SALADS TO HELP WITH HOLIDAY ENTERTAINING

It’s hard to imagine everyday dinners without a side salad, but to picture a major holiday family dinner without one is impossible. Yet today, with produce prices equal or surpassing those of meats, it’s become a distinct possibility. And no wonder, when a simple head of iceberg lettuce in stores like Aldi’s and Walmart costs between $1.48 and $1.69  and its upscale relatives far more other places. Leafy greens take up space, have a short shelf life, can’t be preserved by freezing and when part of full meal is considered an embellishment. So salads are disappearing from tables.

However, salad lovers, we still have viable alternatives, possibly more colorful and delicious than our traditional choices. We happily welcome the arrival of winter citrus fruits in December, so it’s only fitting we add some fruit to our holiday menus and the perfect place to do it is in the salads. The point is to give our taste buds a refreshing change from the heavier entrée flavors, and what can do that better than a touch of fruits or complimentary vegetable?  

Nowadays apples, pears, grapes and tomatoes, yes tomatoes they’re a fruit too, are available fresh, during the holidays as well as frozen and canned items like green beans and beets.. Any of them can perk up a salad, add color and zing to the entire meal. I’m offering recipes containing these items. I know all will be welcome additions to your holiday meals. 

The salads can be made ahead; the ingredients stored separately, the lettuce in water, and assembled just before serving.  They are intended to help entertaining over holidays. If you are seeking salad recipes which are a bit more pricy, go to   July 22, 2015   and Nov. 10, 2016.  Appropriate bottled dressings are acceptable substitutes in most of these salads but always add them just before serving.

Here’s another tip to help make the most of the salad greens you buy. My Mother, diagnosed with a digestive problem, was told she should go easy on vegetables and avoid raw fruits and salad greens. Those were fighting words to Mother, who lived on salads, and she quickly found she could tolerate salads fairly well if the greens were shredded to slaw. We learned the greens went much farther cut that way. Nearly all the salads below can be presented with the greens cut to slaw and tossed with the other ingredients.

RECIPES

CITRUS FRUITS

Remember the bitter, tough pith of citrus fruits, the white inner skin beneath the rind, must be removed. This is easiest done by cutting away the outer layers with a knife, but it’s acceptable in larger fruits to halve them and remove the sections with a serrated ‘grapefruit’ knife. Smaller fruits like Clementines can simply be peeled and the center membrane trimmed off. Of course all seeds, even in grapes should be removed as well

Spicy Orange Salad: Serves 6-8
Meat of 6 navel oranges, or clementines OR (1) 8 oz. and (1) 4 oz. can mandarin oranges
4 cups chopped Romaine lettuce
1 Tbs. minced fresh cilantro
For Dressing: Whisk 2 Tbs. oliveoil,1/4 tsp. EACH ground coriander and ground cumin, pinch cayenne pepper, and 1 clove garlic mashed with ½ tsp. salt
Gently toss oranges, lettuce and dressing, garnish with cilantro

Church Salad: Serves 6
1 lb. Romaine cut in bite sized pieces,
(1) 8oz.can mandarin oranges
1/2 small white onion thinly sliced
1/3 cup orange juice,
2Tbs.oil,
1 heaping Tbs. poppy seeds
Simmer juice, oil and seeds over low heat for 10 min. or until seeds soften. Cool completely. Gently toss with lettuce and oranges just before serving.

Nutty Orange Salad: Serves 8
2 sliced scallions
1 cup sliced celery
6 cups Romaine in bite sized piece
( 1) 15 oz. can mandarin oranges or 4 peeled Clementines in sections
½ cup sliced almonds
5 Tbs. sugar
Dressing: Whisk together 2 Tbs. red wine vinegar, ¼ cup olive oil, 2 Tbs. sugar,1 Tbs. dried parsley, pinch cayenne pepper, salt & pepper to taste
To candy nuts: Stir almonds and 3 Tbs. sugar in a skillet, until sugar melts and coats nuts, cool on foil. Toss salad ingredients gently with dressing just before serving. Garnish with sugared nuts.

PEARS
Craisin-Pear Salad:* Serves 4
1 large, ripe pear cored and diced
3 cups salad greens
¼ cup craisins
Dressing: Whisk 2 Tbs. oil, 1 Tbs. balsamic vinegar, ¼ tsp. Dijon mustard, salt & pepper
Toss all ingredients gently with dressing just before serving

Pear-Spinach Salad with Pecans: Serves 8
2 ripe pears thinly sliced
13 oz. baby spinach (2 pkgs.),
1 small, white onion thinly sliced
¾ tsp. cinnamon (divided),
1 ½ cups pecan halves.
For nuts and dressing:: 1/4 cup melted butter, ¾ cup light brown sugar ( divided),
Dressing: Whisk 1/3 cup oil, ½ cup white wine vinegar, ¼ tsp. cinnamon, ¼ cup sugar, salt &pepper
Nuts: Mix and spread on a foil-lined sheet, butter, ½ cup sugar, ½ tsp. cinnamon and nuts. Bake at 350 deg. for 20 min. stirring. Cool and separate nuts with a fork. Gently toss salad ingredients in a bowl, add dressing and garnish with nuts.

NOTE: *Craisins are sweetened dried cranberries. To make your own, Prick 2 cups cranberries with a pin. Boil 1 cups sugar and ¼ cup water until sugar dissolves, stir in berries, then transfer to a foil-lined sheet and bake at 300 deg. for 45 min. Spread on waxed paper and when almost dry roll in granulated sugar if a sweeter berry is wanted. Can be used as decorations on desserts or sprinkled over ice

Pear Salad with Walnuts and Blue Cheese: Serves 6-8
3 large, ripe pears, halved, cored and sliced lengthwise or in large chunks-canned ears can be used see NOTE*
1 medium shallot OR 1 small fennel bulb-thinly sliced
1/3-1/2 cup chopped, toasted walnuts
½ cup Blue, Roquefort or Gorgonzola cheese-crumbled
5 oz. mixed greens-bagged baby greens, red or green leaf lettuce, arugula suggested
2 Tbs. walnut oil
Balsamic vinaigrette

Balsamic Vinaigrette
¼ cup balsamic vinegar

1 teaspoon honey or maple syrup

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

½ teaspoon sea salt

Freshly ground black pepper
¼ cup olive oil
For individual servings: Plate greens, toss pears with shallot or fennel, if using, top greens with pears, spoon over a little dressing and scatter with walnuts, then cheese. Drizzle with proportionate amount of walnut oil
For a group: Gently toss greens, pears, vegetable, if using, nuts with dressing, in a salad bowl. Sprinkle cheese over top. Drizzle with walnut oil just before serving.
*NOTE: canned pears are fragile so if tossing the salad toss the other ingredients with the dressing, then gently fold in the pears befor topping with the cheese.

GRAPES
Grapes and Baby Greens with Maple Dressing: Serves 6
1 small yellow apple thinly sliced
6 cups baby mixed greens
1 cup seedless red grapes halved.
Dressing: Combine 1 Tbs. maple syrup, 1 thinly sliced scallion, 1tsp. lemon juice, ½ cup raspberry juice, whisk in 2 Tbs. olive oil
Arrange greens, top with fruits and drizzle with dressing.

Grapes with Honey Lime Dressing: Serves 4
1 cup halved seedless grapes
2 cups baby spinach leaves
½ head radicchio-leaves in bite-sized pieces,
Dressing: Stir together 1 Tbs. honey,3 Tbs. lime juice, whisk in 3 Tbs. oil, salt & pepper
Toss salad ingredients gently together, add dressing just before serving and toss again

APPLES

Nutty Apple Salad: Serves 4
2 tart green apples in ½ inch dice
2 Tbs. toasted slivered almonds
3 or 4 Belgian endives (see step #3)*
Dressing: Combine 1 Tbs. lemon juice, 4 tsp.oil,1 tsp. minced garlic, pinch salt
Wash the endive with a damp cloth, thinly slice crosswise and mix in a bowl with apples and nuts, toss with dressing. OR Serve this as individual salads. Chop the apples in finer dice and mix with almonds in a bit of dressing. Separate the endive leaves into 12 or 16 equal piles, depending on size. Divide piles among 4 plates and fill each with a bit of the fruit-nut mix, drizzle with remaining dressing.
NOTE* Belgian endive leaves can be held by the stem end and eaten by hand, rather like a slice of pizza. In this way they can be used as dippers, like chips, to hold small amounts of food.

Apple-Jicama Salad: Serves 6
1 medium jicama
3 red apples
1 small onion thinly sliced
3 cups romaine leaves in bite-sized pieces
¼ cup chopped fresh mint.
Dressing: Stir together ½ cup orange juice, 1 Tbs. EACH lime juice, cider vinegar, brown sugar, 1 Tbs. oil, to dissolve sugar
Cut jicama and cored apple into matchsticks. Toss with lettuce, mint and dressing. Garnish with mint leaves if desired.

Waldorf Salad: Serves 4
6 tablespoons mayonnaise  or plain yogurt*

1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
Pinch freshly ground black pepper
2 sweet apples, cored and chopped
1 cup seedless red grapes, halved, or 1/4 cup raisins
1 cup thinly sliced celery
1 cup chopped, slightly toasted walnuts
Lettuce
*If using yogurt mix lemon juice and a bit of honey

Stir the mayo or yogurt, lemon juice and/or honey if using, to blend in a bowl. Add all other ingredients, but the lettuce tossing to coat. Spoon onto lettuce lined plates.

Colorful Fruited Coleslaw: Serves 10
2 medium red apples, cored and chopped-not peeled
1 cup seedless grapes-halved-red or green
1/2 cup toasted chopped walnuts
1 cup raisins
½ cup chopped onion
4 cups shredded cabbage
2 Tbs. cider or wine vinegar
2 Tbs. brown sugar
2 tsp. brown mustard
Whisk last 4 ingredients in a small bowl. Toss everything else in a large serving bowl then toss with dressing mix. Cover and chill 2-6 hours before serving. Dry ingredients can be mixed the night before, chilled in water, drained and tossed with dressing in the morning, or transported separately and combined a couple of hours before serving.

TOMATOES

Tomato- Spinach Salad: Serves 4
3 cups baby spinach leaves,
½ small white onion thinly sliced,
12-14 grape tomatoes sliced crosswise in 3 pieces
Dressing: ¼ cup of a good bottled Vidalia Onion dressing or more to taste
Combine ingredients in a bowl and drizzle dressing over, then toss gently.

Salad Margherita; Serves 4
3 cups baby spinach, or torn green leaf lettuce
3 plum tomatoes quartered lengthwise then halved into eight pieces each
½ small onion diced
1/3 cup fresh mozzarella, slivered
¼ cup fresh basil leaves chopped
Dressing: A ¼ cup good bottled Caesar dressing- or to taste
Combine ingredients in a bowl and drizzle dressing over, then toss gently. Garnish with Basil leaves

Tomato, Watermelon Salad: Serves 4
1 slice of watermelon half about 1 inch thick–rind and seeds removed– cut in ¾ inch cubes
1 medium tomato – in large dice
5-6 green leaf lettuce leaves – torn in bite-sized pieces
Orange dressing*
¼ cup Feta or blue cheese crumbles – optional
Make dressing a day ahead and chop vegetables just before assembling salad. Toss all ingredients together with the dressing and serve from a bowl or on plates garnished with the cheese if using.
*Orange Dressing
3/4 cup orange juice
1Tbs.poppy seeds
2 Tbs. oil
Sugar if needed
Slowly boil the juice and poppy seeds together until the juice reduces to about ½ cup; add oil and sugar if needed. Allow to cool and store covered, chilled at least 1 day. Shake well and toss with salad ingredients just before serving.

VEGETABLES

Pickled Red Beet Salad; Serves 4
15 oz. can sliced beets- drained, juice reserved
1 small onion halved lengthwise and thinly sliced
2 Tbs. cider vinegar – or to taste
1 tsp. sugar- or to taste
4 large leaves of red leaf lettuce
Dressing of choice*
Pour beet juice into a saucepan. Add vinegar and sugar tasting and adjusting until desired sweet-sour flavor is reached. Add beets and onions, heat through and let cool. Place in a covered container and marinate at least 2 days. Tear lettuce into bite-sized pieces, divide among plates and mound drained** beets and onions on top. Drizzle or dollop dressing over, depending on choice.
*Suggested dressings; a Raspberry-nut vinaigrette drizzled over OR topped with dollops of
1/3 cup sour cream with 1Tbs. vinegar and 1 tsp. sugar –or quantities to taste-mixed in
** Shelled hard-boiled eggs can be pickled in the beet juice for up to 3 weeks. Delicious alone, sliced in sandwiches or chopped in salads.

Green Beans and Mushrooms: Serves 4
8 oz. frozen cut green beans
4 oz. sliced raw button mushrooms or a 4oz. can mushrooms sliced or stems and pieces-drained
1 small onion halved and thinly sliced – optional
4 large Romaine leaves, optionally torn into bite-sized pieces
¼ cup balsamic vinaigrette dressing OR 3 Tbs. balsamic vinegar + 1 Tbs. oil
Cook the beans as per package directions until just crisp-tender; drain and toss with mushrooms, onions if using, and balsamic dressing Marinate chilled for at least 2 hours. Toss with the Romaine pieces and serve or optionally line each plate with a Romaine leaf cut in half and mound bean mix on top. Garnish with chopped chives, fresh or dried parsley, cilantro or dill.

Carrot Slaw; Serves 4
4 medium-small carrots
1/3 cup raisins. dried cranberries or blueberries—optionally plumped in water
¼ cup chopped toasted walnuts- optional
¼ head of iceberg lettuce
Choice of dressing*
Peel carrot skins and using a vegetable peeler, slice them one half the length at a time, into a “slaw”. Toss with the dried fruit and set aside. If not using right away, keep chilled Cut the

lettuce into very thin slices and then cut them in half lengthwise, removing the tough core pieces. Arrange the lettuce equally on 4 plates. Toss the carrots with choice of dressing and divide among the plates. Garnish with nuts.
*This salad goes well with several dressings. French. Peppercorn Ranch, Vidalia onion, Cole Slaw, Caesar even one of the Raspberry vinaigrette. 

Spinach Salad with Candied Pecans: Serves 8
1 (7oz.) bag of spinach
2 ripe pears thinly sliced
1 small red onion thinly sliced
1 1/4 cups pecan halves
¼ cup butter melted
¾ cup packed brown sugar-divided
¾ tsp. cinnamon- divided
½ cup white wine vinegar
1/3 cup olive oil
Dash salt and freshly ground pepper
Toss nuts, butter, ½ cup sugar, ¼ tsp. cinnamon together; spread on a greased baking sheet and bake 325 deg. for 15-20 min. stirring often. Cool and break apart. Whisk last 4 ingredients, remaining sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl and set aside. When serving gently toss vegetables on a large bowl, add dressing and top with pecans. If transporting, take nuts in a bag, dressing in a bottle, and the first 3 ingredients whole and unopened. Keep everything but the nuts chilled. Slice, combine and toss just before serving.