Get Cooking: 150 Simple Recipes to Get You Started in the Kitchen (11 page)

• Avocados (for more on these, see Chapter 8: Party Snacks)
  
• Tomatoes (cherry or larger ones, sliced)
  

More accoutrements to consider sprinkling on top include:

• Grated or crumbled cheese (goat cheese, bleu cheese, feta)
  
• Chopped hard-boiled egg (see Chapter 2: Salads)
  
• Olives
  
• Capers
  
• Crumbled bacon (see Chapter 8: Party Snacks)
  
• Canned tuna (flaked)
  
• Lightly toasted nuts or seeds
  
• Sprouts
  
• Freshly ground black pepper (keep a filled pepper mill at the table)
  

tossed green salad

EASY ASSEMBLY INSTRUCTIONS

• Your greens are very clean, dry, and cold.
  
• You have figured on approximately ¼ pound—about 2 large handfuls—per person.
  
• Your dressing is made and handy.
  
• Your add-ins and add-ons are ready.
  
• You have a nice big bowl (large enough to toss your salad with abandon and have it stay in the bowl) and salad servers or tongs in front of you.
  

1.
The greens go in the bowl, along with whatever “add-in” items you’ve chosen. Toss gently to combine.

2.
Shake or whisk the dressing to reincorporate all the ingredients, which will have separated into layers while it sat around. (If the oil in the dressing has hardened from the cold of the refrigerator, give it a few extra minutes to soften back up again and/or shake or whisk the dressing a bit longer.) Add about 1 tablespoon
dressing per serving, tossing it in and mixing the greens from the bottom of the bowl.

3.
Taste a sample leaf to see if the salad needs more dressing.

4.
Top the bowlful of greens with your chosen “add-ons,” or plate the salads individually and top each serving with them.

5.
Serve right away.

NOT-SO-HARD-BOILED EGGS

You may not think you need these instructions, but chances are you do. For many people (even experienced cooks), cooking and peeling hard-boiled eggs can be a real pain. Sometimes (often) the shell just doesn’t want to come off and you end up throwing away half the egg. Here’s a technique that truly works.

Place the eggs in a pot that fits them comfortably, and fill it with enough cold water to completely cover them. Bring it to a boil, and then immediately lower the heat to a simmer. Cook very gently for 1 minute. Then remove the pot from the heat, and let it stand for 15 minutes. Drain, and refresh the eggs—right in the pot—in several changes of cold water, pouring it off each time. Then leave the eggs in the pot, put the lid on, and shake it vigorously like a big percussion instrument, banging the eggs together to crack their shells. Finally, peel the eggs under cold running water. The peel will practically fall off!

the big five: america’s most wanted salad dressings

M
ake one, some, or all of these on a regular basis. They keep well for weeks—even months—if stored in tightly lidded containers in the refrigerator, where they will take up very little space. And they work well as a sauce on cooked vegetables, meats, and tofu, too.

In any of these recipes, some or all of the olive oil can be a high-quality type, for more intense flavor. At the very least, it should be extra-virgin olive oil.

ABOUT SHALLOTS

Great for salad dressings, shallots look like small pink onions and taste like a lively cross between onion and garlic, slightly sweeter than either. Use a very sharp paring knife and mince them tiny, tiny.

ABOUT HONEY

In general, the lighter the color, the milder the flavor. So unless you want a strong presence, choose light-colored honey. (The lighter ones also tend to be less expensive.)

raspberry-shallot dressing

The fruitiness of raspberry vinegar and the sweetness of shallots are a fine match. This versatile vinaigrette goes with pretty much any kind of greens, and it’s great on grilled chicken.

Combine the shallot, vinegar, sugar, and salt in a smallish bowl. Whisk until thoroughly combined, then continue whisking as you drizzle in the olive oil. When all the olive oil is incorporated, the dressing is ready to serve—or to refrigerate until use. (Alternatively, you can put all the ingredients in a small jar with a tight-fitting lid and just shake it emphatically until thoroughly combined.) Immediately before using, shake well or stir from the bottom.

GET CREATIVE

• Substitute roasted walnut oil or roasted pecan oil for half of the olive oil.
  
• Add 1 tablespoon minced mint or basil leaves.
  
• After adding the olive oil, stir in up to ½ cup raspberries (fresh or unsweetened frozen). If using
  frozen, let them defrost directly in the dressing, and they will give off lovely raspberry juices in the process.
  
• Add 1 to 2 tablespoons pomegranate molasses (see Get Cooking) before whisking in the oil.
  

creamy balsamic-honey dressing

Sometimes you want a vinaigrette with a little creaminess. Buttermilk makes this one luxurious and rich-tasting. If your honey is stiff, place the jar (without the lid) in a microwave for about 15 seconds, to get it more liquefied. (Don’t try this with a plastic honey bear or squeeze bottle, however, which can easily overheat and melt. Instead, spoon the honey into a microwavable bowl and heat it in that.)

Combine the vinegar, buttermilk, honey, salt, and shallot in a smallish bowl. Whisk until thoroughly combined, then continue whisking as you drizzle in the olive oil. When all the olive oil is incorporated, the dressing is ready to serve—or to refrigerate until use. (Alternatively, you can put all the ingredients in a small jar with a tight-fitting lid and just shake it emphatically until thoroughly combined.) Immediately before using, shake well or stir from the bottom.

GET CREATIVE

• Use yogurt instead of buttermilk for a thicker, tangier dressing.
  
• Try this as a dressing on broccoli slaw and/or shredded cabbage and carrots.
  

honey-mustard dressing

This recipe calls for Dijon mustard. You can also try it with other fancy types. It’s wonderful on a spinach salad.

Combine the vinegar, mustard, honey, garlic, and salt in a smallish bowl. Whisk until thoroughly combined, then continue whisking as you drizzle in the olive oil. When all the olive oil is incorporated, the dressing is ready to serve—or to refrigerate until use. (Alternatively, you can put all the ingredients in a small jar with a tight-fitting lid and just shake it emphatically
until thoroughly combined.) Immediately before using, shake well or stir from the bottom.

GET CREATIVE

• Spread a bit of this dressing on the bread when making a grilled cheese sandwich or a ham sandwich. It’s a classic combo.
  
• Any time you’re making a salad with bacon in it, this dressing will be right at home.
  
• Drizzle this over fish or chicken.
  

homemade ranch dressing

“Ranch” flavor lands at the top of many people’s list of faves. Problem is, most commercially prepared dips and dressings can be loaded down with unhealthy fats and ingredients not found in nature, much less on a ranch. Here’s a way to make your own very satisfying version with clean, real ingredients. You can use it as a dressing for salad or as a dip for vegetables, chips, or crackers.

Place all the ingredients in a medium-sized bowl and whisk until smooth. Cover and chill until serving time.

GET CREATIVE

• Serve this dressing drizzled over a wedge of iceberg lettuce, as directed in Old-Fashioned Iceberg Wedges (Chapter 2: Salads).
  
• Drizzle the dressing over a plate of juicy ripe tomato slices.
  

russian dressing

Way more than the sum of its humble parts, this classic can multitask as a dip for raw vegetables, a topping for hard-boiled eggs (a really great little quick lunch), and a terrific sandwich spread.

Combine the mayonnaise and ketchup in a medium-sized bowl and whisk until smooth. Cover and chill until serving time.

GET CREATIVE

• For some zing, add a tablespoon of prepared horseradish.
  
• You could replace all or some of the ketchup with chili sauce or cocktail sauce.
  
• For some crunch and an extra layer of flavor, add 1 to 2 tablespoons very finely minced shallot.
  
• Add a tablespoon or two of minced pickles or pickle relish to make Thousand Island Dressing.
  

all-american three-bean salad

Makes 4 to 6 servings

S
o not-high-end, so retro, and yet so good. I couldn’t believe I was using a canned green vegetable, but I wanted to get this as close as possible to the American picnic classic of my youth, and canned green beans (which I always have secretly liked anyway) are the authentic choice. Also, in keeping with the not-fancy theme, you might be pleased (and a few pennies richer) to know that regular yellow mustard works best for this, so put away that Dijon or grainy type for now. And just this once, in a pinch, you could substitute ½ cup good-quality bottled Italian dressing or vinaigrette (such as Newman’s Own) for your own brilliant homemade batch. That’s “could,” not “should.”

1.
Set a colander in the sink and pour in the contents of the three cans of beans. Give them a quick rinse and allow them to drain.

2.
In a large bowl, whisk together the olive oil, vinegar, sugar, mustard, salt, and pepper.

3.
Add the drained beans, celery, bell pepper, and onion to the dressing, and toss well to mix. Cover the bowl tightly, and let the salad marinate for at least 1 hour at room temperature or overnight in the refrigerator. Stir (or shake) occasionally to marinate evenly. Serve cold.