Papaya Salad (SOM TUM): Serves 4
101 Asian Dishes You Need to Cook Before You Die, by Jet Tila
Dressing
- ¼ cup fish sauce
- ¼ cup lime juice
- ½ palm or brown sugar
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1T dried, salted shrimp
- 1-3 Thai chilies, minced
Salad
- 4 cups young green papaya, grated
- 1 cup long beans, cut on the bias into 1 and ½ lengths, divided
- 8-10 cherry tomatoes, quartered, divided
- 1 cup chopped, roasted peanuts
For the Dressing:
Place the ingredients, 4 tomatoes and a quarter of the long beans into a blender and pulse them together for about 5 seconds. The dressing should be slightly chunky. The amount of chilies used depends on how spicy you like your food.
For the Papaya Salad:
In a large bowl, toss the papaya, remaining long beans, remaining tomatoes and some of the peanuts together with the dressing to taste. Make sure to aggressively mix the ingredients to slightly break up the tomatoes and beans. Garnish the salad with the remaining peanuts.
Lentil Salad with Olives, Mint and Feta: Serves 4-6
The Science of Good Cooking: Master 50 Simple Concepts to Enjoy a Lifetime of Success in the Kitchen, by The Editors of America’s Test Kitchen and Guy Crosby, Ph.D.
Ingredients
- 1 cup lentils, picked over and rinsed
- Salt & Pepper
- 4 cups water
- 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 5 garlic cloves, lightly crushed and peeled
- 1 bay leaf
- 5 T extra-virgin olive oil
- 3 T white wine vinegar
- ½ cup coarsely chopped pitted Kalamata olives
- ½ cup minced fresh mint
- 1 large shallot, minced
- 1 ounce feta cheese, crumbled (1/4 cup)
Directions:
Place lentils and 1 t salt in bowl. Cover with 4 cups warm water (about 110 degrees) and soak for 1 hour. Drain well. (Drained lentils can be refrigerated for up to 2 days before cooking.)
Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 325 degrees. Place drained lentils, 2 cups water, broth, garlic, bay leaf and ½ t salt in medium saucepan. Cover and bake until lentils are tender but remain intact, 40 minutes to 1 hour. Meanwhile, whisk oil and vinegar together in large bowl.
Drain lentils well, remove and discard garlic and bay leaf. Add drained lentils, olives, mint, and shallot to dressing and toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Transfer to serving dish, sprinkle with feta and serve.
Arugula, Fennel and Grape Salad: Serves 4
Stirring the Pot, by Tyler Florence
Ingredients
- 2 T lemon juice
- 1 t Dijon mustard
- ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 t sugar
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 small fennel bulb
- 4 cups packed baby arugula
- 1 cup red seedless grapes
- ½ cup roasted cashews
To Prepare the Vinaigrette:
combine lemon juice and mustard in a large bowl. Slowly pour in the oil, whisking until the mixture has emulsified. Season with sugar, about ½ t salt and black pepper.
Wash fennel bulb. Using a mandolin or sharp knife, shave the fennel lengthwise so each piece is still held together by the root. Drop shaved fennel pieces in a large bowl of ice water for 1 minute to crisp, drain and dry.
When ready to serve, toss fennel, arugula, grapes and cashews together in a large salad bowl. Toss salad with the vinaigrette to coat. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Couscous with watermelon, watercress and feta cheese: Serves 4
Weeknights with Giada, by Giada Delaurentiis
Ingredients
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 cup Israeli couscous
- Grated zest and juice of 2 lemons
- ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 T honey
- 1 (4lb) piece watermelon, rind removed, flesh cut into ½ inch cubes
- 2 (4 oz.) blocks feta cheese cut into ½ inch cubes
- 2 packed cups of watercress or arugula
Directions:
In a medium saucepan, bring 3 cups of water and 1 t salt to boil over medium high heat, stirring the couscous and reduce the heat so that the mixture simmers. Cover the pan and cook for 8-10 minutes, until the couscous is tender. Drain and set aside to cool for 15 minutes.
In the salad bowl whisk together lemon zest, lemon juice, olive oil, honey, 1 t salt and ½ t pepper. Add cold couscous, watermelon, feta and watercress or arugula. Toss until all the ingredients are combined. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.
Cook’s Tip: Make sure you coat the potatoes thoroughly in the oil so that when you turn them during cooking each side will brown.
Soba Noodle Salad with Tahini Dressing: Serves 4
Make it Japanese: Simple Recipes for Everone, by Rie McClenny
Tahini Dressing
- 3 T Tahini
- 2 T rice vinegar
- 2 T toasted sesame oil
- 2 t soy sauce
- 1 t sugar
- 1 T toasted white sesame seeds
- Kosher salt
Soba Noodle Salad
- 9 ½ oz. (3 bundles) soba noodles
- Kosher salt
- 1 Persian (mini) cucumber, cut into thin matchsticks
- 3 radishes, thinly sliced (about ½ cup)
- 2 cups baby spring mix
- 1 bunch cilantro, leaves picked
Bring a large pot of water to a boil.
To make the Tahini dressing:
In a large bowl, combine the Tahini, rice vinegar, sesame oil, soy sauce, and sugar and mix well. Gradually add 1 T water, mixing well to combine. Add more water if the consistency is too thick. The dressing should be
To Make the soba noodle salad:
Add the soba noodles to the pot of boiling water and cook according to the package directions. Drain and rinse under cold water. Transfer the noodles to the bowl of Tahini dressing and toss to combine. Taste and season with salt, if desired.
Transfer the noodles to a large serving bowl or platter. Top with the cucumber, radishes, baby spring mix, and cilantro leaves.
Black Bean and Corn Salad: Serves 4
Hungry for Home: A Year Together at Hillside Farm, by Ruth McKeaney
Ingredients
- 1 can black beans
- 2 cups corn (thawed if from frozen)
- ½ cup red onion
- 1 cup grape tomatoes
- ½ cup fresh cilantro
- ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 T seasoned sweet rice vinegar
- 2 avocados
Directions:
Step 1: Rinse and drain the beans and pour into a large serving bowl and add corn
Step 2: Dice and add red onions
Step 3: Slice and add tomatoes
Step 4: Mince and add cilantro
Step 5: In a separate bowl, combine olive oil, vinegar, and sand and pepper to taste
Step 6: Pour over the vegetables and stir to combine
Step 7: Lastly, carefully chop avocados into 1-inch pieces and gently stir them in.
Little Gem Strawberry Salad: Serves 4
Love and Lemons Simple Feel Good Food by Jeanine D'onofrio
Strawberry Salad
- 1 shallot, thinly sliced
- 6 oz. Little Gem lettuce (available at Trader Joe's or substitute butter lettuce or romaine)
- 3 cups sliced strawberries
- 3 oz. goat cheese
- ½ cup chopped walnuts
Basic Lemon Dressing
- ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
- 1 small garlic clove, grated
- 1 t Dijon mustard
- ½ t honey
- ¼ t sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Directions:
In a small, lidded jar, place the olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, mustard, honey, salt and several grinds of pepper. Cover and shake to combine.
Waldorf "Salad": Serves 4
Vegetables Unleashed, by Jose Andres
Macerated Celery
- 5 celery ribs
- 1 and ½ cups of apple cider or apple juice
- 3 T good quality apple cider vinegar such as Bragg
- ½ t kosher salt
Blue Cheese Cream
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 2 oz. blue cheese
- ½ t kosher salt
Garnish
- ¼ cup corn nuts or chopped walnuts
- Light green celery leaves
For the Macerated Celery:
Using a vegetable peeler or sharp knife, peel the celery ribs and cut into 4-inch lengths
Combine the apple cider, cider vinegar and salt into a bowl and add the celery. Place in bowl and in the refrigerator and let macerate at least 2 hours.
For the Blue Cheese Cream:
Combine the cream and the blue cheese in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat, whisking until smooth. Strain the cream into a medium bowl and let cool. Refrigerate until chilled, at least 2 hours.
To Finish the Dish:
Drain the celery, reserving the macerating liquid, and pat dry. Transfer the celery to a dish with a cover, and refrigerate.
Pour the macerating liquid into a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Simmer, stirring occasionally, about 35 minutes, until it has reduced to a syrupy consistency. Transfer to a small bowl and let stand at room temperature to cool.
Once the blue cheese cream has cooled, whip it with a hand mixer until fairly firm. Transfer the cream to a piping bag with a small plain tip or place in a sturdy plastic bag and snip off a small corner.
Arrange the celery smooth side down on a serving plate. Drizzle some of the apple syrup down the center of each piece and fill the centers with the blue cheese mixture. Garnish with nuts or celery leaves. Serve chilled.
