A kale butternut squash salad with blue cheese and candied walnuts is the perfect January pick-me-up. JENNY McQUEEN
Readers of this column know I usually gravitate toward rich foods full of nostalgia and butter. But sometimes a salad is just exactly what you want – especially in the dark days of winter, when fresh produce can feel like a ray of culinary sunshine.
When you want a salad, a great salad should be the goal. While there are times for delicate flavors and light wisps of greens, now is not one of them. It’s January, it’s freezing and 2020 was a disaster. A salad for the dawning of 2021 has to have some oomph to it.
For me, there are four considerations when making a great salad: the greens, the toppings, the textures and the dressing.
The greens are the canvas for a salad masterpiece. Always make sure your greens are chopped or torn into bite-sized pieces and that they are dry. This is a big one. Wet greens yield a soggy salad. I have an inexpensive salad spinner that has really made a difference. Avoid iceberg lettuce, always. There’s nearly no flavor and even less nutritional value. Arugula and baby spinach are delicious but lack the structure to hold up against heavy toppings. Best to leave those for summer consumption, when salads are full of light citrus and sunshine. Cabbage is a solid and nutritious choice, however it does bring a strong flavor, so remember that as you’re selecting greens.
Kale is my go-to salad green. It is available inexpensively year-round in Virginia, offers an abundance of nutrients and holds up like a champ to heavy ingredients. If using baby kale, there’s really no preparation outside of washing and drying. For large-leaf kale, you’ll need to remove the stems, and chop and massage the leaves. Yes, you read that correctly. Kale is fibrous and tastes best when given a little massage with about a teaspoon of oil. The leaves will become soft and bright green and will lose their bitterness.
The toppings are where your flavor profile really gets to shine. Roasted veggies, robust cheeses, fruits, herbs, beans – you name it. For this salad, I went with roasted butternut squash, dried cranberries and blue cheese. The roasted squash gives a smoky sweetness that complements the tangy blue cheese. The tartness of the cranberries brightens each bite. They also provide an additional texture to the bowl.
Texture is key to a great salad, and often overlooked. Once dressing is added, most fruits and veggies kind of drift together and become rather soft. Make sure your salad has some true crunch. Nuts are an easy way to add significant texture; others include corn chips, fried noodles, water chestnuts, seeds or freeze-dried fruits and veggies. I went with candied walnuts. The recipe is simple, the flavor is outstanding and the extras that don’t make it into the salad will be polished off in a flash. But if you’re ready to put all things candied behind you for a while, I don’t blame you; just substitute toasted walnuts for a simpler, savory alternative.
People often ask me what my favorite food to make is, and if I am being honest, dressings are up there. They are such a simple ingredient and yet add so much depth to a dish. A well-made dressing can elevate a mediocre salad any day. To finish off our hearty winter salad, I made a creamy mustard vinaigrette. It is oh-so-simple with just five ingredients, and the mild spice helps balance the other flavors in this salad.
This recipe makes enough to be a complete meal for two. I suggest cutting it in half if you’re dining alone or serving as a side dish.
Candied Walnuts
This recipe will work with any type of dried, unsalted nut.
3 Tablespoons packed brown sugar
¾ cup white sugar
½ teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
¼ teaspoon allspice
⅛ teaspoon nutmeg
⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon salt
1 pound walnut halves, unsalted
1 egg white
1 Tablespoon water
Preheat oven to 250 degrees. In a small bowl, combine sugars, spices and salt. Set aside.
In a large bowl, mix together egg white and water and whisk until frothy.
Add walnuts and mix well. Make sure that the walnuts are well-coated, as the egg is what makes the “candied” part stick.
Add the sugar mixture and mix well until each nut is covered.
Pour onto a baking sheet and spread into a single layer.
Place in oven and bake for 1 hour, tossing every 15 minutes. Don’t skip the tossing, as it ensures that you have individual candied nuts, not a giant sheet of candy that you have to break apart. It also prevents the sugar from burning.
Creamy Dijon Dressing
Yield: 1 cup
3 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
¼ cup Dijon mustard
3 Tablespoons sour cream
3 Tablespoons white vinegar
1 teaspoon sugar
Whisk together until smooth or blend in a small food processor for extra creamy results.
Hearty Winter Salad
Yield: 2 large servings
3 cups butternut squash, peeled and cubed (about 1 small squash)
1 Tablespoon melted butter
1 ½ Tablespoons olive oil, plus 1 teaspoon
½ teaspoon salt
4 cups kale, chopped, washed and dried
2 cups candied walnuts
¾ cup blue cheese, crumbled
1 cup dried cranberries
Dressing to taste
Optional protein: grilled chicken breast, grilled steak or black-eyed peas, rinsed and drained
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Toss together the cubed squash, butter, 1 ½ Tablespoons olive oil and ½ teaspoon salt in an oven-safe dish. Roast for 35-45 minutes until tender. Allow to cool to room temperature before adding to your salad.
While the squash is roasting, place your chopped kale in a large bowl and drizzle with 1 teaspoon olive oil. Using your fingers, massage the oil into the leaves for about 30 seconds, until they’re glossy and tender.
Add the roasted squash and remaining ingredients to the bowl. Toss together and enjoy!
January 06, 2021 at 10:12PM
https://ift.tt/2Xenc1H
Green goals: How to build a hearty winter salad - Chesterfield Observer
https://ift.tt/3ekeW79
salad
No comments:
Post a Comment