If you made any culinary New Year resolutions (for instance, to lose weight, spend less money on eating out, or just adding more greens to your repertoire) these refreshing salads will start the year on a healthy note. For inspiration, I turned to Martha Stewart’s Healthy Quick Cook, a classic tome that offers several delicious and filling salads. Add a crusty wedge of fresh bread and you’ve got a satisfying, low fat, healthy light meal. Now, doesn’t that sound like just what we need right now?
Leafy chopped salad
1 small head Boston lettuce, coarsely chopped (about 4 cups)
2 celery stalks, coarsely chopped (about 1/2 cup)
1 medium cucumber, quartered lengthwise and chopped (about 1 cup)
1 small bunch chives, cut into 11/2-inch pieces
2 tablespoons Chive Vinaigrette (recipe follows)
Kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper
In a medium bowl, combine all vegetables; drizzle with the vinaigrette. Toss to coat; season with salt and pepper. Makes 4 servings.
Chive Vinaigrette: (will keep, tightly covered, in refrigerator for up to 2 days)
1/4 cup minced chives
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon water
2 teaspoons honey
Kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper
4 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
In a small bowl, whisk together all ingredients except oil. Slowly add oil, whisking vigorously, until vinaigrette is emulsified. Makes 1/2 cup.
Mixed citrus salad
4 blood oranges, peeled, downy membrane removed
1 large grapefruit, peeled, membrane removed, and sectioned
1 orange, peeled, membrane removed, and sectioned
4 black peppercorns, smashed under a heavy skillet
Divide fruit equally among 4 dessert plates; season with pepper and serve. Makes 4 servings.
Fresh bean salad
1 pound mixed fresh beans (green, wax, fava, lima, cranberry), washed and picked over
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 small shallot, thinly sliced
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper
Blanch beans in boiling salted water. If using fava beans, slip off tough outer skins before blanching. Place beans in a large bowl. In a small bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, mustard, shallot, olive oil, salt and pepper; drizzle over beans and toss to coat. Makes 4 servings.
Sugar snap peas
with mint leaves
1 pound sugar snap peas, ends pinched off and strings removed
2 tablespoons Orange Vinaigrette (recipe follows)
1/2 cup tightly packed mint leaves
Kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper
Prepare a medium bowl of ice water. Blanch the peas in boiling salted water for about 20 to 30 seconds; refresh in the ice water to stop cooking. Drain. Spoon vinaigrette into a bowl; add the peas, mint, salt and pepper; toss to coat. Divide among 4 salad plates and serve.
Orange Vinaigrette: (will keep, tightly covered, in refrigerator for 2 days)
1/4 cup fresh orange juice
1/4 cup lemon juice
Kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons canola oil
Combine juices, salt and pepper. Slowly whisk in the oils until incorporated. Makes 3/4 cup.
Golden papaya
and crab salad
1 pound lump crabmeat, picked over
1/2 pound sugar snap peas, strings removed (about 2 cups)
1/2 small red onion, chopped
1/2 cup Lime Caper Vinaigrette (recipe follows)
Kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper
2 medium papayas, halved, seeds removed and peeled
Lime wedges
Place crabmeat in a medium mixing bowl. Using a fork, break crab into bite-size pieces. Add peas and onion; combine well. Stir in the vinaigrette, salt and pepper; toss to coat. Slice a small piece off each papaya half along the rounded edge and place on a plate. Spoon one quarter of crab mixture into each papaya half, garnish with lime wedges and serve. Makes 4 servings.
Lime Caper Vinaigrette: (will keep, tightly covered, in refrigerator for up to 2 days)
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh parsley
2 dashes Tabasco sauce
2 teaspoons capers
1/2 teaspoon dried hot red pepper flakes
Kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper
1 teaspoon sugar
In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lime juice, parsley, 1 tablespoon of water, and Tabasco. Stir in capers, red pepper flakes, salt, pepper and sugar. Makes 1 cup.