Dieter's Mediterranean Salad

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...For the next few days, I'll be featuring main course salads for folks who are watching their weight. I'm not a fan of the word dieting because I find it too restricting. I've had to watch my weight for most of my adult life, but have only consciously had to diet twice. The first was following the birth on my first child, the second was following eye surgery that affected movement and my ability to read. Both times, I piled on weight and ended up weighing more than my husband. To lose that weight following the birth of my daughter, I followed the original Weight Watcher's diet. To lose it following eye surgery, I tried Mike Moreno's The 17 Day Diet. I had great results with both diets, and while I didn't lose weight as quickly as I anticipated, I eventually lost the pounds I wanted to shed. I have since my last go round with dieting, followed an eating plan that is similar to the maintenance phase of the 17 Day Diet. I am quite comfortable with Moreno's approach to weight maintenance because it allows me to eat as I please on weekends. That does, however, mean I keep my eye on the scale and the size and makeup of my weekday meals. I eat a lot of salads because they are filling, and, if carefully thought out, provide the protein, carbs and nutrients I need to remain healthy. The first salad I want to share with you is based on the classic Nicoise salad. While my version uses less oil and no olives or anchovies, it does contain the potatoes, green beans and tuna that are found in the classic salad. It is really very tasty, and, more importantly, it is very filling. I actually prefer its flavor to the real thing. It is important to dress the potatoes and green beans while they are still warm. I make things simple for myself by cooking the potatoes, green beans and boiled egg at the same time, in the same pot. The beans, obviously, go in at the last minute and are the first to be extracted from the pot, but if I keep my eye on the clock this shortcut works well for me. I think you will like this salad. Here is how its made.

Chicken and Rice Salad Veracruz

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...Years ago, Lady Luck was with me and this simple recipe won a contest that took the Silver Fox and me to Hawaii for 3 weeks. Whether it merited such a prize is arguable, but the salad is very nice, quite easy to make, and I think your family will enjoy it. Regular readers may be surprised to find that the recipe uses convenience or "shortcut" ingredients that aren't present in most of the recipes I feature. That's because these contests were sponsored by food companies who had products they wanted to feature. Winning recipes had to use those products, have clear directions and be prepared quickly. While I've removed the product sponsor's name, I'm sharing the recipe as it was written for the contest. I think you'll like this salad. Here is how it's made.

Thomas Keller's Near Perfect Salad with Dijon Vinaigrette

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I came across this recipe years ago. We had been gifted with gorgeous grassfed steaks and I wanted a simple salad to accompany them. I let my fingers do the walking, and while searching I came across The Paupered Chef, a blog that has since become inactive. They were featuring a salad and dressing that was included in Thomas Keller's book Bouchon. With a pedigree like that, I knew my steaks would be in good company, so the salad and dressing became part of our meal. With just 3 ingredients, the dressing is the epitome of simplicity, though I must admit I mix it up a bit and use 2 parts canola oil to 1 part extra virgin olive oil to add some additional flavor. You'll notice that the dressing has no salt, sugar or herbs added to it. That's because Keller adds them to his salads rather than their dressing. This is a creamy sauce that flows easily and coats a spoon. It is not thick, and for that reason it is important to add only a third of the oil to the blender. Adding more at that time would turn the emulsion into a thick mayonnaise that cannot be poured. It's thought that Keller uses canola oil because it is bland and does not interfere with other flavors. I think most of you will enjoy the freshness of this dressing, but do remember it is unseasoned and you are expected to season the greens before tossing the salad. Do give this a try. It will keep for 2-1/2 weeks in the refrigerator, and should it separate, simply give it another whirl in the blender. Here is how the dressing and Keller's Bibb lettuce salad are made.

Steak and Potato Salad

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...This simple recipe comes from the Betty Crocker test kitchen. Prepared as written, it makes a quick and flavorful summer meal. Because I often have leftover steak, I've developed another version of the salad that uses steak slices and eliminates the grilling step in the directions that appear below. When you have steak that is ready to go, simply boil or steam the potatoes and get them into the dressing while they are still warm. Add thinly sliced steak and toss to coat it with dressing before proceeding with the original recipe. This makes a great summer salad and it is perfect for those warm days when you want to serve a lighter meal. I know you will enjoy this. Here is how the steak and potato salads are made.

Corn, Black Bean and Quinoa Salad

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...This quick to assemble salad is perfect for picnics or al fresco dining. The salad, which is very easy to make, is prepared with pantry ingredients, and you can have it ready to chill in less than 30 minutes. I've made this several times now, and the only change I've made to the original recipe is to double the ingredients for the salad dressing. I serve this with a simple grilled chicken or lamb chops for the Silver Fox, but given my druthers, I'd serve it as a main course. It certainly would be a perfect meatless addition to your next buffet. While the salad will keep for several days, and will actually improve in flavor, the cilantro will lose its lovely color as it sits. I do hope you will give this simple recipe a try. Here is how it is made.

Quinoa Spring Salad

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I've only recently begun to experiment with the grains that have become popular in restaurants and are featured on some of the more health oriented blog sites. Quinoa, usually in salad form, appears on the menus of most restaurants in my area. We've had a week of heavy, high caloric eating, and I thought today would be a good day to begin to work with some recipes for quinoa salads I've been saving. To be honest, I chose this one as ground zero because I had all of the ingredients on hand. The salad is simple to assemble, and I'm delighted to tell you that the Silver Fox, a committed carnivore, actually ate and liked it. I found the recipe on allrecipes.com and made no changes to there ingredients list. If you like salads with a hint of lemon lurking in the background, I know you will like this one. It is easy and inexpensive to make and I've added it to my semi-permanent recipe rotation. Do give it a try. Here is how it's made.

Sweet Potato and Black Bean Salsa

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...Isn't this pretty? I've always found it hard to come up with vegetables to serve with with Mexican food. I'm not fond of the colors or tastes of the usual suspects, but the sparkling colors and piquant flavor of this salsa have solved the problem. If you're tired of gray vegetables and tinned tomatoes I hope you'll try this. It will give a real lift to your palate. While I serve the salsa in tortilla bowls, that really isn't necessary - it does, however, add pizzazz to the presentation. If you plan to serve the salsa with chips I suggest you cut the ingredients in smaller pieces than that recommended in the recipe. I use pickled jalapeno peppers to insure a constant amount of heat. There are times when the jalapenos in the market are as sweet as bell peppers and that just won't do in this recipe. I know you're going to like this one!

Mexican Chopped Salad

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...While this is a terrific salad to serve with Southwestern or Mexican inspired meals, it also works well with plain grilled or barbecued meats. While there is some chopping to do, the salad is easy to make and substantial enough to serve as a stand alone meal if you are trying to cut back on the amount of meat you eat. The dressing is what takes this salad out of the realm of the ordinary, but it is important to keep a couple of things in mind when you prepare it. The lettuce should be mixed with the other ingredients just before the salad is dressed, and it should be dressed just before it is served. If necessary, this salad can be extended with another head of romaine, so, its great to serve when you are uncertain about the number of people you'll be serving. Unfortunately, the salad is not a good keeper, so don't go overboard and make more salad than you can eat in one sitting. I love the color and texture of this salad and can recommend it to you with only slight reservations. Do give this recipe a try, and barring that, file it for use later this summer. Here is how it's made.

Watermelon and Cucumber Salad for a Crowd

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...This is another salad designed to feed a crowd. Like the green bean salad that was featured yesterday, this one uses the rag-tag ends of summer produce to make a salad whose savory and sweet elements are combined to make an unusual salad that will be new to many. It's a personal favorite of mine. The combination of watermelon and crunchy cucumbers provides a sweetness and texture that I love. It takes about 15 minutes to make this almost effortless salad, but I do have one caution to share with you. Don't assemble this salad too far ahead of serving time. Think of this as a goop alert. For maximum flavor, all salad ingredients should be icy cold before they are combined, and if you want your salad to look as good as it tastes, don't let it sit for more than 2 hours once the ingredients have been combined. This is a dish that can be made by young cooks, so if you are lucky enough to have one eager to help in the kitchen let them chop away. This salad is always well received and, fortunately, I've never had to worry about handling leftovers. If you have never tried this salad I urge you to do so. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised by the flavor punch this unusual combination of ingredients packs. Here is how the salad is made.

Fresh Green Bean Salad for a Crowd

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...For many, this weekend marks the end of summer and the start of a new school year. When I was in grammar school this was an exciting time. I'd spend the weekend checking my pencil box to make sure it complied with regulations and carefully walk around the house with heavy socks over my new school shoes. The object was to break them in without scratching the leather, so that on the first day of school my appearance would be unblemished.  French braids would replace the wild mane of summer and a carefully chosen outfit that smelled store new was neatly hung and hooked over the door knob where it could be easily reached. Accessories on that first day of school would include color coordinated ribbons and socks, the fanciest barrettes my allowance could buy and, my pride and joy, a Lone Ranger lunch box that predated the unisex movement by decades. Years later, I'd watch my own children go through a similar ritual, all of us excited that the summer was coming to an end and almost grateful that routine would again direct our days. Labor Day weekend, then and now, was a busy time for us and while we'd have a barbecue it was not elaborate. I know that many of you will have company this weekend. I wanted to share some simple salad recipes with you. The recipes are scaled to feed a gang and take advantage of the rag-tag late summer produce that's now in markets. The first is a tasty bean salad that's paired with tomatoes and cheese and so colorful that it will please the eyes as well as the palate. It's super simple to make and it will feed 16. Here is how it is made.

Leftover Lamb Salad

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I know that there are many folks who don't like lamb. I suspect their aversion has more to do with its preparation than the taste of lamb itself, and when its cost is factored in, it is easy to see why it is not served more often. My family loves lamb, so it is no stranger on my table, but that presents another problem. I call it leftover lamb syndrome. It is hard to find ways to use leftover lamb. There is, of course, shepherd's pie, and while that may be perfect for the winter table, it's awfully heavy for a summer day. So, when temperatures soar and I have leftover lamb, I use it in a salad or as a filler for sandwich wraps. My recipe is so simple that it needs no additional explanation. While any type of non-creamy dressing can be used to flavor it, I tend to use one of the two that are featured below. I like them both and the choice of which to use is always based on what is in the pantry. It is important to thinly slice the meat and let it marinate in the dressing for a while before it is served. I also like to serve the salad at room temperature rather than straight from the refrigerator. I know those of you who like lamb will enjoy this salad, so I do hope you will give it a try. Here is how the salad is made.

Cucumber Salad with Dill and Sour Cream

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I have a liking for cucumber salads that I know is not shared by the world at large. There are at least a dozen recipe for them in my archives, but I keep searching for perfection, the one that will provide that perfect bite for which we are known. There are, in my opinion, certain meals that are incomplete without a cool and crunchy salad of this type. Salmon is one of them and it is a standard feature on my table. The recipe I'm featuring tonight is for a cucumber salad that uses salt to extract moisture from sliced cucumbers. The process makes for really crisp cucumbers and once they are rinsed and drained the remainder of the recipe is a cakewalk. My personal taste runs towards vinegar-type salads, but the Silver Fox loves those that are napped with a creamy dressing. This recipe comes from Food Done Right and I decided to try this creamy version with the salmon we had over the weekend. It makes a nice salad and I think those of you who try it, will enjoy this cool and refreshing addition to your table. Here is how this simple dish is made.

Crunchy Classic Coleslaw

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...This is a delicious old-fashioned coleslaw that is quite easy to make. My recipe is inspired by one I found on Leite's Culinara and while I've made a few changes to the original recipe, I've left their version basically intact. While I have replace freshly shredded cabbage with a finely cut bagged variety and mixed it with shredded lettuce to vary the texture a bit, the buttermilk dressing, which makes this slaw a standout, has not been changed. To keep it from becoming waterlogged, I add the shredded lettuce to slaw just before it is served. This is a wonderful addition to a barbecue or picnic and I do hope you'll give this recipe a try. Here is how the slaw is made.

Fresh Tuna Salad

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I have only this year jumped on the (sandwich) wrap bandwagon. I was late to the party for lots of reasons, the main one being I couldn't fathom why anyone would want to take the filling of a standard sandwich and wrap it in a tortilla. The calorie count wouldn't change dramatically and ham and cheese in a tortilla tastes no different than when it's slapped between two pieces of bread. My mind was changed by chance, when for want of anything more interesting, I ordered a salmon wrap in a restaurant when we were at the coast. I've been hooked ever since and I'm always on the lookout for new fillings that can be used in wraps. Tonight's feature is a perfect candidate,  though I must admit it's also good enough to serve as a stand alone salad if, IF, you make it with freshly cooked tuna. Because fish is so plentiful in this area, I must admit to being spoiled. I can buy steamed fish in most grocery stores, so the only work associated with the wrap is done at the fish market and I can make the salad in minutes once I'm home. If you decide to try the recipe, do be aware that when it's made with canned tuna the filling will be a huge disappointment and not worth your time. The capers are also important. If, however, you have a ready source for fresh fish and are willing to use capers, I think you'll love the salad. It's adapted from one first published on the blog, Just A Pinch. Here is how it's made.

Lettuce Slaw - Like Roy Rogers

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...Years ago, Roy Rogers, now defunct, was a popular fast food franchise. I remember it only for the coleslaw it served with its barbecue sandwiches. The slaw was different than most, because it was made with chopped lettuce, rather than cabbage, and it was less acidic than that served by other fast food chains. I can't tell you that tonight's feature is a "copykat" recipe. I've never been able to find a version of the original on the internet, so I've had to create my own from taste memory and lots of trial and error. I keep this slaw at a bare bones level and use only lettuce and cabbage in its construction. If you are so inclined, chopped carrots or sweet peppers could also be added to the mix, and if you like a wet slaw you might want to double the dressing ingredients included with the recipe below.  Because the slaw is lettuce based, it will brown if it sits for too long a time before serving. I generally mix and chill the slaw about 2 hours before it will be needed. That gives the flavors time to meld, but the lettuce will retain its color and remain crisp. This nice slaw is similar to the one that was served at the Roy Rogers restaurant chains. Here is how my version of their old standby is made.

Tossed Salad with Crisp Apples, Candied Walnuts and Cranberry Vinaigrette

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...Tucked in among the fancy and time consuming dishes that appear on my Christmas table, you will find a few that are nearly effortless to prepare. This salad is one of them. It uses bagged salad greens and sundry ingredients that can be purchased or made well ahead of time. I prefer to make my own candied walnut because I can control their sweetness, but you can buy excellent candied nuts in any large grocery store. If you'd like to make your own, my recipe can be found here. The cranberry vinaigrette adds wonderful color to the table and it is tart enough to clear a palate that may have been sampling too many rich appetizers. Given my druthers, I'd prefer to serve the salad at the end of the meal, but I've learned, the hard way, I might add, that not everyone subscribes to the French way of doing thing, so, if we have guests at the table, salad starts the feast. I individually plate this salad and bring it to the table with dressing drizzled over the greens. That preserves their lovely color and assures that everyone gets a fair share of the components that make the salad special. I do hope you'll keep this recipe in mind, if not for Christmas, then perhaps for another occasion. Here is how this colorful salad is made.

Roasted Tomato Salad Dressing with Iceberg Lettuce Wedges

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...Those of us who grew up in the Midwest are no strangers to the salad I'm featuring tonight.  It made regular appearances on our dinner tables despite the bad press it received from food writers, who I am now convinced were on the payroll of the Boston and leaf lettuce consortium. The salad was simplicity personified. Iceberg lettuce, cut into thick wedges, was topped with Thousand Island dressing that oozed downward, much like a lava flow on the slopes of a volcano. The salad was memorable because the lettuce never lost its crispness and it provided crunchy sound effects that endeared it to anyone under the age of ten. For years after I had been informed that iceberg lettuce was déclassé, I would thread more socially acceptable greens with the crunch that only iceberg lettuce could provide. It is yet another indication that I am not now, nor have I ever been a "foodie". I was really pleased to find a new take on a wedge salad  in the August issue of Food and Wine magazine. They gussied up the basic salad, but what really caught my eye was their recipe for roasted tomato dressing. It appeared to be a bit like the red French dressing of yesteryear, but having made it, I can tell you it is much sharper in taste. It actually was too sharp for my palate, so the next time I make it, I will cut back on the amount of mustard I use. Tomatoes come in with a vengeance at this time of year and the dressing is a great way to put some of them to use.  I think you will enjoy the salad, especially if you taste  the dressing as you assemble its elements. It will need salt and pepper, and I think you'll find 1 tablespoon of mustard will give it all the zip it needs. If you are looking for a new take on an old favorite you might want to give this recipe a try. Here is how the salad is made.

Table for Two - Amish Potato Salad

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...While we are miles removed from the physical danger posed by the Deception Creek fires here in Oregon, the smoke is settling in our part of the valley and its acrid odor makes air quality readings completely unnecessary. It's a bit like suspicious leftovers, if you can smell it, chances are it's gone bad, and in this case its gone really bad. The Silver Fox and I decided to head to the coast for a picnic and some fresh ocean air. It was a last minute decision, so I only had an hour to pack the hamper and get us out of Dodge. Fortunately, I had cooked potatoes and eggs in the refrigerator, so I decided to make one of the easiest and best salads I have in my hopper, an Amish potato salad whose simplicity makes it a standout. The salad uses no onions or celery and consists, in the main, of eggs and potatoes that are coated with a sweet mustard dressing that pulls it all together. It took all of 10 minutes to assemble the salad and get it on ice for the trip to the coast. I really think you'll like this, but I do have one caution to share with you. The original recipe calls for 1/4 cup of sugar and I found that that is way too much for our tastes. I cut the measure in half and was still happy with the results. Unless you like your salads swimming in dressing, I suspect you'll have more of it than you need to bind the salad ingredients. I used the excess on sandwiches I was making for our picnic. This recipe is fast and easy to make, but its best feature, other than its exceptional taste, is that it is scaled to feed just two people. If you are no longer cooking for a crew, you might want to give this recipe a try. Here is how the potato salad is made.

A Trio of Shrimp Salads for Steamy Summer Nights

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I've got the kettle bubbling on the stove and some special summer dishes chilling in the refrigerator. Unfortunately, none of them are ready for their moment in the spotlight, so I thought I'd reprise these salad recipes from years past. They are easy to make and substantial enough to serve for a summer evening meal. While I may be prejudiced, I think they are all delicious and I do hope you will give a try. The links to the recipes are below the photos.

Cobb Salad

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...It was really warm today. I used that as an excuse to scrap my preplanned menu and make a really simple supper for the Silver Fox tonight. It consisted of two courses, one of which was a Tomato Bread Soup that I'll share with you next week, and the other was the Cobb Salad that is tonight's featured recipe. These days, air conditioning moots the argument that it is too hot to cook, but I do think appetites wane when the thermostat soars, so lighter food become the order of the day. I had most of the elements for a classic Cobb Salad in the refrigerator and I knew it would be perfect for our main course tonight. The salad, originally designed to use up leftovers, was created in the kitchen of the Brown Derby. It quickly became the restaurants most popular dish and you can still find their original recipe using your computer search facility. This is a composed salad, meaning the ingredients are separately arranged on a bed of lettuce rather than being tossed together. While I've made this salad for years, it is different every time I make it. I use the recipe below as a rough guide, but the final iteration always depends on what is in my refrigerator. Years ago, when the world and the Silver Fox and I were young, I frequented a store called the High-Low in Chicago. It was one of the first large supermarkets in town and they sold the "heels" of cold cuts and cheese. They were kept in a bargain bin, the contents of which determined what would go into my Chef and Cobb salads. I no longer have need of those bargain bins, but the thought of them still makes me smile. I do hope you'll give this version of the salad a try this summer. Here is how it's made.