I am terrible with salad dressings. The last time I cleaned out the fridge, every last one of the store-bought bottles in the fridge were at least a year past their best-by date, and probably hadn't been touched since then either. But I find it really hard to limit myself to just a couple options, when it's so easy to make a variation that ties in with the rest of the meal. So for southwestern steak salads last week, I wasn't happy with regular ranch dressing. I wanted something that was still creamy, but tangier than the typical bottled version, and with some heat.
Christen has recently posted her own jalapeno ranch, and I really just adapted that. In particular, the addition of some chipotles in adobo and cumin made it a littler smokier to play off the grilled steak's flavor. This was great on the salads, and also as a dipping sauce for the homemade sweet potato tots I'll be posting later this week.
Smoky Jalapeno-Lime Ranch Dressing
What's in it:
1/2 cup mayo
1/2 cup sour cream
juice of half a lime
2 green onions, thinly sliced
1/2 jalapeno, seeded and stems removed, finely minced
1 clove garlic, finely minced
1-2 tsp mashed chipotle in adobo
2 tsp agave nectar or honey
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp fresh ground pepper
1/4-1/2 c milk (use less if using as a dip, more for a dressing)
How to make it:
Whisk together all ingredients, adding milk a little at a time until desired consistency. For a smoother texture, combine all ingredients in a food processor (a mini or immersion blender processor attachment is great here), and puree until smooth, about a minute. Dressing keeps for about a week in the fridge.
As you might have guessed from my post on buying part of a cow, I like meat. But as much as I like it, I also realize that consuming large quantities of it isn't really good for my health or the environment. For this reason, Mark Bittman's recipes often appeal to me, as meat is often used almost as a garnish, rather than the main attraction. You can taste it, but it's not the focus of the meal. When I saw his recipe for an edamame salad in Cooking Light, I loved how the crispy steak bits looked like croutons on top of a colorful mix of fresh vegetables and beans.
Unfortunately, I'm not really a fan of edamame. But, I do like most beans, and had some dried heirloom cranberry beans in the pantry. I changed up the dressing for a more summery taste, and added some avocado because it makes even the healthiest meal feel more indulgent. This is really more a method than a recipe, because there are a lot of variations to try: radishes and thinly sliced carrots would add some crunch, or use black beans and lime juice for a southwestern combo. Any kind of bean would work, dried, canned or fresh.
Cranberry Bean Salad with Dill Dressing and Steak "Croutons"
For the salad:
1 Tbsp mayonnaise
2 tsp dijon mustard
1 tsp white wine vinegar
1 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp olive oil
2 Tbsp chopped fresh dill
Salt and pepper
1 c dried cranberry beans, soaked and cooked according to package directions, cooled
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved, seeds removed if making this more than a few hours in advance
1 chopped and seeded English cucumber
4 green onions, thinly sliced
For the "croutons":
1 Tbsp olive oil
8 ounces flank steak, cut into small pieces
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
How to make it:
Combine mayonnaise through dill in a large bowl, stirring with a whisk. Season with salt and pepper to taste. If you used canned beans, you may not need as much salt. Add beans, tomatoes, cucumber, avocado and onions; stir gently to combine and coat with dressing.
Heat a medium skillet over high heat. Add olive oil to pan; swirl to coat. Combine steak, salt, and pepper, coating steak. Add steak mixture to pan; cook 5 minutes or until well browned and crisp, stirring frequently.
Divide salad into four shallow bowls and top with portions of the steak bits.
If you've been asked to bring a salad to a party this weekend, and want to avoid the typical coleslaws and potato salads (or even not so typical versions), consider this grilled vegetable salad. It's colorful, full of fresh produce, and has just enough bacon to make you forget you're eating healthy stuff.
Quantities, and even the vegetables themselves, can be adjusted depending on your tastes and what's available. As an alternative to a grill basket, grill slices of sweet potato and zucchini, and then dice them. Everything can be grilled in whatever order works for you. If you make this ahead, do check the seasonings before serving- the acidity from the vinegar can fade a little, and just a little more on top can brighten things back up.
Grilled Vegetable Salad
What's in it:
2-3 sweet potatoes, diced into 1/2" cubes
2-3 zucchini or summer squash, diced into 1/2" cubes
3-4 ears of corn, shucked
Olive oil
Salt, pepper, and other seasonings to taste (I like cumin and chili powder)
2 bell peppers
3-4 scallions, or garlic scapes if you can get them
4 slices of bacon, cooked and finely diced
2-3 Tbsp red wine vinegar, to taste
More salt and pepper, to taste
How to make it:
In separate bowls, stir the sweet potatoes and zucchini with olive oil, using just enough to coat the vegetables. Season with salt, pepper and any other desired spices. Do the same for the corn, wrapping in foil for the grill.
To cook vegetables, heat grill to medium high heat. Put the bell peppers on and roast until charred, turning occasionally, and place in a zip-top bag or plastic container with a tight-fitting lid when done. Grill the corn to your desired doneness- I like mine still a little crunchy. Cook sweet potatoes and zucchini in a grill basket, until cooked through and starting to brown (the sweet potatoes can be given a head start in the microwave- just cover with plastic and give them about 3 minutes on high). Briefly cook the scallions, just enough to tone down the onion flavor and get a touch of brown on them.
When all vegetables are cooked, finish prepping them. When cool enough to handle, slice the corn kernels from the cobs, remove the peppers' skins and dice the flesh, and thinly slice the scallions.
Combine all vegetables and bacon, and season to taste with red wine vinegar, salt and pepper. Serve warm or at room temp.
The first time I saw this recipe in Cooking Light last spring, it did catch my eye. I was looking for more recipes using grains like barley, quinoa and farro, but when a quick skim through the ingredients revealed fennel, I skipped over it, not being a fan of it. Luckily for me, Josie at Pink Parsley changed things up, omitting the fennel and adding more veggies.
This has been in steady rotation ever since. It's a great make-ahead, since it tastes better with more time for the dressing to really soak in. It's forgiving, since you could really use any grain or even pasta here. This time around, I used a mix of barley and brown rice. I like to make a batch over the weekend, have it as a side for grilled shrimp or chicken, then eat it on its own for lunch a few times during the week.
Mediterranean Grain Salad
What's in it:
3 cups cooked and cooled grain of your choice- barley, rice, couscous, pasta, etc.
1 1/2 tsp lemon zest
2-3 Tbsp lemon juice
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 tsp Dijon mustard
2 tsp red wine vinegar
3/4 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1/4 cup freshly chopped parsley
2 Tbsp freshly chopped dill
1/4 cup finely chopped red onion
1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper
1/2 cup grape tomato halves
1/2 cup diced cucumber
8 pitted olives, roughly chopped (I usually grab a variety from the olive bar, but kalamata are a good choice)
1 (15-ounce) can white beans, rinsed and drained
2 ounces feta cheese, crumbled
1/3 cup chopped walnuts, toasted
How to make it:
Combine the lemon zest, lemon juice, olive oil, mustard, and vinegar in a bowl. Whisk to combine, and season with salt and pepper. Add the parsley through feta, stirring gently to combine. Cover and allow to sit either at room temperature or chilled for at least 30 minutes. Fold in the walnuts, and serve.
We are so ready for summer at our house. Alexa is starting to ask about swimsuits and pools, and we've already taken advantage of warmer weather by grilling and eating out on the deck. One thing I love about summer is all of the cold salads- pasta, vegetable, potato and so on. But they're often heavy, with lots of mayo involved. When it's hot out, I want something lighter and fresher tasting.
This Dijon potato salad is always a hit wherever I take it. Work picnics, backyard cookouts, tailgates, no matter where, my bowl always comes home empty. Admittedly, this is the weeknight version- some crispy bacon and fresh herbs of your choice are great additions to dress it up for company. The quantities below serve 3-4, but it's easily scaled up for bigger get-togethers.
Dijon Potato Salad
What's in it:
1 lb. Yukon gold or red-skinned potatoes, diced into bite-size pieces
2 tsp kosher salt
2 scallions, thinly sliced
1 small clove garlic, finely minced
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1 Tbsp white wine vinegar
1/2 tsp herbes de provence
1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
3 Tbsp olive oil
Pinch sugar
Salt & pepper to taste
How to make it:
Put potatoes in a pot with cold water to cover. Bring to a boil, and add salt. Cook until done, about 7-10 minutes.
Place next six ingredients, through mustard, in a bowl large enough to hold potatoes. Whisk together to combine, then drizzle in oil while still whisking. Season to taste with sugar, salt and pepper.
Drain potatoes, put in the bowl with the dressing, and stir to coat while still hot. Serve warm, room temperature, or cold.
