Orso's Panzanella Salad

This side salad has a lot of flavor and variety including fresh mozzarella and a champagne dijon dressing. But the chunks of toasted rosemary bread were soft and soggy, so I picked them out. A crunchy crouton made from this bread would add a nice crunch.

Muse Cafe's Chipotle Grilled Shrimp Salad

A bit on the pricy side ($15.95) but this is a great entree salad, especially at lunchtime. It includes grilled asparagus and a citrus cilantro vinaigrette. Healthy and delicious!

Rustic Goat's Kale Salad

I'm not big on kale as, to me, it tastes like dirt. But a  good dressing can cut the bitterness, and Rustic Goat's creamy garlic dressing certainly does. The menu describes it as being topped with "bacon crumble," which is essentially little crouton chunks that have bacon and anchovies in them. Probably delicious, but I'm dieting so I had to scrape them off. Still a good salad, even just with the dressing and kale.

Sullivan's Steakhouse's Wedge Salad

On principal, I'm not a fan of the wedge. I like my salad to arrive cut up so I can eat it, and I'm not usually a fan of the nearly nutritionless iceberg. However, this salad is so yummy! They use good tomatoes, and their blue cheese vinaigrette is the bomb. This is a good one to split with your date.

Day 31 & Roasted Pepper Salad

Get a Costco bag of six peppers (red, yellow, orange) and use whatever method you prefer to roast them. I like turning them under a broiler.

In a bowl, combine and whisk:
1 garlic clove, minced and mashed with a spoon
1/2 t. kosher salt
1 T balsamic
1 T lemon juice
2 T chopped Italian parsley
3 T olive oil

After you've removed the skins and seeds from the peppers, cut them into strips and add toss in the bowl with the dressing. Sprinkle with toasted pine nuts to serve. Good up to 4 days in the fridge.

DAY 31
So, that's it for 31 days of salad. And yes, I did manage to eat salad every single day in August. I increased my veggie intake, and this challenge forced me to make better choices when ordering in restaurants. I plan to keep adding recipes to this blog. I encourage everyone to go and do your own 31 Days of Salad, and please share recipe ideas on this blog.

Tuna & Bean Salad

I found some nice red onions at the Spenard Farmer's Market this morning, and was inspired to throw together this old favorite of mine:

For the Salad:

1/2 red onion, sliced very thin

1 T red wine vinegar

1  7oz. can water-packed tuna, drained

1/2 of a 15oz. can cannelini beans, drained and rinsed

3 sage leaves, slivered

2 T chopped fresh Italian parsley

For the Dressing:
2 T red wine vinegar

1 garlic clove, finely minced or pressed

1 t. dijon mustard

3 T olive oil

1 T plain greek yogurt
salt
fresh ground pepper

1. Place the onion in a bowl and add 1 T of the red wine vinegar. Add enough cold water to cover the onions. Let sit for at least 5 minutes. Drain.

3. In a medium or large bowl combine the tuna, beans, red onions, sage, and parsley.

4. In a small bowl or measuring cup, mix together 2 T red wine vinegar, garlic, dijon, salt & pepper. Whisk in the oil and yogurt. Toss into the tuna mixture. Serve with lettuce, celery, or cucumber slices.

Moose's Tooth Sesame Soy Salad

Huge salad! Only $11 for the large salad with chicken. Comes with shredded carrots, mandarin orange slices, red peppers, etc., plus a delicious sesame soy dressing. I've only eaten half of it today and saving the rest for tomorrow.

Avocado Prawns

A recipe shared with me by a friend in college. His recipe called for store-bought Thousand Island dressing, but it's so quick and easy that I prefer to make my own. Not a bad idea to make the dressing in advance so it has time for the flavor of the onions to permeate.

Dressing:
1/2 c. mayonnaise
2 T ketchup
2 T red wine vinegar
2 T finely minced white onion
1 T chopped parsley or dill
cracked pepper
Worcestershire Sauce to taste
*add milk if you like it runnier like I do

Salad:
Avocado
Cooked baby shrimp
Small amount of greens

Slice avocado in half, remove pit. Lay avocado halves over torn greens on a plate. Overfill pit holes with shrimp. Drizzle with dressing.

Gallo's Ceviche

Okay, some may argue that ceviche is not salad. But it's got vinegar, fresh fish, and veggies, and is very low in calories. So I say it counts!

Gallo's ceviche is very basic but the ingredients, including halibut, avocado, tomatoes, onions, and cilantro, all taste fresh. A nice alternative to eating a pile of chips before a heavy meal of Mexican food.

Fancy Moose's Iditarod Caesar

What makes this salad unique is that it comes with a small amount of salmon lox and salmon roe. Unfortunately, the salad itself isn't anything special. Good romaine, but the dressing is just okay, the croutons appear to be store-bought, and the parmesan is the pre-shredded variety. I'd pass on this next time.

I will say that if you visit the Fancy Moose, which has a wonderful outdoor deck alongside Lake Hood, the best items on the menu are the sandwiches and burgers.

Muse Cafe's Fennel Slaw

So often when cole slaw is an option as as substitute for fries I find it disappointing and flavorless. On a trip to the Anchorage Museum yesterday I stopped into Muse for a late lunch and chose the fennel slaw as an alternative to french fries with my burger. So delicious! A tangy flavor with a little bit of kick to it. I couldn't identify what ingredients in the dressing gave it such zest but it was possibly the best slaw I've had in Anchorage. Plus fennel gives it a unique twist.

BTW, my burger was cooked to perfection (medium rare, like I asked) and came with bacon, avocado, brie, onion straws and arugula. Total overkill on the calories but so tasty!

Fletcher's Chop Salad

Warning: this salad is HUGE. Even split between two people, we couldn't finish this and still eat our entrees. So you can easily split this between four people. Fletcher's Chop Salad is exactly what you expect from a chop salad. Cut up into small pieces, tossed in a white balsamic vinaigrette, featuring romaine, bacon, tomatoes, bleu cheese and chunks of avocado. Don't bother taking it home; it will be wilted from the dressing in less than an hour. My only criticism of this salad is that it could use a bit more savory, either more bacon or some salt added to the dressing. You can also add chicken or fish more a few bucks more and enjoy it as an entree.

Overall, I love Fletcher's! Always good service, good timing from the kitchen, and who doesn't love feeling like you're dining in the galley of the Titanic?

Beet Salad with Chevre

Last night I made a beet salad with chevre. Once the beets are cooked and marinated, this salad is quick and easy to throw together. You can even toast the nuts in advance and store in a small container if you like. 

How to Cook & Marinade the Beets:
A bunch of beets (4-5) from the grocery store will be enough for two large salads, or four side salads. Chop off the stems and place beets in a saucepan with water to cover and season generously with salt. Bring to a boil over high heat and cook until fork tender, about 20 minutes or longer. When the beets are cool enough to handle, peel them--the skins should slide right off with a bit of pressure from your fingers. Cut each beet into bite-sized wedges, slices, whatever you like.

Whisk 2 T red wine vinegar with salt and pepper, to taste, in a large bowl. Whisk in 1/3 c. olive oil in a slow steady stream to make a dressing. Toss the cut beets in the dressing; set aside to marinate at room temp for at least an hour. At this point you can keep the beets, in the dressing, in the fridge for later use if you like.

Preheat the oven to 350. Spread whatever nuts you want to use (pine nuts, walnuts, pecans) on a baking sheet and oven-toast, stirring once, until golden brown, about 8 minutes. Cool.
Salad Time:
Toss the beets with whatever greens you want (arugula, escarole, mixed greens) and divide onto plates. Scatter the nuts and chevre on top. Serve.


On Second Thought...
I had this again last night and have come to the conclusion that the salad needs dressing. Even tried drizzling some of the vinegar marinade from the beets onto it, but it's just not enough. I think any good, flavorful vinaigrette will do. 

Salad as a Sober Late Night Snack

I was up pretty late watching TV last night and felt like munching, so I threw together a delicious salad with what I had in the fridge.

-arugula
-heirloom tomatoes
-herbed chevre
-toasted pine nuts
-basil vinaigrette

And on the side, just for fun, slices of salami, pickles, and raspberries. Good late night eats that didn't make me feel guilty or bloated!

The Rock Wood Fire Kitchen's Caesar Salad

I'm usually not too impressed with Caesar Salads at chain restaurants, but this one is surprisingly tasty. Crisp romaine (no brown edges!), creamy dressing, cheese, croutons. Simple, and a nice complement to any entree as a side salad. Also available in entree size with a choice of chicken, tuna, shrimp, or steak.

Southside Bistro Pear Salad

Had a wonderful meal last night at Southside Bistro, featuring a delicious salad. Again, this salad is served with dressing tossed in, so better for dine-in than take-out.

Though fresh spinach is not my favorite green (too gritty) it's one of the most nutritious, and I don't mind it if it's in a flavorful salad like this one. Pear slices, bits of gorgonzola, and toasted pecans, finished with a balsamic vinaigrette. Not a huge salad, but large enough for two of us to share in between appetizers and entrees.

Salad as a Drunken Late Night Snack

Went to a friend's house after playing a gig at Bernie's Bungalow. She offered to make everyone snacks. "What would you like? Popcorn? Fruit? Salad?"

"SALAD!!" I shouted, excitedly. Because it was at that moment that I realized I had not had my salad for the day. Plus I'd been eating variations on the same grilled steak salad all week. So I was thrilled to have something different, made by someone else.

She pulled a million things out of her fridge and threw together a salad packed with curly endive, blueberries, blackberries, mini peppers, tomatoes, and sunflower seeds. She had several dressing options. I went with a pomegranate vinaigrette.

A healthy, delicious snack after a night at the bar. So often we reach for the carbs and fat in these late-night hours when the wine is flowing and our judgment has gone out the window. Grateful to have people in my life with healthier habits to rub off on me.

Asian Grilled Steak Salad

Asian Marinade & Dressing:
6-8 cloves garlic
2 T chopped ginger
6 scallions
2-4 serrano peppers or thai chiles
6 T sugar
2/3 c. soy sauce
2/3 c. lime juice
4 T sesame oil

Mix all ingredients with a hand mixer or in a blender. Score a flank steak on both sides. Place in a glass baking dish and pour enough marinade over (about 1/4 of the recipe). Marinate in the fridge for 1-2 hours, turning occasionally to evenly marinate the meat. Remove from marinade and grill 4-6 minutes on each side for medium rare. Let meat rest on the cutting board for 3 minutes before slicing into very thin slices.

Salad:
Use any combination of greens and veggies you want. I used...

Mixed greens
tomatoes
cucumber
yellow peppers

Place salad in a bowl. Toss lightly with some of the remaining dressing. Plate the salad and top with beef slices. You may also include Asian rice noodles.

You'll still have plenty of Asian dressing left for more salads and/or marinades throughout the week!

Table 6 Spinach Salad

8/2
Enjoyed a basic green salad at home.

8/3
SPINACH  SALAD at TABLE 6
-This is a nice small salad for one. Not for sharing and not one for takeout, as it's served with dressing already tossed in. Includes strawberries, pumpkin seeds, and diced tomatoes. Perfect as a side salad and/or substitute for fries.

BLT Salad

Since it's officially DAY 1, I started the day with salad for breakfast. 

BLT SALAD
Mixed Greens & Baby Arugula
Vine-Ripened Tomatoes
English Cucumber
Fresh Mozzarella
Crisp-Cooked Turkey Bacon
Sweet Basil Vinaigrette

Toss everything, serve on a plate, and top with a few chunks of avocado and cracked pepper.
For fewer calories, omit the cheese and avocado.

SWEET BASIL VINAIGRETTE
1 c. olive oil
1/3 c. cider vinegar
1/4 c. honey
2 T Gourmet Garden Basil (sold in a tube in the grocery store fresh herb section)
2-3 cloves chopped garlic

Mix with a whisk until basil is well-blended. Makes about 2 cups.

Salad To Go

Here are some of my favorite salads available at restaurants in Anchorage. Please feel free to comment and add your favorites. I'm sure I'll add more to this post as I think of more options and make new discoveries.

PIZZA PLAZA-Greek Salad
Get this with the creamy House Italian Dressing.

THE RED CHAIR-Miso Ballad
This Asian slaw salad includes soba noodles, sesame seared tofu, wonton crisps, and avocado.

MOOSE'S TOOTH-Blackened Chicken Ceasar
Includes sundried tomatoes and the best creamy ceasar on the planet.

FIORE D'ITALIA-Fiore Insalate
A tomato-based salad with no greens that's great to share with friends when you dine there.

FLETCHER'S-Mediterranean Seafood Salad
Salmon, halibut and shrimp are plentiful in this salad which can be shared, or ordered as an entree.

GINGER-Sesame Ceasar
With sesame wonton strips instead of croutons, this is one of the best ceasars available in town.

GALLO's-Avocado Chicken Salad
Though standard dressings are available, I top this with plenty of mild salsa instead.

What is 31 Days of Salad?

Just like it sounds. In an effort to lose weight, shape up, and establish a habit of eating healthier lunches and dinners, I'm committed to eating salad every day through the month of August. I've gotten a jump-start on this by eating salads every day this week already. Monday and Tuesday I enjoyed the Sesame Soy Salad with Chicken from Moose's Tooth. MT's salads are so huge, you really can get two or three meals out of them if you keep the dressing separate.

Today's salad is one I made at home:

GREENS WITH SMOKED CHICKEN
arugula
mixed baby greens
vine-ripened tomato
English cucumber
fresh mozzarella
smoked chicken (leftover from last night's dinner)
sweet basil vinaigrette