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New Salad Ideas You Won't Learn in Chef Class
by Margarita Cárdenas
Culinary Schools Columnist
Looking for new and different salads? Don't miss today's chef class! Guaranteed to get set your meal off with some colorful and appetizing salad ideas.
Beautiful Beets
Start your meal with color and a sweet-sour touch. Boil fresh beets until you can pierce them with a fork; peel and cube.
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Mix well with a simple vinaigrette of vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper. Then, for a more complex flavor, add a sprinkle of tarragon and finely chopped scallion or red onion.
Cover tightly and chill well, preferably overnight, allowing the flavors to blend. Serve a generous spoonful inside a large leaf of Boston or similar lettuce.
Rich and Light - No Vinegar
This salad always gets top reviews. Coarsely chop salad tomatoes and toss lightly with salt and pepper, olive oil, whole Greek olives and chopped soft goat cheese. These ingredients will come together to create a stunningly different salad dressing.
Just before serving, add mixed greens and top with a handful of toasted pignoli. They'll never know how easy it was - all without chef training!
Fresh and Crunchy - No Fat
Make your own non-fat dressing, using fresh, juicy, chopped tomatoes. Chop also scallions, bell peppers and some crunchy vegetables such as cucumber (remove seeds first), carrots and celery. Be sure all these veggies are chopped very small.
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Mix veggies in a bowl. Add salt, pepper, garlic powder and a bit of vinegar or lemon juice. Let stand for half an hour so that the flavors come together. Pour over lettuce and toss.
Salt and Pepper Tip
Be generous with the salt and pepper. So many great salads turn out bland just because they are short on these two key ingredients.
And finally...
Don't forget that chef education involves the ability to alter and improve recipes all the time. So go ahead and vary your salads. No pignolis? Try almonds. No cucumbers? Replace with zucchini. It's all part of your personal chef training!
About the Author
Margarita Cárdenas heads MC Editorial, a firm providing language expertise in the areas of writing, translating, and editing. As a conference interpreter, she has worked with organizations such as the World Bank and the United Nations. Margarita holds a bachelor's degree in humanities from Harvard University. Her favorite pastimes are gardening, cooking, and listening to opera.
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