Salad

Dinner is on the table in minutes when Pacific Rim Flank Steak (page 180) or other cooked steak becomes part of this entrée salad.

This salad gets its flavor from cumin, jalapeño, lime juice—and, surprisingly, a touch of honey.

Celery and green onions give this versatile salad a crunch and a fresh taste that will make you want to use it as often as you can—to stuff a tomato, fill half a pita, or provide protein on a salad plate.

A scoop of crunchy tuna salad on a bed of juicy mango slices makes a nice lunch entrée.

The combination of fresh basil and lime in the dressing makes this dish distinctive and delightful. It’s a nice and easy way to work some fish into your week.

This main-dish salad, topped with a sesame-wasabi dressing, is an interesting combination of colors, textures, aromas, and flavors.

The right amount of mustard is a key ingredient for great potato salad. Since yellow mustard is usually high in sodium, this recipe calls for dry mustard instead.

A popular dish in the Lone Star State, where it is called Texas Caviar, this flavorful salad is sure to become a favorite in your household, too.

A just-right blend of sweet and tart, this salad is a great accompaniment to Curried Chicken Kebabs with Yogurt Dipping Sauce (page 138) or Pork Chops with Herb Rub (page 196). Spoon the salad onto leaves of butter lettuce or radicchio for an especially attractive presentation.

Refreshing and crunchy, this fruit salad makes a good brunch dish with Turkey Sausage Patties (page 166).

This pretty, quick-to-prepare, and divine-tasting salad is perfect for potlucks and summer lunches. Vary the vegetables and try other vinaigrettes in this chapter (pages 96–97) for different flavors.

A sprinkling of crumbled feta tops this very tasty mix of fresh spinach, sweet grape tomatoes, artichokes, and basil.

Because it doesn’t contain mayonnaise, this slaw is a good picnic dish. It keeps well in the refrigerator for several days, so you can make it in advance.

Use seasonal fruit so you can serve this salad with its mildly sweet and tart dressing year-round.

Roasting lemons and shallots brings out their natural sugars and imparts a smoky flavor as well. Try variations, too, such as oranges and large cloves of garlic.

These smoky flavored olives are always the first thing to disappear off an antipasti platter or hors d’oeuvres spread. The brightness of the orange zest enhances the earthy flavors of the olives; you can use freshly squeezed orange juice if you don’t have zest. I love to serve these straight from the oven, still warm.

Olive oil is very good as a poaching liquid, especially when you want the poaching liquid to gently transfer heat yet not penetrate the food. This method yields amazingly moist fish. And it’s lovely to use the infused oil in the salad dressing for the accompanying salad.

Salade niçoise is traditionally a composition of tender seasonal lettuces, green beans, baby potatoes, olives, and the best-quality tuna packed in olive oil. This version features tuna steaks grilled perfectly, then broken into chunks. You can substitute your favorite seasonal vegetables if you choose. This salad should not be chilled.

Who doesn’t love crispy, salty potatoes? This simple Spanish-influenced dish is a fine accompaniment to grilled fish. The saffron-scented aioli dressing is also wonderful tossed with pasta or on other seasonal vegetables. This dish is even more stunning when made with Peruvian purple potatoes.