A Week of Salads
My fiance (god that word bugs me lol) works out of town on the oil rigs during the week, for the most part. This week and next, he is here. Out on the rigs, he eats a LOT of convenience store food, so he has been inhaling veggies right and left since he got back (for a roughneck, he has a great palate, having worked in places like Jackie's Bistro in Evanston IL and Ruth's Chris in Chicago). I told him that this week for dinner, we would have salads every night to get some vegetables in his belly. He is very excited. I need some help - I do love nuts, cheeses, and dried fruit in salad, but it's usually just pine nuts and feta. What do you do for a main course salad?
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24 Comments:
I did a falafel salad a little while ago with all the stuff I would put ON a falafel in a pita: baby greens, spinach, cucumber, and tomato with a tzatziki dressing thinned out with extra lemon juice. I baked the falafel in crumbles instead of patties ... though I'm probably going to cross over to the dark side of frying soon. Have fun!
joyyy at 2:33PM on 02/23/09
I dress my greens with water-packed tuna (you could use the good stuff in olive oil, and it would be nice), lemon juice, lots of black pepper and perhaps a little tomato and boiled egg; salade nicoise in a bowl. And there is no reason that you must have "salad greens" in a salad. Lots of vegetables are delighted to live with a vinaigrette or similar dressing. Shredded carrots lightly dressed with a cumin-laced olive oil, cabbage and a little onion with Thai fish sauce, lime juice, a wee pinch of red pepper and slightly more of sugar, cucumbers and onion in yogurt, again with cumin and a little salt, a sort of thick version of raita.
lemons at 2:56PM on 02/23/09
Spinach and romaine with sliced tart apples, toasted walnuts, diced dry figs and a tangy crumbled cheese. Use a dressing made from cider, cider vinegar, dijon or brown mustard and honey, plus olive oil. Some chicken on top makes it even heartier. This is one of my faves through the cold months.
I am also a big fan of putting hot items on top of cold salad items. Like roasted veggies (potatoes, beets, sweet potatoes, onion, carrot, parsnip, rutabaga etc.) or a good thick chili or just some quick sauteed veggies over a crisp bed of lettuces and tomato/other cold veg of choice. Good with a balsamic dressing if using roasted veg. Makes it seem like a hearty hot meal, but it is lighter and you get all the tasty veggies you like.
sadiepix at 3:00PM on 02/23/09
Some of my favorites.
I do love your basic Ceasar salad. You could add your protein of choice.
I also love a mix of saladgreens with good tomatoes (I use grape tomatoes this time of year.) thinly sliced red onions and a few slices of grilled steak (flank is my favorite.) topped with a zesty vinagar and oil dressing spiked with some fresh herbs.
I like chopped salads. all ingredients are chopped quite small -- carrots, green onions, mushrooms, tomatoes, red pepper, cucumber (and any other leftover veggies you have Green beans, asparagas, peas, corn etc.-- all chopped small.) Add a grated egg a few toasted almonds and romaine -- thinly sliced or chopped. Toss with dressing of your choice.
lakeloverhh at 3:13PM on 02/23/09
The classics are always good and filling...
Chinese chicken, Chicken Caesar, Crab or shrimp Louie...just add whatever veggies you want to them. Although I am not a big fan of RR recipes I often do a version of her Buffalo chicken salad but with home made blue cheese dressing (http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/rachael-ray/buffalo-chicken-salad-recipe/index.html)...and it's got that whole hot/cold thing going.
With a good french, Italian, miso, or balsamic vinaigrette you can create just about anything and I guarantee it won't be bad!
some topping suggestions...
Beans (kidney, garbanzo, white, etc)
Lightly toasted almonds, walnuts, etc
Deli meats and cheeses
Grilled salmon or other fish
Roasted veggies (beets, asparagus, broccoli, etc)
Hard-boiled eggs
Fresh fruit (apples, mandarins, etc)
Experiment! Good Luck...
GrimChef at 3:19PM on 02/23/09
Hard-boiled eggs and a mayonnaise-y dressing can be the focus of a salad of fresh cool greens--such as romaine, arugula, radicchio, butter lettuce etc (those just happen to be my favorites). It's like a deconstructed egg salad.
annien at 3:43PM on 02/23/09
I love doing chopped salads when greens get monotonous. Carrots, celery, bell pepper, radishes, tomatoes, hearts of palm and tuna plus a lemon vinaigrette is good.
Toasted walnuts, pecans or slivered almonds are good nut variants.
Grilled veggies are great, as well.
Try thinly sliced red and napa cabbages with grilled chicken, bell peppers, cilantro and carrots with a soy/lime based dressing, spiced up with a hint of brown sugar, jalapeno and ginger.
One of my faves is spinach with sliced strawberries (not currently in season, I know, I'm sorry) with toasted pine nuts and curls of Parmesan (I use a vegetable peeler) and a fig-balsamic vinaigrette. You could add chicken or cannelini to get your protein in.
Try grain based salads, as well, like quinoa, farro or barley. You can get whole grains and a whole palate of veggies in, and could be served hot or cold. www.101cookbooks.com has a lot of inspiration on that front.
Myabsurdlife at 3:49PM on 02/23/09
Hmm, I could probably do salads for a week...
1 - Arugula with very finely julienned apples and dried figs. Simple vinaigrette.
2 - Arugula or spinach with thinly sliced steak, blue cheese and a little red onion.
3 - Bacon Salad - spinach with bacon, hard-cooked eggs, and a warm dressing made with the bacon drippings, shallot or red onion, and cider vinegar.
4 - Greens with chopped apple, pecans, maybe some goat cheese, with a dressing made with maple syrup, greek yogurt and a little vinegar.
5 - BBQ chicken salad. Yum.
cyberroo at 4:02PM on 02/23/09
1. Romaine with lemon/OO vinaigrette, radishes and grilled chicken breast strips.
2. The ol' standby: chef's salad (right outta 1977) with strips of cold ham/turkey, and a hard-boiled egg.
3. Cobb, with extra bacon and avocados.
4. Spinach, red onions and mandarin oranges (or fresh orange supremes) with a balsamic vinaigrette.
5. Paul Prudhomme's Fried Chicken Salad. Bad for ya, but ohsogood.
6. Shaved Brussels Sprouts with OO and shaved Pecorino-Romano, S&P.
FoodieSearching at 4:34PM on 02/23/09
Big chunks of tuna and artichoke hearts, over a bed of dark greens.
cycorider at 4:51PM on 02/23/09
How appropriate that I'm reading this as I eat my daily salad. I try to make a salad for every dinner; it has a way of making the other things on the plate seem less heavy.
I've heard that there are rules as to what should go in a salad and in what order, but for the most part I usually just throw whatever yummy thing I have in a bowl.
Today it's baby spinach, sun dried tomatoes (oil packed), grated parm, basil, and cremini mushrooms.
Yesterday it was Romain lettuce, grape tomatoes, chickpeas, shaved carrots, sliced red onion, green onions, cucumber slices, and dill. I LOVE adding fresh herbs to salads, nothing too overwhelming. Usually just parsley, dill, cilantro, chives, or basil.
Maybe you and your fiance can do a caprese this week; they're so simple and so delicious.
PumpkinBear at 5:01PM on 02/23/09
I like to marinade some sort of meat, poultry or shellfish cook it the way you want and serve hot on a bed of lettuce, veggies, cheese, and candied walnuts.
Make a stirfry and wrap in lettuce.
Nicoise.
Anything goes.
pjracz10 at 6:13PM on 02/23/09
walnuts, tomatoes, lettuce, blue cheese, yum!
watchforbears at 6:58PM on 02/23/09
Here are a few for your consideration:
1- Salade Nicoise - it has lettuce, tomatoes, potato salad, mushrooms, olives, carrots, cucumbers.. the WORKS!!! and a great dressing
2 - Roasted Potatoes and Pumpkins on a bed of greens, tomatoes, cucumbers and onions
3 - Pasta with Marinated Tomatoes on a bed of arugula and cucumbers
4 - Bibb lettuce with sliced fresh pears or apples, walnuts and blue cheese crumbles with a mustard vinaigrette
5 - Baby spinach with macerated strawberries in a balsamic vinnaigrette
6 - Steamed Broccoli and Cauliflower with a grain mustard vinaigrete , over a bed of mesclun greens, cherry tomatoes and sprouts
7 - Boiled potatoes and sweet potatoes over lettuce, tomatoes, red bell pepper, red onions, alfalfa sprouts and a simple creamy dressing
8 - Tomatoes and fresh mozzarella marinated with a balsamic vinaigrette on a bed of romaine lettuce - its like a caprese salad with extra greens
9 - An Acid Fruit Salad - for breakfast or as an appetizer - you should not eat fruit salads as dessert to avoid excess gasiness...
Madelyn
KarmaFreeCooking
MadelynRodriguez at 7:08PM on 02/23/09
I just had a big salad for dinner tonight--I used escarole, red onion, chick peas, beets, olives, egg, avacodo, shrimp, string beans, artichoke hearts, asparagus, and cheese, with a balsamic viniagrette --so good ....
All the above suggestions sound great too!!! I gotta get in on some of those!
P.S. Not patronizing you here, but I think it's so sweet to make sure your guy eats right-You're a great fiancee' !!
Italiancupcake at 7:37PM on 02/23/09
last night i had spinach, romaine, avocado, grapefruit, homemade roasted peppers, red onion, threw in a kiwi because i had it.... just tossed with extra virgin oo, and some fresh cilantro....
salads are my favorite food..... love them with shrimp, chicken, steak on top, too. or just a hunk of cheese.
pooch at 7:57PM on 02/23/09
I love spring greens, walnuts, granny smith apples, dried cranberries and feta.
Grilled tofu, romaine, honey-champagne vinaigrette, grilled asparagus and roasted tomatoes
Spinach, parmesan cheese, pignoli nuts and mushrooms
Real greek salad--quartered tomato, raw onion, kalamata olives, feta cheese and olive oil
Cous cous, diced peppers, stuffed inside a bell pepper and roasted
sweethunibabi at 12:24AM on 02/24/09
I just made a really easy but delicious beet salad with oranges, blue cheese and pecans: http://mangotomato.blogspot.com/2009/02/beet-orange-salad-with-blue-cheese.html
and for something a bit more decadent, here is a recipe for my favorite Russian Potato salad: http://mangotomato.blogspot.com/2009/02/russian-potato-salad-guest-blogging-for.html
orchidgirl at 10:49AM on 02/24/09
One of my favorite types of salad is to make a spinach salad with gorgonzola cheese, pear slices, walnuts and balsamic vinagrette dressing. I've never tried adding chicken to it, but I have a feeling it would go well, if you wanted to add some protein.
Sara
NaturallyRecommended at 12:22PM on 02/24/09
My fave is baby spinach with goat cheese, strawberries, paper-thin red onion and toasted almonds...with a garlicy balsamic vinaigrette...yum.
sammie at 12:48PM on 02/24/09
My favorite main course salad: http://flickr.com/photos/22673560@N00/2665475625/
Cast iron blackened chicken, with gorgonzola,
mandarin oranges, dried cranberries, and balsamic vinaigrette. Bon appetit!
maxcriden at 2:11PM on 02/24/09
I LOVE this one: http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2009/01/spicy-cabbage-and-chicken-salad-recipe.html
I would cut it in half though, it makes a ton!
To use up the leftover herbs (which are also great in other salads), you could make a vietnamese noodle bowl - add some carrots, cucumber, noodles, and grilled pork, dress with dressing used for the cabbage and chicken salad.
Also, I know tomatoes aren't in season, but I love this salad too: http://kalynskitchen.blogspot.com/2008/09/chickpea-garbanzo-bean-salad-recipe.html
prunesaregood at 5:08PM on 02/24/09
I love canned Wild Pacific Salmon as a protein on my salads. It is inexpensive, delicious, and super healthy. I love to combine grapefruit slices, avocado, and arugula. Check this out:
http://www.kitchencaravan.com/recipe/signature-salad-arugula-salmon-grapefruit-and-avocado
sophia kitchencaravan at 11:28AM on 02/25/09
We usually throw a bunch of lettuce leaves in a bowl, add our extra "toppings" - tomato, cucumber, pepper, onion, cheeses, nuts, and if we're having it for a main course we'll add a protein - steak, chicken, etc. Eat with whatever dressing you have/like! :)
Hillary
Chew on That
Chew on That at 10:47AM on 02/26/09