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Health & Fitness

FOOD

Perfect Salads

During the summer, there's nothing like a light touch.

Annabel Cohen

Special to the Jewish News

Editor's note: Last week's food column
was printed incorrectly. Here's a reprint of
the column in its entirety.

I

s there a science to concocting the per-
fect salad? For some, making a great
salad seems brainless — fresh greens,
some fabulous toppings that just happen
to be in the fridge or in the pantry and
the best acid and oil combination to whip
together that remarkable vinaigrette that
just goes together in moments.
For others, it's a bit more complicated.
Luckily, today there are entire cookbooks
related to tossing the perfect salad and
composing the perfect dressing. And here
are some of my ideas to get you started.
Each recipe contains healthy fats, like olive
oil and omega 3 fish oil as well as the fiber
of fresh fruits and vegetables.

Fresh Tuna, Red Pepper
and Almond Salad
12 oz. fresh tuna steak, such as alba-
core or ahi
Extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
Salad
1 cup thinly sliced scallions, white and
green parts
2 cups 1/2-inch diced cucumber
1 /2 cup sliced or slivered almonds,
toasted
1 red bell pepper chopped
8 cups baby arugula
4 cups mixed baby or field greens
1 cup chopped parsley
1 /2 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
Ymaigrette:
1 /4 cup red wine vinegar
1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and pepper to taste
Cook tuna: Heat grill to medium high.
Brush the tuna with olive oil and season
lightly with salt and pepper. Grill until just
pink in the center, about 3 minutes on each
side (do not overcook). Remove from grill,
cool and cut into 1-inch cubes. Set aside.
Prepare salad: Combine all salad ingredi-
ents in a large bowl and toss well.
Make vinaigrette: Combine all ingredi-
ents in a small bowl and whisk well. Pour
the dressing over the salad and add the
tuna and toss well again. Makes 4 servings.

Spinach Salad with Grilled
Chicken, Smoked Gouda and
Pineapple Vinaigrette
6 boneless and skinless chicken breast
halves (about 11/2 pounds)
Olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
Vinaigrette:
2 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
3 Tbsp. fresh lime or lemon juice
1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 cup drained, crushed canned pine-
apple
1 tsp. minced garlic
1/4 teaspoon chili powder
Kosher salt and pepper to taste
1 /3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Salad:
1 pound baby spinach leaves
1 pint grape tomatoes, yellow if avail-
able, halved lengthwise
1 /2 cup thinly sliced red or Bermuda
onion
1 cup shredded smoked gouda
Kosher salt and pepper to taste
Cook chicken: Heat grill to medium high.
Brush the breasts with olive oil and season
lightly with salt and pepper. Grill until cooked
through, about 4-5 minutes on each side (do
not overcook). Remove from grill, cut into
thin slices across the grain and set aside.
Prepare salad: Combine all salad ingredi-
ents in a large bowl and toss well.
Make vinaigrette: Combine all ingredi-
ents in a small bowl and whisk well. Pour
2/3 of the dressing over the salad.
Divide the salad among 6 dinner-sized
plates and arrange the chicken over the
greens. Drizzle remaining dressing over the
chicken and serve. Makes 4 servings.

Green Salad with Tomato,
Haricot Vert, Goat Cheese
and Fried Egg
Dressing:
1 /4 cup white Balsamic vinegar
2 tsp. grainy mustard, any variety
1 /3 cup olive oil
Kosher salt and pepper to taste
Salad:
8 cups mixed baby greens
1 pound haricot vert (thin green
beans) or green beans, stem ends
removed and steamed al dente
2 roasted red pepper (jarred is fine),
sliced thin
4 oz. soft goat cheese, such as Chevre,
crumbled

Fried Eggs:
4 large eggs
Extra-virgin olive oil for frying
Good quality bread, toasted and but-
tered, garnish
Mix all salad ingredients in large bowl
and set aside.
Make vinaigrette: Combine all dressing
ingredients in a small bowl and whisk well.
Drizzle the dressing over the salad and
place salad on 4 individual plates.
Prepare the eggs: Coat a large nonstick
skillet with olive oil. Heat over medium-
high heat until hot. Break eggs into skillet
and cook until whites are set and beginning
to crisp (alternately, turn the eggs over and
cook for 30 seconds more for over-easy
eggs). Use a thin spatula to remove each egg
and place directly on the salads. Season the
egg with salt and pepper and serve, with
toast on the side. Makes 4 servings.

Asian Cabbage Salad with
Shredded Grilled Chicken
6 boneless and skinless chicken breast
halves (about 1 1/2 pounds)
Olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
Dressing:
1 /2 cup red wine vinegar
1 /4 cup canola oil
2 Tbsp. sesame oil
1 /3 cup soy sauce
i/2 cup sugar
1 Tbsp. sesame seeds
Salad:
8 cups thinly sliced (shredded) Napa
or Chinese cabbage
4 cups thinly sliced bok choy
6 cups fresh bean sprouts
1 cup chopped scallions, white and
green parts
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 cup thinly sliced fresh pea pods
Crunchies:
2 packages ramen noodles (square
packages are about 254 each). Leave
uncooked and crush the noodles (dis-
card the flavor packet)
1 cup sliced or slivered almonds
3 Tbsp. sesame seeds, any kind except
black
2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
Combine all dressing ingredients in a
jar with a tight fitting lid and shake well to
combine. Set aside.
Combine crushed noodles, almonds and
seeds. Toss with oil. Spread on a cookie

sheet and bake at 350E for about 10-15
minutes, or until browned.
Cook chicken: Heat grill to medium high.
Brush the breasts with olive oil and season
lightly with salt and pepper. Grill until
cooked through, about 4-5 minutes on each
side (do not overcook). Remove from grill.
When cool enough to handle, pull apart the
chicken with the grain (or chop). Set aside.
Toss all salad ingredients and chicken with
dressing to your taste (you will not use all the
dressing. Chill remaining dressing for later
use, up to one month). Add half the crunchy
topping and toss well. Sprinkle with remain-
ing crunchies and serve. Makes 8 servings.

Waldorf Salad with
Roasted Salmon
Dressing:
3 /4 cup lowfat or fat free mayonnaise
3 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1 Tbsp. sugar
Salt and pepper to taste
Salad:
1 1/2 cups dried cranberries, cherries
or golden raisins
8 cups boiling water
4 Granny Smith apples, cored, cut into
1 /2-inch cubes
1% cups very thinly sliced celery
1 cup toasted chopped pecans
2 cups seedless green grapes, halved
1 cup chopped parsley
Salmon:
8 4-5 oz. boneless and skinless salmon
fillet portions
Olive oil
Kosher salt and pepper to taste
Dried dill to taste
Combine dressing ingredients in a large
bowl or food processor and whisk or pro-
cess until smooth. Set aside.
Soak cranberries in boiling water until
softened, about 10 minutes. Drain well.
Place in a large bowl and toss with apples,
celery, pecans, grapes and parsley. Add
dressing to taste and toss. Cover and chill
up to a day ahead.
Prepare salmon: Preheat oven to 550F.
Spray a baking sheet with sides with non-
stick cooking spray. Arrange the salmon
portions on the baking sheet and drizzle
with olive oil. Season to taste with salt and
pepper and sprinkle with dried dill. Roast
the salmon, uncovered, for 10 minutes
(do not overcook). Remove from oven and
serve the salmon over or alongside the
salad. Makes 8 servings. El

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July 3 • 2008

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