Dining / Cooking

Jazz up bagged salad for a great main course

| Wednesday, July 09, 2008 | () comments

GANNETT NEWS SERVICE

When temperatures rise and appetites fall, dinner salvation comes in plastic bags.

Bags of lettuce, that is.

In the decade since they were introduced, these nifty bags of iceberg, romaine, escarole, radicchio, spinach and baby greens have helped propel salads from a side dish to a main course. Last year, industry trackers reported that half of the $3 billion Americans spent on bagged salads was turned into entree salads.

Experts cite convenience and, to a lesser degree, a desire to eat more healthfully as the driving forces behind the bagged-salad revolution. Simply open the bag, wash, dry and toss in a smattering of ingredients, from leftover barbecued chicken to mangoes to grilled shrimp. Dress and dinner’s ready.

“We’ve come to see salad as a complete meal, something that fills you up without weighing you down. And the fact that you don’t have to cut all the lettuce only increases their appeal,” says Patrick Boll of Geisha a Go Go in Scottsdale, Ariz., one of three chefs asked to doctor a bag of lettuce into a summer meal.

Their salad creations outshine the all-too-common chef’s or chicken Caesar salads, and they reflect the diversity in America’s tastes. They also fit the bill for heat-weary appetites.

n Boll created an ethnic-inspired shrimp and mango salad over Asian mixed greens. His goal was to blend subtle flavors. “You don’t want too many robust flavors in any one salad. You do not want any one flavor to overpower the others,” he says. Along with fruit and seafood, his salad includes cucumbers, red onion, daikon radish sprouts and toasted sesame seeds in a sake-lime vinaigrette.

n Cullen Campbell of Fine’s Cellar in Scottsdale likes salad flavors to play off one another, such as the sweetness of a grilled peach and the saltiness of prosciutto over a bed of peppery arugula. He added figs, almonds and goat cheese for even more contrast. “I love the way these competing flavors all mesh together in a light but filling salad,” he says.

n Joe Meyers of La Grande Orange in Phoenix shared a recipe for a chopped salad similar to one he makes at home. “I don’t have time to cook dinner every night, but I have the time to toss a salad,” he said. His creation takes advantage of leftover barbecued chicken, which he pairs with crunchy bacon, hard-boiled eggs, diced avocados, onions, cheese and tomatoes. His smorgasbord of ingredients is tossed with bagged spinach and blue-cheese dressing.

Like all dinner salads, these concoctions are extremely forgiving. If a recipe calls for chicken but you’re hankering for beef, go ahead and substitute. The calorie-conscious can leave out rich cheeses or high-fat meats such as bacon.

recipes

Arugula Basil Salad with Seared Peaches and Prosciutto

1/2 cup fresh basil leaves

1/4 cup fresh Italian parsley

1/4 cup champagne vinegar

1 tablespoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup canola-olive oil blend

For the salad:

3 peaches, cut in half and pitted

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon brown sugar

Salt, to taste

2 bags baby arugula

3 packages sliced prosciutto

1/4 cup almonds

1/4 cup crumbled goat cheese

18 fresh figs, cut in half

Coarsely chop basil and parsley. Add to blender with vinegar, sugar and salt. Blend on high while slowly adding canola-olive oil blend, about 1 minute.

Coat peaches with olive oil. Sprinkle with brown sugar and salt. Heat a pan over medium-high heat and sear peaches, pitted sides down, for 3-5 minutes, or until golden brown. Set aside.

In a large bowl, toss arugula with dressing. Place prosciutto slices on a large salad plate. Top with arugula, almonds and goat cheese. Arrange peaches and figs around the edges of the plate. Makes 6 servings.

BBQ Chicken Chopped Salad

6 cups (about 7 ounces) baby spinach

3 ounces blue cheese, ranch or vinaigrette dressing

2 barbecued chicken breasts, shredded

2 hard-boiled eggs, chopped

1/3 cup shredded cheese (any kind)

1/2 cup yellow corn

1/2 of a medium California avocado, diced

10 cherry or grape tomatoes, halved

1/2 cup thinly sliced red onion

1/2 cup chopped bacon (optional)

Cracked pepper, to taste

Toss spinach with salad dressing. Place spinach on a plate and then line up each ingredient, side by side, across the spinach. Finish with fresh cracked pepper. Makes 2 servings.

Green Mango and Grilled Shrimp Salad with Sake-Lime Vinaigrette

For the sake-lime vinaigrette:

1 cup sake

4 tablespoons brown sugar

Juice of 4 limes

1 teaspoon minced garlic

1 teaspoon minced ginger

1 teaspoon red-pepper flakes

1 tablespoon whole-grain mustard

1 teaspoon garlic-chili paste

1 teaspoon sesame oil

1 tablespoon chopped cilantro

1/2 cup rice vinegar

11/4 cups rice-bran oil (available at Asian markets)

For the grilled shrimp:

12 large shrimp, peeled

Salt and pepper, to taste

For the salad:

12 ounces of bagged Asian-blend mixed greens

1 green mango, peeled and sliced into julienne strips

1/4 cup thinly sliced red onion

1/4 cup cucumber slices

3/4 cup cilantro leaves

1/2 of a package of daikon radish sprouts

2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds

For the vinaigrette, mix sake, brown sugar and lime juice in a small saucepan. Cook on medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until reduced to about 1/3 cup.

Pour in a mixing bowl to cool. Add garlic, ginger, red-pepper flakes, mustard, garlic-chili paste, sesame oil and cilantro. Gradually whisk in rice-bran oil.

Pour 1/4 cup of the vinaigrette over shrimp and marinate for 20 to 30 minutes. Season shrimp with salt and pepper. Heat a grill to medium-high and cook the shrimp about 2 minutes per side.

Combine the greens, mango, onion, cucumber, cilantro and radish sprouts in a large bowl. Toss with remaining vinaigrette and season with salt and pepper. Place salad on a chilled plate and top with shrimp. Garnish with toasted sesame seeds. Makes 4 servings.