Diary of a really bad eater - Salad is more than just lettuce

Written by Janet Sebastiano on . Posted in Foodie

Janet Sebastiano

So, for those of you who read my first article on chicken, you know I’m a pretty picky eater. And yes, thanks to my boyfriend, I now have a much more varied diet. But there was a long period of time in my life when I pretty much only ate chicken or salad. In fact, there were days when I would eat salad for both lunch and dinner! Over the years, I’ve taken a lot of abuse from friends and family about my terrible eating habits and pathetically stocked kitchen of just chicken, salad fixings, condiments, and water. While it is safe to say that I am a former chicken addict, I am also a recovering salad-oholic.

Salads are great, though. They’re healthy and filling, which keeps you from pigging out after dinner (I don’t know if that’s a problem for you, but it sure was a huge problem for me)! The only bad thing about eating salad for dinner every night is that you get really bored, really easily. Even me! So, I had to come up with a bunch of creative salads to stave off the boredom.

Now, I’m sure some of you think that only women on first dates eat salad for dinner. Well, while that is sometimes true, salads aren’t just for single women. Even my boyfriend, a true carnivore (much to my chagrin), will eat just a salad for dinner. For you skeptics out there, I thought I’d share a couple of my favorite non-traditional salad recipes with you. They’re simple to make, and they’re healthy and delicious, too! Enjoy!

Cobb-Taco Salad

(Picture coming soon!)

What's needed

  • Ground Turkey, Chicken, or Ground Beef
  • Tortilla
  • Taco Shells
  • Garlic Oil
  • Store Bought Taco Seasoning
  • Chopped Lettuce, Cucumbers, Tomatoes, Red Peppers, Baby Bella Mushrooms, Black Olives, Red Onions, Sweet Corn Niblets, Sliced Boiled Eggs
  • Shredded Mexican Cheese

A Cobb-Taco Salad? No, you didn’t read this incorrectly...Believe it or not, these two very different salads combine to make one extremely tasty salad. I accidentally created this salad one night when my boyfriend asked me to prepare a taco salad for dinner and found it's a very easy salad to make. Taco salad? Having never eaten or even seen a taco salad before, but being known as salad expert, I was way too embarrassed to ask him what that was. So, I pretty much had to punt. I knew how to make a Cobb salad, so I used that as a starting point. Beware though, this salad is not for the faint of heart; It’s a very hearty salad and is meant to be a main meal. This salad is very versatile, and you can adapt it to include all of your favorite salad fixings.

I make this salad with ground turkey meat, but you can use anything from ground beef or chicken to sliced chicken, turkey, or beef. To add to the uniqueness of this salad, I serve it in a tortilla bowl, not a dish. To make a tortilla bowl, you can either deep fry or bake a tortilla (flour or corn) until it’s flexible enough to mold to the shape of a bowl. Because I try to keep this salad on the healthier side, I usually bake the tortillas (I found these great molds a few years ago that were specifically designed to make tortilla bowls). I lightly brush both sides of the tortilla with garlic oil, and bake according to the manufacturer’s directions (for my molds, 375F for 7-9 minutes or until crisp and browned). Set your tortilla bowls aside to set, and move on to the meat. In a large skillet, cook the ground turkey until cooked through and browned; toss in store-bought taco seasoning, and cook according to the directions on the taco seasoning packet.

To assemble the salad, take your tortilla bowl and fill it with chopped lettuce, cucumbers, tomatoes, red peppers, baby bella mushrooms, black olives, red onions, sweet corn niblets, sliced boiled eggs, and shredded Mexican cheese. I then top the salad with the warm ground turkey meat and crumbled store-bought taco shells, and drizzle with my favorite salad dressing (usually something creamy like Ranch, Creamy Parmesan, or Blue Cheese).

Pear, Gorgonzola, and Walnut Salad

(Picture coming soon!)

What's needed

  • Butter Lettuce/Soft Red and Green Lettuce
  • Toasted Walnuts
  • Ripe Pears
  • Crumbled Gorgonzola Cheese
  • Dried Cranberries

I plate this salad individually, but you could serve it in a large bowl, family-style. Place your favorite salad greens into each bowl (I use butter lettuce or a nice mix of soft red and green lettuce). Toast walnuts in a small skillet; Cook over medium to medium-high heat (without oil or butter in the pan), tossing until lightly browned. Core and cut 3-4 ripe pears into ¼-inch wide slices (I leave the skin on but you could peel the pears if you prefer); add the pears, crumbled Gorgonzola cheese, toasted walnuts, and dried cranberries to the salad greens. In a measuring cup, make the dressing by mixing 3 TBSP red wine vinegar, 1 TBSP Dijon mustard, and coarse salt; stir until the salt is dissolved. Then whisk ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil into the dressing, and add more salt and freshly ground pepper to taste. Pour the dressing over the salad.