) and stored in the refrigerator. Glass jars (like Mason jars or Pyrex storage containers) are heat- and cold-safe. Glass is incredibly useful for storing meal-prepped items for dinner. Plus, they can be stacked neatly in the refrigerator for clean storage and food identification.

Studies have found that certain chemicals found in plastic can leach out and into the foods or beverages we eat; this connection has also been linked to health issues such as endocrine and fertility issues. For this reason, I recommend glass, aluminum, or silicone for food storage needs instead of plastic.