26 minute read
‘Cue the Grill
from TheLaker_June_20_22
by The Laker
Salads, Salads, More Salads
By Chef Kelly Ross
Hey Lakes Region, hope this fi nds you all well, fi ne, and dandy. We had a great Memorial Day Weekend, as well as a great Bike Week and now we have two weeks of relative peace and quiet around here for us locals before the barrage of out-of-town visitors start showing up as the 4th of July is almost in our face. That means the start of a two-month long routine of crazy lines of traffi c, big crowds in the stores and restaurants, an extremely busy lake of boaters, water skiers and swimmers, and more importantly, a huge boost to our economy.
Those two months, plus Bike Week before, and then another great boost during foliage, all make most of our businesses’ yearly revenue. Granted some may swear a little when trying to get somewhere quickly, or standing in line at some of favorite restaurants, it’s a necessary evil for the overall success of our area. In my humble opinion, although irritating at times, is well worth any aggravation.
So, for the locals, enjoy these two weeks while you can. I usually don’t go out to most of favorite restaurants when it’s nuts out there, especially since I love to cook at home, but for these two weeks, I will likely go frequent them all and as I pay my tab and leave, I’ll shout out to my favorite waitstaff and bartenders, “I’ll see you all after Labor Day.”
So, as I generally focus most of my summer recipe articles toward the grill, today, not so much as today’s focus is on some awesome summer salads. Granted, many salads can become much better when you toss on some grilled chicken, steak tips or shrimp, that’s usually not worthy of a special recipe. We all know well enough how to do that. My focus today is on the unique and eclectic salads, the ones that aren’t quite so “Run of the Mill.”
I am by no means saying there won’t be any of these great additions in or on some of today’s salads, but when you do see them, they will be involved in something more fun than a tossed or Caesar salad. The main reason I mention how these aren’t the usual stereotypical salads is because most of these don’t contain any lettuce or leafy greens, however, many, many vegetables are very well represented, as well and the fruit and berry world. I have a sweet and scrumptious pasta salad that
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relies on using a fruit salsa instead of mayo or olive oil, it works so well. I guess we might as well start with that one, I guess. If you want to really “Wow” a bunch of friends and family at a potluck get together, this should do it. I am fully aware that we are now living in a very carb-cutting environment where most everyone is trying to cut their carbs at almost all costs. I am one of them to a point. I have cut way back on three of my favorite things, those being bread, pasta, and beer. I really miss not eating the pasta and bread the most as I crave them daily. However, in my effort, I am guilty of eating too much of another love, fruit and berries, and there are plenty of carbs in those. It’s psychological though right, fruits are good for you, right, there can’t be sugar or carbs in those? Haha, sounds good, but ”Survey Says……. AAAARNK”. All jokes aside, we all need to cheat now and then, so here is a fun option when you do. As I said earlier, this pasta salad has no mayo or oil, but instead uses an outstanding fresh fruit and berry salsa with some onion, fresh mint, queso fresco, among other goodies. For those not familiar, queso fresco is a lite crumble, salty cheese that in English means “fresh cheese”. Like many crumble cheeses, some brands are saltier than others, so always taste the cheese prior to garnishing with the sea salt as you don’t want this to be salt overkill situation. This recipe feeds 4 and doubles and triples up perfectly for bigger events and goes together in about an hour. This salsa can work tremendously all by itself as well, not to mention over grilled chicken, pork, salmon, and swordfi sh. It’s truly a game changer.
Summer Pasta Salad with a Fruit Salsa
8 oz elbow macaroni ¼ cup chopped onion 1 cup pineapple chunks, ideally and much better if fresh 1 cup chopped mango ½ cup chopped yellow peaches, skin on ½ cup chopped strawberries ½ jalapeno pepper, seeds removed, chopped
1 tbsp lemon zest 2 tbsp fresh squeezed lemon juice ¼ cup chopped mint ½ tsp sea salt 3 tbsp pineapple juice ¾ lb. queso fresco, or queso blanco, crumbled, found in most dairy cases. Paneer is a good sub if needed
Additional lemon juice and sea salt for garnish if needed/wanted
Cook the pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water until al dente, drain in a colander and rinse with cool water to stop the cooking process. Drain again and set aside. While the pasta is cooking, add onion, pineapple, mango, peaches, strawberries, jalapeno, lemon zest, lemon juice, mint, and sea salt to the bowl of a food processor. Pulse 3 times to get a nice, chunky consistency, but don’t pulverize it into a puree. The goal is big chunks that are coarsely chopped. Pour the salsa into a large bowl. Add pineapple juice, 1 tbsp at a time, until desired sweetness is achieved. Add another squirt or two of lemon juice to taste. Fold in cheese and pasta. Taste it and season with more salt or anything else you think it might need. Remember the cheese can be salty, which is why I only add ½ tsp in the mixing process. Serve topped with a sprinkling of more sea salt and/or lemon juice if you think it is warranted.
Where the prior salad is much more of a picnic or lunch side salad, this one is meant as the main course, although it can be used as dinner pre-salad or as a lunch side dish. This mad mix of ingredients is highlighted a large amount of shrimp, cherry tomatoes, onion, celery, a whole bunch of herb and spice, and with a great touch of capers, which “makes” this recipe in a big way. This salad has a great Greek fl are to it in my taste buds and brain’s opinion. I love capers over Brussels sprouts or most any roasted veggie, big time in any piccata, but most of all I love them when associated with most any seafood, especially shellfi sh. This will feed 4-5 usually, and the entire cooking/mixing/ cooling process will take 4 hours, but it does get better over a day or so. Just remember depending on the shrimp,
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continued from page 18 their shelf life isn’t usually the longest. I suggest eating in 24 hours.
Shrimp and Caper Salad
2 lbs. mediumshrimp, 20/24-25/30’s is the best size, peeled, deveined, and tails off 2 clovesgarlic, minced 3 tbsp fresh squeezedlemon juice
1 tspred pepper flakes 4 scallions, white and tender green parts, finely chopped 1 cup finely choppedred onion 2 ½ tbspcapers, drained 2 celerystalks, finely chopped 30 cherry tomatoes, I prefer halved, but can use them whole or cut down to quarters 2 ½ tsp finely choppedfresh oregano 3 tbspextra virgin olive oil OUR GRASS IS ALWAYS GREENER
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½ tspkosher salt
Freshly grindedblack pepperto taste 1 ½ tbsp freshsqueezed lemon juice 1 ½ tbspred wine vinegar 2 ½ tsp finely chopped fresh Italian flat leaf parsley
Bring a large saucepan to ¾ full of lightly salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the shrimp and simmer until pink, on the outside and white in the middle, about 2-3 minutes. If inexperienced, pull one out and cut it in half and try it. It should snap, or pop in your mouth. Drain the shrimp and rinse quickly under cold water to get most of the heat out of them. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine the garlic, lemon juice, and red pepper flakes. Add the drained, lukewarm shrimp to the garlic mixture and marinate for 10 minutes. At that point, toss together the shrimp with the marinade, the scallions, red onion, capers, celery, and tomatoes. For the dressing, in a small bowl, whisk together the oregano, olive oil, salt, pepper, lemon juice, and vinegar. Pour over the shrimp and vegetables, add the parsley, and toss to incorporate. Cover and refrigerate until ready to eat. Serve chilled. Incredible mixture of great flavors!
The next recipe is the first with some leafy greens, in particular baby spinach, and this one is bombarded with some great fruit combinations as well as feta cheese. If that doesn’t sound great enough, this also comes with one of the best home-made dressings you
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continued from page 20 will have ever tasted, an orange poppyseed concoction you will likely make many times for many salads that no one can usually resist. It’s a recipe in and of itself that your friends will be bugging you for, time and time again. The fl avors, the colors, the textures, the sweet, the salty, and the tang are all spot on perfect in my opinion. I have had friends joke that they want to put it in a glass over ice with a straw. Yes, they were joking, but not a far exaggeration. This recipe will feed 4-6, can go together in less than an hour, although I strongly suggest you make the dressing at least a few hours prior to using and keep refrigerated. Once made, I put it into a large canning jar and shake well before popping in the fridge, and right before using.
Fruit Medley and Feta Spinach
Salad with Orange Poppy Seed Dressing
9 oz. baby spinach 3 small mandarin oranges, peeled and segmented 2 small red gala apples, cored and diced, skin on 3 bartlett pears, cored and diced, skin on 1 cup pecans, toasted and roughly chopped ¾ - 1 cup feta cheese, crumbled
For the Dressing ¼ cup olive oil ¼ cup canola or vegetable oil 2 tsp orange zest ¼ cup fresh squeezed orange juice 2 tbsp fresh squeezed lemon juice 2 tbsp honey 2 tsp Dijon mustard 1 tbsp poppy seeds ¼ tsp salt
Starting with the dressing, add all the dressing ingredients to a jar, cover with lid and shake to emulsify. Chill for at least an hour before serving and shake well again just before pouring over salad.
For the salad, prep your veggies, dicing the apples last. Layer the spinach and all fruit, feta, and pecans in a large salad bowl. Drizzle with the dressing and toss well and serve immediately. If you want to hold back a small amount of the ingredients until completely mixed to use to garnish the top, that is always a great touch. Serve immediately and watch the smiles, and just wait for some to ask for extra dressing, which is why I always double to quadruple the dressing recipe, although keep in mind the shelf life is a few days.
Here is a recipe that is the most normal of the bunch, but with an exotic twist to it. Most all of us are quite familiar with the classic Caprese Salad, which is usually a simple mix of fresh mozzarella, tomatoes, and basil with a balsamic drizzle. Sometimes it’s over greens, sometimes not. For this one, we drop the tomatoes, and we substitute fresh balls of cantaloupe which I am a bigger fan of compared to the traditional version. Besides the great substitution, we add shredded pieces of prosciutto, fresh mint, and another delicious dressing made with balsamic vinegar and a few other fun ingredients. This will feed 4-6, and usually as an appetizer, lunch entrée, or as a dinner prelim.
Cantaloupe and Mozzarella Caprese Salad
1 1 ½ cantaloupes, depending on size, halved, seeded, and balled with a melon baller 12 oz fresh mozzarella balls, ideally the size of pearl size balls 12-14 thin slices prosciutto, shredded into large pieces ¼ - ½ cup fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced ¼ cup fresh mint leaves, thinly sliced 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil 2 ½ tbsp honey 2 tbsp white balsamic vinegar
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Use a melon baller to scoop balls from the cantaloupe halves and add to a large bowl. Add the mozzarella balls and the torn prosciutto. Sprinkle with the basil and mint leaves. In a small bowl, whisk the olive oil, honey, and white balsamic vinegar together and season with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Drizzle over the cantaloupe mix and toss to coat. Season with more salt and pepper and additional herbs to taste if desired. This is a delicious and very refreshing salad.
These last three recipes are likely the quickest and easiest of today’s bunch, not that any of them are diffi cult, but these go quick. This next salad fi nally has some chicken in it and is teamed up with yummy avocado and clean crisp cucumbers, which all work very well together. From there, we toss in some red onions, some herbs and fi nished with a lemon and oil dressing. What makes this one easy and quick, for me, is that I use a store-bought rotisserie chicken, or I sometimes make a point of roasting off a couple of birds the night before for dinner and utilize the leftovers. Either way, you will dig it, and this will feed 4-6 as a lunch or side salad.
Chicken Cucumber Avocado Salad
1 large rotisserie chicken, deboned and shredded, skin on or off depending on taste 1-2 medium to large cucumbers, halved lengthways and sliced into ¼ inch thick slices 4-5 large Roma tomatoes, sliced or chopped/diced ½ medium red onion, thinly sliced 3 avocados, peeled, pitted, and diced. Prep lastly to keep its bright color ½ cup fresh, chopped fl at leaf pars-
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continued from page 21 ley, or cilantro or basil depending on your tastes 3 tbsp olive oil 2-3 tbsp of fresh squeezed lemon juice, or lime juice, or a combo
Salt and pepper, to taste
Mix the shredded chicken, cucumbers, tomatoes, onion, avocados, and chopped parsley or other fresh herb in a large salad bowl. Whisk together the olive oil and lemon juice and/or lime juice, and season with salt and pepper. Drizzle over the mix and toss gently to mix all the fl avors thoroughly.
This one is a great blend of many veggies, one being potato, although it’s hardly a potato salad, plus it has some crispy prosciutto that jives so well with this funky mix of veggies. As usual, considering I often say it, you may want to multiply the dressing somewhat. I know most of my crew and myself are always looking for extra sauces and dressings on our foods, and your circle likely will as well. The process is a little different, but only takes 45 minutes and will feed 4.
Asparagus, Spinach, and Crisped-Prosciutto Salad
3 oz thinly sliced prosciutto, torn into 3-inch pieces 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper ½ bunch asparagus, about 6 oz, trimmed ½ - ¾ cup shelled fresh peas 4 baby creamer potatoes, about 5 ounces, cut into ¼ inch slices
3 tbsp buttermilk ¼ cup mayonnaise 2 tbsp fi nely chopped shallot 1 tbsp fresh squeezed lemon juice ¼ cup fresh packed tarragon leaves 2 cups packed baby spinach, about 2 ½ oz
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Arrange prosciutto in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet and brush with oil. Bake until crisp and deep golden, about 7-9 minutes. Let cool on a plate with paper towels. Meanwhile, bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil. Add the asparagus and cook until just tender, 1- 2 minutes. Using a set of tongs, transfer to a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking, still letting the boiled water rolling Once cooled, drain, then cut asparagus into 2-inch pieces on the bias. Add peas to boiling water and cook until just tender and bright green, 3- 4 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to ice water as well to stop the cooking, again continuing to let the water boil. Once cooled, drain the peas. Add sliced potatoes to water, adding more water fi rst if needed but make sure it’s back to a boil. Cook the taters until just tender, 6-8 minutes. Drain and let cool slightly, spraying with cool water, but you still want them warm. Whisk together the buttermilk, mayonnaise, shallot, and lemon juice in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Combine asparagus, peas, potatoes, tarragon, and spinach in a large bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Divide among 4 plates and top with crisped prosciutto. Drizzle each plate with 2 tbsp dressing and serve with remaining dressing on the side. If you make extra dressing, I suggest adding some to the vegetable mixture before plating, then top with prosciutto and drizzle more dressing and you will still have extra to serve on the side.
Lastly, here is an ultimate fruit and berry salad, another great one for entertaining a crowd or to bring to a potluck. I mentioned earlier how I am a fruit salad addict of sorts, and this is outstanding. Like many recipes, it’s very easy to sub or change the ingredients, which I’m sure would be great, but I’m a big sucker for this one as is. This also has a dressing of sorts. This should feed 8-10 as a bowl for breakfast, or as a side dish for a picnic lunch.
Blackberry Lime Fruit Salad
For the Dressing 4 large oranges, giving you 1 1/3 cups fresh orange juice plus 1+ tsp zest 4 large lemons, giving you 2/3 cup fresh lemon juice plus 1+ tsp zest 2 large limes, giving you 2 tbsp of juice and 1 tsp zest ½ cup brown sugar 2 tsp vanilla extract 2 tsp poppyseeds
For the Salad 2 cans, 15 oz each. of mandarin oranges, thoroughly drained 4 cups fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced 6 kiwis, peeled, halved, and sliced 2 cup seedless grapes 2 cups blueberries 4 large mangoes, peeled and diced 2 cup blackberries 2 cups raspberries
Bring the juices and the zests, and brown sugar to a boil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Once it reaches a boil, reduce the heat to medium-low, and simmer until slightly thickened while stirring often, about 5 minutes. Remove the dressing from the heat and stir in the vanilla extract and poppyseeds. Set aside to cool completely. Thoroughly drain the mandarin oranges, remove the stems, and thinly slice the strawberries, and peel the kiwis, halve them, and then thinly slice them. Remove the grapes from the stems. In a large bowl, add in the prepared mandarin oranges, sliced strawberries, sliced kiwis, grapes, blueberries, mangoes, blackberries, and raspberries. Once completely cooled, pour the dressing over the salad, lightly toss the ingredients together. Return to the fridge to allow to cool and let the fl avors meld. Serve once the salad has been chilled, tossing once more before putting into serving bowls. This obviously can work as a dessert too, and if so, add a scoop of your favorite fl avored sherbet on top. I so love this stuff!
Well, Salad Day has offi cially come to an end. These should make many of you smile, as well as your guests/ family, when you need something new and exciting in the world of refreshing salads. Work them into your cooking and entertaining repertoires for all to love. These make great side dishes to go with some of the grilled items going on this summer, so get at it.
Until next week when we start focusing on some seriously over-the -top grilling recipes while getting ready for the 4th of July festivities. It’s the ultimate time to grill, and as far as I’m concerned, we should all grill like every day is the 4th of July. Keep your taste buds happy friends, and if anyone wants to touch base with any questions or feedback, please reach out to fenwaysox10@gmail.com
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