Tag: Salad

Creamy Cilantro Dressing

by Pam on December 10, 2012

I made a very simple tossed salad last night with romaine, grape tomatoes, avocado, green onion, pumpkin seeds, cotija cheese crumbles, and tortilla crisps on top. I didn’t want to use our regular vinaigrette^[1] so I grabbed some cilantro and decided to make, instead of my usual Cilantro-Lime Vinaigrette^[2], a creamy cilantro dressing. It turned out very flavorful and delicious and we all, except for my son, loved it. I used lower fat buttermilk, mayonnaise, and sour cream but I am sure it would be tasty with the regular too. I recommend making it at least 30 minutes prior to serving so the flavors have time to mingle. I served this salad with the Black Bean Soup with Bacon^[3] and they paired perfectly together.

Blend together the buttermilk, mayonnaise, sour cream, cilantro, jalapeno, green onion, minced garlic, lime juice, cumin, oregano, sea salt, and freshly cracked pepper, to taste, using an immersion blender until well combined and creamy. Set aside to let the flavors mingle.

Place some chopped romaine in a serving bowl followed by grape tomatoes, diced avocado, green onion, pumpkin seeds, cotija cheese, and tortilla crisps. Drizzle the salad with the creamy cilantro dressing then toss to coat evenly. Serve immediately. Enjoy.

Print^[4]

Save^[5]

Creamy Cilantro Dressing

Yield: 8-10

Prep Time: 10 min.

Cook Time: 30 min. for flavors to mingle

Total Time: 40 min.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup of buttermilk
1/4 cup of olive oil mayonnaise
1/4 cup of sour cream
1/4 cup of fresh cilantro, chopped
1 small jalapeno, seeds removed & chopped
1 green onion, chopped
1 clove of garlic, minced
Juice from 1/2 a lime
1/4 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp oregano
Sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste

Directions:

Blend together the buttermilk, mayonnaise, sour cream, cilantro, jalapeno, green onion, minced garlic, lime juice, cumin, oregano, sea salt, and freshly cracked pepper, to taste, using an immersion blender until well combined and creamy. Set aside to let the flavors mingle.

Place some chopped romaine in a serving bowl followed by grape tomatoes, diced avocado, green onion, pumpkin seeds, cotija cheese, and tortilla crisps. Drizzle the salad with the creamy cilantro dressing then toss to coat evenly. Serve immediately. Enjoy.

Recipe and photos by For the Love of Cooking.net

References

^{^} regular vinaigrette (www.gordon-ramsay-recipe.com)
^{^} Cilantro-Lime Vinaigrette (www.gordon-ramsay-recipe.com)
^{^} Black Bean Soup with Bacon (www.gordon-ramsay-recipe.com)
^{^} Print Recipe (www.gordon-ramsay-recipe.com)
^{^} Save to ZipList Recipe Box (www.gordon-ramsay-recipe.com)

Raw Kale Salad – Mmmm…Tough and Bitter

I realized after watching the finished video for this raw
kale salad that I used the words “tough” and “bitter” about a dozen times. Not
exactly a ringing endorsement. I used those words because kale is tough and bitter,
but when properly prepared, those are valuable assets, not liabilities.

If you slice it thin, and toss it with other tasty treats,
the kale mellows out, and serves as a perfect foil for other vegetation. The
sweet, wet crunch of raw apple counters the bitterness, and the texture of the
leaves elevated from opposite directions by juicy orange and crunchy nuts. It’s
quite a scene.

I’m going to do a video for the orange cumin vinaigrette,
but in the meantime, the ingredients are listed below. Feel free to copy my salad formula, but this is more of an idea video than an actual recipe. You know what you
like, so whatever that is, add it to some raw kale, and see what happens.
Enjoy!

Ingredients for 2 big or 4 small Raw Kale Salads:

1 head green kale

1 persimmon, sliced

1 apple, sliced thin or matchstick cut

2 seedless oranges, cut into segments aka “supremes” (click here for video)

handful of chopped nuts

For the dressing:

1 rounded teaspoon Dijon mustard

1 rounded teaspoon orange zest

1 tsp cumin, or to taste

1/4 tsp red pepper flakes, or to taste

1 tbsp orange juice

1/4 cup rice vinegar (or white wine or sherry vinegar)

1/3 cup olive oil, or to taste

salt and pepper to taste

Fresh Fig and Arugula Salad with Goat Cheese

Fresh sweet figs with soft goat cheese over baby arugula topped with a balsamic glaze. A beautiful salad without the fuss, using only 5 ingredients; this salad will make you look like a rock star in the kitchen!

Once revered as a symbol of peace and prosperity, figs are beloved today for their unique flavor and texture. Not to mention, they offer some health perks, too: Figs contain some potassium and vitamin A.

What’s your Salad’tude this Holiday Season? My salad’tude is simple, healthy, beautiful and quick. Share your Salad’tude on Skinny Bits for a chance to win a Trip for Two to the four-star Solage Hotel & Spa in Napa Valley with Dole! (ends Sunday Nov 25th).
^[1]^[2]^[3]

Balsamic glaze is my favorite new find, it’s thick and sweet and you can drizzle it on salad,
sandwiches or even strawberries. I bought mine in Trader Joe’s but I see
it in stores everywhere now. It’s pairs perfectly with figs, and you only need to drizzle
a little olive oil on top.

You can serve this
salad on a large platter with olive oil and balsamic on the side, or you
can serve them on plates, one fig per person.

If goat cheese isn’t your thing, gorgonzola would make a perfect replacement. You could even add slivered almonds or walnuts.

Fresh Fig & Arugula Salad with Goat Cheese
gordon-ramsay-recipe.com
Servings: 8 • Serving Size: see below • Old Points: 2 pts • Points+: 3 pts
Calories: 124.5 • Fat: 4.5 g • Carb: 20.5 g • Fiber: 2 g • Protein: 2 g • Sugar: 15 g
Sodium: 43 mg

Ingredients:

8 cups baby arugula
8 fresh figs, washed and quartered
1.75 oz semi-soft goat cheese
1/2 cup balsamic glaze
4 tsp extra virgin oil

Directions:

Arrange arugula on a salad bowl or platter, or you can divide on 8 salad plates.

Top with quartered figs and goat cheese and serve with balsamic glaze and olive oil on the side.

Serving size: 1 cup arugula w/ cheese, 1 fig, 1 tbsp balsamic glaze, 1/2 tsp extra virgin olive oil.

Nutritional tid-bits provided by Heather K Jones^[4], RD (aka The Diet P.I.).

References

^{^} Share your Salad’tude on Skinny Bits (www.skinny-bits.com)
^{^} Solage Hotel & Spa (www.solagecalistoga.com)
^{^} Dole (salads.dole.com)
^{^} Heather K Jones (www.heatherkjones.com)