Pear Salad with Gorgonzola and Candied Walnuts →

Pears and cheese are a classic pairing. Combining sweet juicy pears with full-flavored, salty, earthy Gorgonzola and crunchy, bitter-sweet candied walnuts will take you to culinary Nirvana. Serve over a bed of salad greens dressed with a tangy white balsamic vinaigrette and score points with your family or guests. Enjoy!

Pear Salad with Gorgonzola and Candied Walnuts
Serves 4 as a side salad

INGREDIENTS

• 1 large ripe Comice or Bartlett pear quartered and thinly sliced

• 2 tablespoons (or more to taste) Gorgonzola cheese crumbled (or other firm Bleu cheese)

• 3-4 tablespoons coarsely chopped candied walnuts (recipe below)

• 2-3 cups of salad greens of your choice (I used baby spinach, red leaf, and bib)

• White Balsamic Vinaigrette (recipe below)

• salt and pepper

Optional: micro-greens of choice (I used radish sprouts)

PREPARATION
Make the Candied Walnuts: makes about a cup; make ahead and store in an airtight container in a cool place. These candied walnuts are also great for snacking.
Preheat the oven to 350 F.

• 1 cup whole toasted walnut halves

• ¼ cup light brown sugar

• scant ½ teaspoon of salt

• ½ teaspoon of black pepper

Optional: a pinch of cayenne pepper

Preparation:

1. In a bowl, mix the sugar, salt, and pepper. Rinse the toasted walnuts to wet them and drain. Add the wet walnuts to the sugar mixture and mix well until the walnuts are well coated.

2. Spread the coated walnuts in a single layer on a foil or parchment-lined sheet pan and place in the preheated oven.

3. Mix after 4 minutes and continue baking for another 4-5 minutes.

4. Allow the nuts to cool completely before storing. They will become crunchy as they cool.

Make the vinaigrette: makes about a cup of vinaigrette

• ¼ cup Balsamic or White Wine vinegar

• ½ teaspoon Dijon mustard

• 1 teaspoon honey

• ¼ teaspoon each of salt and pepper

• a few drops of lime juice

• ¾ cup of good-quality olive oil

Mix the first five ingredients in a medium bowl and slowly whisk in the oil until emulsified. Store for up to a week in an airtight container in a cool place.

Assemble the salads:

1. Place a small handful of salad greens on each of 4 plates.

2. Seed, quarter, and slice the pears so you have three slices for each plate.

3. Drizzle the pears and greens with the vinaigrette.

4. Sprinkle over with the Gorgonzola crumbles and chopped walnuts.

5. Finish with a few micro-green sprouts if using.

Wine pairing: for white wines, a light fresh Chablis, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Blanc, Gruner Veltliner, Pinot Grigio, Albariño, or Rosé would work with this salad. Light red wines like Grenache, Beaujolais, Pinot Noir, or Nebbiolo are also good choices for those who prefer red wines. Avoid overly acidic/minerally whites and heavy tannin red wines.

Antipasti Salad →

I love antipasti! The second course of a traditional ten-course Italian feast, antipasti often consists of a charcuterie platter of cheeses, olives, salumi (cured meats), marinated vegetables, and perhaps some tangy, spicy peperoncini to complete the 5Tastes profile. This antipasti salad makes a great starter salad for a big meal, a satisfying lunch, or a light dinner. Serve it with a glass of wine and some crusty bread and congratulate yourself for saving all those calories for your next ten-course meal. Buon appetito!

INGREDIENTS
Choose any combination of the following:

• mixed greens like arugula, romaine, and bib lettuce (whatever you have on hand)

• various cured meats like salami, capacola, prosciutto, pepperoni; 1/4 inch slice or torn.(sub cold salmon or tuna if you don’t like the cured meats)

• aged provolone; 1/2 inch cubes

• marinated artichokes

• pepperoncini (sub giardiniera if you prefer)

• Italian salad dressing (mix in a jar, 3 parts EVOO to 1 part Red Wine Vinegar, a pinch of salt and pepper, two pinches of dried oregano and dried basil. Shake well and taste. Adjust the seasonings to your taste; add a pinch of sugar if the dressing is too acidy.)

METHOD

Combine the ingredients of the salad and drizzle with your dressing. Serve with a nice crusty bread and a glass of wine (optional). Enjoy!

Mango Avocado Salad →

If you like mangoes and avocado, you should try this colorful, quick, and easy salad. Creamy avocado and delicate silky smooth, sweet Honey mango combined with piquant Peppadew peppers, red onion, and cilantro dressed with a mixture of lime juice and olive oil. So easy, so good! I highly recommend using yellow Ataulfo mangoes (also called Honey mangoes) and Hass avocados if you can find them. Enjoy!

Mango Avocado Salad
Serves 2

Photo: c. foodblogchef 2022

INGREDIENTS

• 1 ripe mango (I like Ataulfo or Honey Mango)

• 1 ripe Hass avocado

• 3-4 bottled Peppadew peppers- chopped

• juice from ½ lime

• 2 tablespoons olive oil

• 1-2 tablespoons finely chopped red onion

• 1 tablespoon finely chopped cilantro

• two small handfuls of baby arugula or your choice of salad greens

• 1/4-1/2 teaspoon sea salt

• ground black pepper (optional)

PREPARATION

Photo: c. foodblogchef 2022

1. Peel and dice the avocado and mango into ½ inch pieces and add to a non-reactive bowl.

2. Add the chopped onion and Peppadew peppers, cilantro, lime juice, olive oil, and salt, and mix the ingredients gently. Taste and adjust flavors to your preference.

3. Cover and refrigerate for at least a half-hour to allow the flavors to meld.

4. Arrange the baby arugula on salad plates and top with the mango-avocado mixture. Sprinkle with freshly ground black pepper. (optional)

Serve as a side salad, or as part of a main course with your choice of protein. This salad is delicious served with Chile Crusted Rib Eye Steak.

Pineapple Mango Salsa →

Photo: c. foodblogchef 2019
Copy and paste recipe to print.

PINEAPPLE-MANGO-SALSA
Yield about 2 1/2 cups

Ingredients:
1 cup peeled diced ripe mango
1 cup diced pineapple
1/2 cup diced sweet red pepper, or cubanelle pepper
3 tablespoons finely chopped red onion
3 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro
3 tablespoons lime juice
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 jalapeno pepper finely chopped

Preparation:
Combine all the ingredients and refrigerate at least an hour for flavors to meld.

 Pineapple-Mango Salsa

When visiting family in San Antonio over the holidays, we couldn’t find cranberries to go with our holiday Turkey, so I decided to let the rich Mexican culinary tradition of Texas inspire me. Instead of my traditional cranberry relish, I came up with this colorful Pineapple-Mango Salsa using readily available ingredients from the local supermarket. I chose to use ripe yellow Ataulfo (Honey) mangoes because the larger more common red/orange Haden mangoes were not ripe. If you don’t want to buy and clean a whole pineapple, look for fresh, cleaned and cored pineapples in the refrigerated fruit section of your supermarket. The sweet-tart, savory taste and crunchy texture with a hint of heat from the jalapeño in the salsa complement rich poultry dishes like roast turkey, or barbecued chicken, pork, or as a side to roast or seared duck. If you don’t like cilantro, fresh mint would be a suitable substitute. Lesson learned: “When cooking in Texas, remember the Alamo and be open to cooking as the Mexicans do.”

Asian Pear, Avocado, and Cherry Fruit Salad →

Photo: c. foodblogchef 2020
Copy and paste to print the recipe.

ASIAN PEAR, AVOCADO, AND CHERRY FRUIT SALAD
Serves 4
Ingredients:
Bibb or Boston Lettuce
2 Asian pears cored and sliced
2 Avocados peeled, seeded, and sliced
20-24 Sweet Bing Cherries
White Balsamic Vinaigrette
Salt and pepper to taste

Preparation:
1. Alternate the slices of avocado and pear atop a leaf of lettuce
2. Arrange 4-5 cherries alongside the avocado and pear slices
3. Dress with the vinaigrette (see Note for vinaigrette recipe)
4. Top with a bit of freshly ground black pepper

*Note: for the Vinaigrette
Mix ¼ cup white balsamic vinegar with
¼ teaspoon each of salt and pepper (or to taste)
Add a ½ teaspoon of Dijon mustard
A few drops of lime juice (optional)
Whisk in 3/4 cup of good olive oil until emulsified

Colorful sweet cherries, creamy avocado, crunchy Asian pear, and tangy vinaigrette…this salad has it all. Dress it with a light white balsamic vinaigrette and freshly ground black pepper, and serve with a baguette or whole-grain bread for a light lunch or dinner salad.

Panzanella with Mozzarella, Cherry Tomatoes, and Fresh Herbs →

Colorful, bright, and delicious, Italian Panzanella salad is a celebration of Summer’s bounty of fresh vegetables. Typical of wonderful traditional Italian country cooking (cucina contadina), Panzanella originated in Tuscany where peasant farmers would soak stale bread and mix it with fresh vegetables and herbs to make a substantial yet refreshing and nutritious dish out of ingredients on hand. Colorful ripe tomatoes, creamy fresh mozzarella, fresh basil, parsley, thyme, and crunchy croutons all tied together with fruity extra-virgin olive oil and tangy red-wine vinegar. How can you miss?! Enjoy Panzanella as a light lunch, or as part of a larger meal. Mangia e gustare!

Serves 4-6
Ingredients:

• 4 ounces ciabatta or baguette, preferably stale, cut into 1-inch cubes (about 3 cups)

• 6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, more to taste

• ¾ teaspoon kosher sea salt, more to taste

• 1 pound ripe tomatoes, preferably multi-colored cherry tomatoes cut in half

• 6 ounces fresh mozzarella, torn or cut into bite-size pieces

• ½ cup thinly sliced red onion

• 1 large garlic or 2 small cloves, grated to a paste

• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar, more to taste

• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano or thyme (or a combination)

• a large pinch of red pepper flakes (optional)

• ½ teaspoon Dijon mustard (optional to thicken the vinaigrette)

• ¼ teaspoon of black pepper, to taste

• ½ cup thinly sliced cucumber (seeded or seedless)

• ½ cup torn basil leaves

• ¼ cup flat-leaf parsley leaves, roughly chopped

• 1 tablespoon capers, drained

• 2 tablespoons pancetta diced (optional)

Preparation:
Preheat toaster oven to 350 F. on convection, or 375 F. regular bake.

1. Toss the bread cubes with 2 tablespoons of oil and spread them on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake until they are dried out and pale golden brown at the edges, about 7 to 15 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack.

2. Cut the tomatoes in half (or bite-sized pieces) and transfer to a large bowl. Add the mozzarella, onions, garlic paste, 1 tablespoon vinegar, oregano and/or thyme, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and the red pepper flakes if using. Toss to coat and set aside.

3. (Optional) In a cast-iron skillet, fry the diced pancetta, stirring until crisp. Add the drained capers and fry for another minute.

4. In a medium bowl, combine the remaining 1 tablespoon vinegar, the mustard, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and some black pepper to taste. Slowly drizzle in the remaining 4 tablespoons olive oil, whisking constantly, until the mixture is thickened. Stir in the sliced cucumbers, basil, and parsley.

5. Add the bread cubes and cucumber mixture to the tomatoes and toss well. Let sit for at least 30 minutes and up to 4 hours before serving.

6. Toss with a little more olive oil, vinegar, and salt if needed; garnish with the fried pancetta and capers just before serving.

Note: the croutons will get soggy if they sit in the salad overnight.

Wine pairing: this salad will pair well with a variety of crisp, fruit-forward white wines like Chablis, White Rhone wines, Sauvignon Blanc; Rosé; lighter red wines like Merlot, Dolcetto di Alba, Beaujolais, Pinot Noir, or lighter style Rioja.

Adapted from: https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1017518-panzanella-with-mozzarella-and-herbs

Marinated Tomatoes, Cucumbers, and Green Beans →

This is an easy, colorful, refreshing Iberian-inspired salad that goes well with grilled meat or chicken. I made it to accompany a Spanish lamb dish similar to one we enjoyed when we visited Jeréz. I hope you enjoy it.

Marinated Tomatoes, Cucumbers, and Green Beans
Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 8 Campari tomatoes, cut into quarters

• Red onion, a few very thin slices (to taste)

• a handful of green beans cut into 1 ½ – 2-inch pieces, steamed until crisp-tender

• 3-4 inch piece of cucumber peeled, seeded, and cut into ¼ inch slices

• 1/3 cup olive oil

• 1/4 cup Sherry wine vinegar or red wine vinegar

• 2 tablespoons drained capers rinsed

• 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley, or 2 teaspoons dried parsley

• 1 large garlic clove, minced

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 1 teaspoon dried basil, crumbled

• 1/4 teaspoon ground pepper

• Fresh parsley (optional)

Preparation:

1. Steam the green beans until crisp-tender and immediately immerse in cold water to maintain the bright green color and prevent overcooking. Set aside with the tomatoes, cucumber, green beans, and onion.

2. Combine the oil and next 8 ingredients in a medium bowl, stirring to blend well. Spoon dressing over the vegetables. Cover and marinate at room temperature for 3 hours.

3. Divide tomatoes, green beans, and cucumber slices among 4 plates and spoon dressing over. Optional: garnish with parsley or fresh basil before serving.

Adapted from: BETH SEXTON STRYKER BON APPÉTIT MAY 1992
https://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/marinated-tomatoes-teruel-1891

Snow Peas Salad with Walnuts and Craisins →

A good salad highlights all 5 taste senses. If you want a change from your usual green salad, this is a super easy salad to put together. Macerating the Craisins in the vinaigrette, softens them and adds complexity to the already chewy-tart-sweet flavor of the Craisins. The crunchy bitter toasted walnuts contrast perfectly to the Craisins and the crunchy sweet snow peas. The micro-greens add visual and nutritional value. I originally made this salad to accompany pan-seared lamb chops, but it will complement any rich meat or poultry dish. Enjoy!

Serves 4
Ingredients:

• about 10 snow peas per person= 40 snow peas

• 6 tablespoons of toasted, chopped walnuts

• 4 tablespoons of macerated Craisins coarsely chopped

• microgreens for garnish

• a handful of curly, baby green lettuce or mixed greens (optional)

• White Balsamic Vinaigrette

Method:
1. Make the vinaigrette: (makes 1 cup)
Using a whisk or fork, vigorously whisk together (see Note)

• ¼ cup white balsamic vinegar (or white wine vinegar)

• ¾ cup olive oil

• 1 tablespoon minced shallot (optional)

• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

• ¼ teaspoon salt

• ¼ teaspoon black pepper

• ¼-½ teaspoon sugar (optional) if the vinaigrette is too acidy for your taste

*Note: you can throw all the ingredients into a Magic Bullet to emulsify the oil and mix the ingredients, or put all the ingredients into a jar with a tight-fitting cap and shake vigorously until well mixed.

2. Macerate the Craisins:
Cover ¼ cup of Craisins with the vinaigrette and macerate for at least an hour to soften the Craisins.

3. Toast the walnuts:
Use either a toaster oven or skillet on your stove-top and toast the walnuts to intensify the flavor; allow to cool before adding to the salad.

4. Steam the snow peas for about 1 minute until bright green and crisp-tender. Immediately rinse them in cold water to retain the color and prevent them from over-cooking.

5. Assemble the salad:
Arrange the snow peas (and greens if using) on individual salad plates.
Sprinkle with walnuts, Craisins, and microgreens.
Add coarsely ground black pepper to taste.
Dress with the vinaigrette to individual taste.

Baby Arugula Salad with Micro-Greens, Olives, Artichoke Hearts, and Shaved Parmesan →

Baby Arugula Salad
Serves 2

Ingredients:
2 small handfuls of baby arugula
some micro-greens
a few assorted olives
2 or 3 marinated artichoke hearts sliced in half lengthwise
1 tablespoon shaved Parmesan

Vinaigrette:
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
salt and pepper to taste

Preparation:
Combine the arugula, micro-greens, olives, artichoke hearts, and Parmesan in a small bowl.
Drizzle over with the mixed vinaigrette
Add freshly ground pepper to individual salad to taste

Goes well with Blackened Steak with Tomato and Basil Salsa

Pear and Mixed Greens Salad with Walnuts, Gorgonzola, and Cranberry Vinaigrette →

Pear and Mixed Greens Salad
Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 1 ripe pear quartered lengthwise then sliced ¼ inch thick

• mixed greens of your choice (a small handful per person)

• 2-3 tablespoons toasted walnuts

• 2-3 tablespoons crumbled gorgonzola or other crumbled blue-cheese

• Cranberry Vinaigrette (see recipe below)

Preparation:

1. Place a small handful of greens on each plate.

2. Place the pear slices on top of the greens.

3. Sprinkle with toasted walnuts and cheese.

4. Dress with Cranberry Vinaigrette.

Cranberry Vinaigrette
Makes ½ cup

• 6 tablespoons olive oil

• 2 tablespoon white Balsamic vinegar or white wine vinegar

• add 2 tablespoons of left-over Cranberry Relish (without the pomegranate arils) or cranberry preserve.

• Pinch of salt and pepper to taste

Add the ingredients to a blender or Magic Bullet and blend until creamy. Will keep in the fridge for several days.

Spinach Salad with Bagna Cauda Vinaigrette

For all my fellow anchovy lovers, here’s a riff on Italian “bagna cauda”. Traditionally bagna cauda (translation: hot bath) is a warm fondue-like sauce made from garlic, anchovies, and olive oil used for dipping raw vegetables. Thanks to Chef Justin Smillie for inventing a spinach salad with a bagna couda-like anchovy vinaigrette dressing. My version of Justin’s original recipe includes garlic and red pepper flakes in the vinaigrette out of respect for the flavor of the traditional sauce and adds chopped bacon and chopped hard-boiled egg to make the salad a flavorful, satisfying light meal by itself. Some crusty bread and a glass of wine and life is good. Close your eyes and you could be on the Mediterranean coast of Italy.

Ingredients:
Serves: 4-6

• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter

• 5 anchovies, finely chopped

• 3 large cloves of garlic sliced crosswise

• pinch of red pepper flakes

• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

• 3 sprigs of fresh thyme

• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

• 1/4 cup coarse dry bread crumbs (Panko bread crumbs work well)

• 10 ounces baby spinach

• chopped crispy bacon for garnish

• sliced or chopped hard-boiled egg for garnish

• freshly shaved Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese for garnish

Preparation:
(Hard boil a couple of eggs and fry a couple of slices of bacon ahead of time.)

1. In a small saucepan, heat a tablespoon of olive oil and saute the garlic and pepper flakes until fragrant but not brown.

2. In the same pan, add the butter to the garlic and melt over moderate heat until foaming. Add the anchovies and cook over moderately low heat until they break down and dissolve. (about 2 minutes) Remove from the heat and whisk in the remaining olive oil, vinegar, and lemon juice. Add the thyme sprigs and let steep for 20 minutes. Discard the thyme and season the dressing with salt and pepper.

3. In a small skillet, toast the bread crumbs over moderate heat, tossing, until golden, about 4 minutes. Let the bread crumbs cool.

4. In a large bowl, toss the spinach with half of the dressing and bread crumbs and season with salt and pepper. Transfer the salad to plates and garnish with chopped crispy bacon, hard-boiled egg, and shaved Parmigiano-Reggiano. Pass the remaining dressing and bread crumbs at the table.

*Note: the bagna cauda dressing can be made ahead and refrigerated overnight. Warm gently before using.

Wine pairing: balanced, non-oaky Chardonnays, Chablis, Loire Valley Sauvignon Blanc, Albariño, Verdejo, Viognier; Rosé; lighter red wines like Beaujolais Villages (slightly chilled?), Merlots, or medium-bodied Italian wines like Valpolicella, or lighter Nero d’Avola.

Mango and Tomato Salad

I had some grape tomatoes and mango that had to be eaten, so I did some research. Tomatoes and mango, who knew?! It turns out tomato and mango salad with lime and fish sauce is a traditional Filipino side dish and numerous western chefs have already paired the two fruits in multiple recipes. After researching multiple recipes this is what I came up with. Juicy, sweet-and-tart, savory, and if you add feta, with a touch of creamy-saltiness, this colorful surprisingly satisfying and refreshing side dish for summer grilled dishes or seafood is also the perfect side-dish for Pan Seared Steak with Mushroom Risotto. My beta-tasters were skeptical at first but then came back for seconds! Enjoy!

Serves 4
Ingredients:

• 1 cup fresh diced mango

• 1 cup grape tomatoes halved

• 1/8 cup, finely chopped red onion

• 1 tablespoon cubanelle pepper (or 1 teaspoon of jalapeño if you want heat)

• 8 basil leaves

• 1+ tablespoon lime juice (to taste)

• 3 tablespoons olive oil

• 3 tablespoons crumbled feta cheese (optional)

Preparation:

1. Mix the mango, tomatoes, and cubanelle.

2. Mix the lime juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper; pour over the salad and mix gently.

3. Adjust the lime juice to your taste.

4. If using feta, add the crumbled feta.

5. Tear or roughly chop the basil leaves and gently fold them into the salad.

6. Serve immediately.

https://food52.com/recipes/12821-simplified-mango-and-tomato-salad

https://www.manilaspoon.com/2020/05/ensaladang-mangga-filipino-mango-salad.html

Blue Cheese Salad Dressing

Yield 1 cup

Ingredients:

• 4 ounces blue cheese, like Roquefort, crumbled

• 2-3 tablespoons of buttermilk

• 1 tablespoons mayonnaise

• 1/2 tablespoon olive oil

• 1/2 teaspoon hot sauce (or to taste)

• 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice

• 1 dash Worcestershire sauce, to taste

Preparation:

1. Put half the cheese into a medium-size bowl, and mash with a fork.

2. Add the buttermilk, mayonnaise, olive oil, hot sauce, lemon juice and Worcestershire sauce, then mash and whisk the dressing until it is mostly smooth, but still with some chunks of blue cheese remaining.

3. Adjust the flavors. You may wish to add a little more hot sauce, lemon juice or Worcestershire, to taste; whisk again, and set aside.

4. *(Alternatively, if you have a mini-food-processor, throw all the ingredients in #2 above into the processor and process until you have a chunky dressing. Voila!)

*Note: dressing will keep refrigerated in a sealed glass container for 3-4 days.

Balsamic Vinaigrette

Yield 1 cup

Ingredients:

• ¾ cup olive oil

• ¼ cup Balsamic vinegar

• 1 tsp. Dijon mustard (or Honey Dijon)

• 1 Tbs. minced shallot

• ¼ tsp. salt and pepper, or to taste

In a bowl, whisk the ingredients together until well blended and the oil is emulsified and slightly creamy looking. (A Magic Bullet does a great job making salad dressings.)

*Will keep in a sealed container in the fridge for a few days.