Bacon And Blue Cheese Salad With Cherry Vinaigrette Recipes

ROMAINE SALAD WITH BACON FAT DRESSING

Steps:

• Cook the bacon in a large skillet over medium heat until crisp, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate and let cool, then chop. Add the vinegar to the same skillet with the bacon fat, followed by the Dijon, maple syrup and a few turns of pepper. Whisk together, heating over medium heat until emulsified, then turn off the heat.
• To serve, place the romaine on a platter and sprinkle with the bacon, crumbled blue cheese and dried cherries. Drizzle with the warm bacon fat dressing and season with salt and pepper.

ESCAROLE SALAD WITH BACON, CARAMELIZED ONIONS AND BLUE CHEESE VINAIGRETTE

Steps:

• 1. Cook the bacon over medium heat in a medium skillet until crispy, about 12 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate. To the drippings add the sliced onions and toss well. Cook until deep brown and well caramelized, stirring occasionally, another 25 minutes. Season with 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper.
• 2. Meanwhile, in a small bowl stir together the cheese, vinegar and oil. The dressing will be chunky and not completely emulsified. Place the escarole in a large serving bowl and crumble the bacon over it. When the onions are done and still warm, sprinkle over the escarole along with the dressing. Toss well just before serving and season to taste with salt and pepper.

GRILLED ROMAINE WITH BLUE CHEESE-BACON VINAIGRETTE

Steps:

• Preheat a grill or indoor grill pan to high.
• Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over high heat. Add the onion and bacon and cook until the bacon is crispy. Remove the onion and bacon from the pan. Add the balsamic vinegar and 1 tablespoon olive oil to the skillet and reduce for 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside. Brush the romaine with the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil. Place on the grill cut-side down and quickly sear until grill marks are visible. Set aside. For each serving, place a half head of romaine cut-side up on a plate and drizzle the balsamic dressing on top. Sprinkle with blue cheese and the bacon and onion, and garnish with cracked black pepper. Photograph by Yunhee Kim

GRILLED ROMAINE WITH BLUE CHEESE-BACON VINAIGRETTE

Steps:

• Preheat the grill to high heat.
• Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a saute pan over high heat. Add the onions and bacon and cook until the bacon is crispy. To the same pan add the balsamic vinegar and 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and stir to combine. Remove from heat and set aside.
• Brush the romaine lettuce with the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil, place on the grill cut side down, and quickly sear.
• Serve the lettuce, cut side up, and drizzle the balsamic dressing over the lettuce. Sprinkle with blue cheese and garnish with cracked black pepper.

GRILLED RED POTATO SALAD WITH BACON-BLUE CHEESE VINAIGRETTE

Steps:

• Preheat grill. Toss potatoes with 1/4 cup olive oil and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Grill cut side down for 3 minutes. Turn over and continue grilling 2 to 3 minutes. Place in a large bowl.
• Place medium skillet on the side burner or the grill and heat until almost smoking. Add the bacon and cook until golden brown and crisp. Remove to a plate lined with paper towels. Let cool and crumble.
• Remove all but 2 tablespoons of the bacon fat from the pan. Add the onions and cook until soft, 5 to 6 minutes. Add 1/4 cup olive oil, vinegar, and sugar and cook until sugar is dissolved. Pour the onion mixture over the potatoes, add the crumbled bacon and parsley and toss to combine, season with salt and lots of black pepper. Spoon the salad onto a large platter and sprinkle with the crumbled blue cheese.

BACON AND BLUE CHEESE SALAD WITH CHERRY VINAIGRETTE

Steps:

• For the cherry vinaigrette, pit and halve the cherries and set aside half of them to toss with the salad later.
• Put the remaining cherries in a food processor or blender with the vinegar and purée until smooth.
• Add the olive oil and salt and pepper to taste, and purée for another few seconds.
• Transfer the vinaigrette to a small bowl and set aside.
• (A blender will purée the cherries more finely than a food processor; if using the latter, you may want to strain out the bits of cherry skin after processing, pressing on the solids with the back of a rubber spatula to extract as much juice as possib) Fry the bacon pieces in a small skillet over medium-high heat until browned and crisp, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes.
• Scoop them onto paper towels to drain; set aside to cool.
• Put the salad greens in a salad bowl or other large bowl and scatter the onion and bacon over the top.
• Rewhisk the cherry vinaigrette to blend, and taste for seasoning, adding a bit more salt or pepper if needed.
• Drizzle the vinaigrette over the salad, tossing to mix gently and evenly.
• Arrange the salad on 4 individual plates and sprinkle the blue cheese and remaining cherries evenly over each portion.
• Serve right away.

ROMAINE SALAD WITH BLUE CHEESE VINAIGRETTE

Steps:

• Place lettuce in a big bowl. Combine garlic, oregano, sugar and vinegar in a small bowl. Add oil to dressing in a slow stream and mix with a whisk or fork. Stir in blue cheese. Pour dressing over salad and toss. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

SPINACH AND LENTIL SALAD WITH OREGON BLUE CHEESE AND TART CHERRY VINAIGRETTE

Steps:

• In a heavy saucepan cover lentils with water by 2 inches and simmer until just tender but not falling apart, about 15 minutes. Drain lentils well in a sieve. Rinse lentils under cold running water to stop cooking and drain well. In a bowl toss lentils with 2 tablespoons vinegar and salt and pepper to taste. (Lentils may be made 2 days ahead and chilled, covered. Bring lentils to room temperature before proceeding.)
• In a skillet cook bacon over moderate heat until crisp and with tongs transfer to paper towels to drain. Crumble bacon.
• In cleaned saucepan heat 2 tablespoons oil over moderate heat until hot but not smoking and cook shallot, stirring, until golden brown. Stir in water, cherries, sugar, and remaining 5 tablespoons vinegar and simmer, stirring occasionally, until liquid is reduced by about half, about 10 minutes. Reduce heat to low and whisk in remaining 2 tablespoons oil in a slow stream until emulsified. Season vinaigrette with salt and pepper.
• Add half of vinaigrette to lentils and toss well. In another bowl toss spinach with half of lentil mixture, half of bacon, half of cheese, remaining vinaigrette, and salt and pepper to taste.
• Divide remaining lentil mixture among 6 plates and top with spinach mixture. Sprinkle salads with remaining bacon and cheese.