Brighten up the night
As we return to the reality of our jobs and the long stretch of winter ahead we need something to look forward to at the end of too-short days. How better to brighten a dark night than to serve a colourful and delicious salad? These recipes can be a whole meal on a plate or a perfect first course to help us let go of holiday memories… and feasts.
Orange Pomegranate and Mixed Greens Salad
This crunchy, refreshing bejeweled salad combines tropical flavors with hearty ingredients that are at once accessible and exotic.
If you can’t find pomegranate concentrate—possibly labelled as concentrated pomegranate juice—just double the orange juice.
You can usually buy pomegranate seeds in the produce section of the grocery store but you can also use whole pomegranates and extract them yourself. Cut the fruit in half, hold it cut side down over a large bowl and tap sharply with a wooden spoon. The seeds, along with some juice, will rain down. That’s why you need a large bowl—it’s a messy affair.
Radicchio is perfect because it lends a slightly bitter counterpoint to the sweet pomegranate but substitute any hearty greens you prefer.
This is plenty for 4 to 6 as a first course or light lunch. For a more substantial dinner salad add shredded cooked chicken or rinsed and drained canned chickpeas.
2 large oranges
4 cups baby spinach
2 cups thinly sliced radicchio ½ cup thinly sliced red onion ½ cup pomegranate seeds
½ cup coarsely chopped roasted unsalted cashews, divided
Dressing:
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive
3 tbsp. pomegranate concentrate 3 tbsp. orange juice (or whatever is left from preparing orange segments)
2 tbsp. lemon or lime juice
1 tbsp. honey
1 tbsp. Dijon mustard
½ tsp. each salt and freshly ground black pepper
Peel oranges, removing all the white pith. Using a sharp or serrated paring knife, cut out each segment by sliding the knife along the membranes on either side. When you are done, give the remaining orange skeletons a good squeeze and set aside the juice to use in the dressing.
Combine orange segments, spinach, radicchio, red onion, pomegranate seeds and half the cashews.
For the dressing, whisk together all ingredients. Toss salad in dressing and serve with remaining cashews on top.
Hearty Butternut Squash and Brussels Sprout Salad
If you’re looking to be trendy
this winter Brussels sprouts are the easy answer. They are available all year round now and are as delicious raw as they are cooked. If you’re not quite that interested in trendiness or Brussels sprouts you can substitute green cabbage.
Squash is an underrated ingredient. Cheap and nutritious, it brings a naturally sweet note to any meal. Feel free to use any squash variety your family likes or go farther afield with cooked sweet potatoes. I love it still warm in this dish but cold is just about as delicious so it’s a great make-ahead option or the
right way to use up leftovers.
This salad keeps much longer in the fridge than one made with the usual greens so it is great to take to work for lunch the next day. Count on serving 6 to 8 since this is a rich mixture and you don’t need as much per person.
1 small butternut squash
1 tbsp. olive oil
½ tsp. each salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 cup toasted pecans
2 medium cooked beets, peeled and sliced
5 cups thinly sliced raw Brussels
sprouts
Creamy Herb and Goat Cheese Dressing:
½ cup goat cheese
2 tbsp. mayonnaise, not salad dressing
½ cup plain yogurt, any fat content 2 tbsp. milk
1 tbsp. wine or sherry vinegar
1 tbsp. each chopped fresh dill, tarragon, chives and parsley, or any herbs you like
2 green onions, thinly sliced, white and green parts
¼ tsp. each salt and freshly ground black pepper
To roast the squash, peel, cut in half lengthwise and scrape out the seeds. Cut into bitesized cubes and toss with olive oil. Place on a foil-lined baking sheet and sprinkle on the salt and pepper. Roast at 400 degrees F 30 minutes or until squash is tender. Cool to the temperature you prefer. Toast the pecans at the same time but they need only about 5 minutes.
Wrap the beets in foil and bake in the oven alongside the squash, but they will need up to an additional half-hour, depending on their size. Cool just enough to handle then rub off the skins. If you wait too long and the beets are cold the skin shrinks and fuses to them so they will be much harder to peel—you might even need a knife.
Wash and trim Brussels sprouts; dry thoroughly. Slice as thinly as you can—a food processor is the easiest way but a sharp knife works.
Toss together squash, Brussels sprouts and pecans in a large bowl—hold back on the beets because they bleed all over the other ingredients.
For the dressing, mash goat cheese with mayonnaise to slacken it up then stir in yogurt and milk. Whisk in remaining ingredients. Stir into salad ingredients. Fold in sliced beets just before serving.