Salads rule! And composed salads are so much fun since they’re a feast for the eyes as well.
Here’s a recipe that hits all the salad sweet spots for flavor and texture. Feel free to add any extra goodies you may have on hand to make this a unique masterpiece!
Learn more about this salad with quite a backstory in our The Union article.
Ingredients
1 small red onion, cut into half-rings
1 cup white vinegar
1 cup water
2 1/2 Tbsp sugar
Pinch dried thyme
Kosher salt and pepper
1 small shallot, thinly sliced into rings
3 Tbsp red wine vinegar
1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
3 Tbsp olive oil
8 slices bacon, cooked/drained/ crumbled
4 eggs, boiled/peeled and sliced into quarters
1 large head romaine lettuce, torn into bite-size pieces or coarsely chopped (about 1 lb)
2-3 tomatoesm sliced or quartered
3/4 cup crumbled blue cheese
1 avocado, peeled/pitted/ chopped
Directions
Thinly slice onion and place in 16-oz jar; place jar in the sink or somewhere splashes can be contained. Heat white vinegar, water, dried thyme, sugar and 1 Tbsp salt in small saucepan over medium heat. Stir until sugar/salt dissolve, about 1-2 minutes.
Let cool and carefully pour over onions. Set aside to cool to room temp, then store in fridge. Onions are ready to eat when they’re bright pink and tender.
In a small bowl, cover shallot rings with red wine vinegar and season with a few pinches salt/pepper. Let sit 5 minutes. Add mustard and 3 Tbsp olive oil; whisk with a fork to blend. Taste and add salt/pepper as needed.
Put lettuce down as a base in large family-style serving bowl (or individual bowls). Top with rows of bacon, eggs, chicken, tomatoes, blue cheese, pickled onions and avocado. Drizzle with dressing.
Here’s a versatile veggie mash that’s a satisfying sidekick to your St. Paddy’s Day main, flexible to meet your taste and what’s fresh at the market. Just keep the overall veggie weight about the same.
The Instant Pot makes for quick cooking, choose cooking time depending on how smooth or textured you want your mash. Using a large stock pot on the stove takes a little more time and also works well.
Get your green on and check out our The Union article on St. Patty’s foods.
Ingredients
1 lb gold potatoes, cut into 1-inch chunks
1 lb combo of carrots and parsnips, peeled and cut in to 1-inch chunks
1 head Romanesco (1 – 1 ½ lb), head cut into 2-inch chunks and leaf/stem stubs diced
1 bunch kale, stemmed and sliced into ribbons or a big handful baby spinach leaves
1 bunch green onions, green parts sliced into rings
¼ cup chopped fresh herbs – parsley and/or dill
4 Tbsp unsalted butter – cut into Tbsp’s
¼ cup grated Parmesan, plus more for topping
½ cup sharp white Cheddar cheese, shredded
Salt and pepper to taste
Optional: ¼ cup heavy cream, 1 tsp toasted caraway seeds
Directions
To a 6-quart Instant Pot with steamer rack or basket, add chunks of gold potatoes, root veggies and Romanesco, and sliced greens. Add water to the level of steam rack and close pot. Cook at high pressure for 10-13 minutes. If using a pot on the stove, add veggies and water in same manner, over medium heat.
For Instant Pot – quick release once cooking time is done. If using a pot on the stove, test veggies with a paring knife so it pierces them easily. Remove veggies from pot and place in a large mixing bowl, reserving cooking liquid.
Add butter and mash everything with a spatula or potato masher until desired consistency, adding heavy cream of a little of the reserved cooking liquid to make it creamy. Alternately, use an immersion blender to get it silky smooth. Sprinkle with Cheddar and ¼ cup grated Parmesan, folding in to combine and melt. Add toasted caraway seeds (if using) and salt and pepper to taste.
When ready to serve veggie mash, top with green onions, fresh herbs and additional grated Parmesan to taste.
Back in 1953, in Sweden, at a restaurant called Hasselbacken, someone figured out that you could slice potatoes very thinly – but not all the way through so the thin slices were held together on the bottom side – and then cook them until the slices separated and got nice and crispy.
Hasselback Potatoes look fancy but they’re actually quite easy to make…you’ll be “hasselbackin’” in no time flat! Don’t let the slicing dissuade you from giving this fine dish a try, it’s easier than you think.
Learn more about Hasselbacken in our The Union article.
Ingredients
6 medium sweet potatoes, well-cleaned and skin on
4 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted
2 Tbsp maple syrup
1 tsp salt
2 garlic cloves, finely minced
1 Tbsp fresh rosemary, finely minced
3 sprigs fresh thyme leaves, finely minced
Optional: Parmesan and freshly chopped parsley, for serving
Directions
Preheat oven to 400°. Line rimmed sheet pan with parchment paper.
Slice ¼” lengthwise off bottom of each sweet potato so it has a flat base and won’t wobble.
Place a sweet potato lengthwise between two wooden chopsticks or the handles of two wooden kitchen spoons (will be used to guide how far down your slices go). Make ¼” slices about three quarters of the way through – until the knife touches the wooden handles – from end to end. Repeat.
In a small bowl, combine butter, maple syrup, salt, garlic and herbs. Brush half of the mixture over sweet potatoes and them in the oven to bake.
After 30 minutes, remove from oven and gently use a fork to spread sweet potatoes open further from the top. Brush the rest of the butter mixture on top and return to oven for another 30 minutes.
Remove from oven, cool slightly. Top with optional toppings before serving.
Swedish meatballs are the epitome of comfort food, warming heart and soul. We’ve re-worked the umami in this recipe a little. Save yourself a trip to Ikea and make some of these at home!
Ingredients
¾ cup panko
1 medium onion, grated
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
¼ cup fresh parsley, minced
½ tsp garlic powder
1 ½ tsp pepper, divided
1 tsp salt, divided
2 lb ground beef or 1 ½ lb ground beef and ½ lb ground pork
3 Tbsp all-purpose flour
1 cup heavy cream
2 tsp fresh thyme leaves, chopped
2 ½ cups low sodium beef broth
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp Dijon mustard
¼ tsp ground nutmeg
¼ tsp ground allspice
Directions
In a large bowl, combine panko, onion, eggs, 1 tsp pepper, ¾ tsp salt, garlic powder and parsley. Gently mix in ground meat.
Shape mixture into 1 ½-inch meatballs and brown in batches in a large skillet over medium heat. Remove meatballs with slotted spoon to drain on paper towels, reserve drippings in skillet.
Stir flour into drippings, cooking over medium-high heat until light brown and fully incorporated without lumps. Slowly whisk in heavy cream until smooth. Stir in beef broth, spices, Worcestershire, Dijon, ½ tsp pepper and ¼ tsp salt. Bring to a boil and cook/stir until thickened.
Reduce heat and return meatballs to pan. Cook uncovered, stirring occasionally, until meatballs are cooked through, about 15-20 minutes. Adjust salt/pepper as needed.
Serve with noodles, mashed potatoes or your choice of starch.
Move over potatoes, there’s another veg who comes “fully loaded.” It’s that long, tall, cool drink of water, celery! Our crunchy friend is a blank canvas, or should we say ‘flavor boat,’ just waiting to set sail at the first “snack-ortunity.”
Ingredients
4-5 celery stalks, trimmed/peeled
8 oz cream cheese, softened
½ cup sharp white cheddar cheese, shredded
¼ cup bacon, cooked/chopped
2 globe radishes, diced very tiny (brunoise)
¼ of a medium red pepper, diced very tiny (brunoise)
2 Tbsp grated/shredded carrot
1 Tbsp flat-leaf parsley, chopped
1 Tbsp chives, chopped
¼ tsp garlic granules
Pinch smoked paprika
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp pepper
Optional: 2 Tbsp pecans, toasted/chopped, and 1 Tbsp each additional bacon and chives for garnish
Directions
Cut celery stalks in half and set aside.
Whip cream cheese until smooth using a food processor or hand mixer. Add cheddar, salt, pepper, smoked paprika, garlic granules, chives and parsley and pulse to combine.
Add bacon, radishes, carrot and red pepper and pulse very slightly to combine without chopping these ingredients up too small.
Fill each celery “boat” with cheese mixture. Top with optional garnishes (if using) and serve immediately.
Wedge salads look great, taste great and are a lot of fun to deconstruct with your knife and fork as you enjoy them. Using romaine and grilling the lettuce will make your salad truly “wedge-endary!”
Ingredients
2 heads romaine lettuce
¼ cup olive oil
½ cup crumbled blue cheese – we like Point Reyes Original Blue
2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
4 slices bacon, cooked/chopped
¼ cup grated asiago cheese
Maldon Sea salt
Fresh black pepper
Optional (and highly recommended) garnishes: ½ cup thinly sliced shallots, 1/3 cup toasted pecans, chopped
Dressing:
½ cup blue cheese
¼ cup buttermilk
¼ cup sour cream
2 Tbsp mayonnaise
2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
½ tsp Worcestershire sauce
¼ tsp Dijon mustard
¼ tsp garlic granules
Pinch of sugar
Salt and pepper to taste
Directions
If using shallots, soak slices in cold water for about 15 minutes. Drain.
To a small bowl, add buttermilk and sour cream. Mix in blue cheese until fully combined. Stir in mayonnaise.
Add red wine vinegar, Worcestershire, Dijon, garlic granules and sugar. Add salt/pepper to taste and let flavors meld while preparing the rest of the salad.
Slice romaine in half lengthwise. Oil a grill or grill pan and set at medium-high heat.
Brush sides of romaine with olive oil and grill on each side until grill marks have formed, about 2-3 minutes. Transfer to large platter.
Dress romaine wedges evenly and then add toppings. Sprinkle with Maldon Sea salt and fresh black pepper.
