Tuesday, May 28, 2013

Going "Green" for Supper: salad as a main dish

Our family enjoys salad as a main dish at least once a month (even more during the summer months). It is a
when making salad for dinner, sometimes I'll make bread
bowls (like the picture), breadsticks, or rolls as a side dish
healthy, filling meal and offers something for everyone. I like to use a variety of greens: baby spinach, romaine, iceberg, leaf lettuce, Boston/Bibb, etc. There's a really great visual to salad greens here.
Here are some different kinds of salads:
Chef Salad - a salad consisting of hard-boiled eggs; one or more meats such as ham, turkey, chicken, or roast beef; tomatoes; cucumbers; and cheese; all placed upon a bed of tossed lettuce or other leaf vegetables.
Chopped Salad - a salad whose ingredients have all been cut down to a fairly uniform size, around 1/2" cubes.
Cobb Salad - "a main-dish American garden salad made from chopped salad greens (iceberg lettuce, watercress, endives, and Romaine lettuce), tomato, crisp bacon, boiled or roasted (not fried) chicken breast, hard-boiled egg, avocado, chives, Roquefort cheese, and red-wine vinaigrette. Black olives are also often included. A good way to remember the components is to use the acronym EAT COBB: Egg, Avocado, Tomato, Chicken, Onion, Bacon, Blue cheese." (Wikipedia) Our family likes everything except the vinaigrette and blue cheese.
Sante Fe Salad - a southwest style salad, usually with such ingredients as black beans, cilantro, romaine, roasted corn, sweet peppers, etc.
Taco Salad - a salad made up of traditional taco ingredients
Caprese Salad - a salad consisting of fresh tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, fresh basil, salt, pepper, and pesto dressing
Panzanella Salad - a salad of bread and tomatoes popular in the summer. It includes chunks of soaked stale bread and tomatoes, sometimes also onions and basil, dressed with olive oil and vinegar. It's not really green, but it's a salad.
Strawberry Salad - a salad generally comprised of spinach, strawberries, candied pecans (or walnuts), and some sort of vinegar/fruit juice based dressing. The Yummy Life has a great post on variations if you're looking for one.
Kale Salad with Lime Dressing - Top this delicious salad off with some chopped grilled chicken and you've got a main dish. The variety of flavors and textures with fresh fruit, kale, onions, and two kinds of cheese is tantalizing to your taste buds. 

Here is a list of several additional salad toppings our family enjoys:
  • Meats - grilled chicken, ham, turkey, bacon, and grilled tuna steaks
  • Veggies - tomatoes, peppers, red/green onions, broccoli and cauliflower florets, carrots (diced, sliced, or grated), cucumbers, and fresh peas/pea pods
  • Cheese of any sort, from feta to sharp cheddar
  • Herbs - cilantro, basil, and parsley
  • Fruits (dried or fresh) - craisins, strawberries, blueberries, grapes, apples
  • Misc. - sunflower kernels, croutons, fresh black pepper, walnuts, olives
Your turn: What's your favorite SAAMD (salad as a main dish) combination?

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