Kicked Up Cuban Salad Recipes

KICKED-UP CUBAN SALAD

Steps:

• For the salad: Add the avocado, lettuce, red onion, jalapeno and pineapple to a large bowl.
• For the dressing: Whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, honey, cumin, cayenne and salt in a small bowl. Pour some of the dressing over the salad and toss, adding more if desired. Reserve any extra dressing for later use.

GRILLED CUBAN BREAD SALAD

Steps:

• Preheat grill. Brush both sides of bread with olive oil and grill on first side until lightly golden brown. Turn over, sprinkle 1 tablespoon of the mixed herbs over each slice of bread. Meanwhile brush each tomato slice with oil and season with salt and pepper to taste. Grill for 1 minute on each side and immediately place 1 slice of tomato on top of each slice of herb-topped bread. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of the cheese over the tomato, close the lid and grill until the cheese begins to melt. Toss mesclun in a few tablespoons of the vinaigrette and divide among 4 plates. Top each salad with a slice of the grilled bread and drizzle with the vinaigrette. Garnish with hard cooked eggs.
• Whisk all ingredients together and season with salt and pepper to taste.

EDDIE JACKSON'S KICKED-UP GUAC

Steps:

• Combine the tomatoes, sour cream, avocado and lime juice in a bowl (or a food processor for a smooth guacamole) and mix until just combined. Season with salt and pepper to taste

GRANDMA JANE'S KICKED UP TOMATO AND CUCUMBER SALAD

Steps:

• Place the bacon in a large, deep skillet, and cook over medium-high heat, turning occasionally, until evenly browned, about 10 minutes. Drain the bacon slices on a paper towel-lined plate. When cool, crumble the bacon into a large salad bowl. Reserve 1 tablespoon of bacon drippings, and let cool.
• Mix the bacon drippings and mayonnaise into the crumbled bacon until thoroughly combined; stir in tomatoes and cucumbers. Season to taste with kosher salt, five-peppercorn blend, and cumin. Allow to chill for at least 1 hour before serving (overnight is better).

CUBAN SALAD

Steps:

• Combine romaine, tomatoes, avocados, onion, and black beans in a large bowl; toss to combine.
• Whisk lime juice, honey, garlic, cumin, salt, and pepper together in a small bowl. While constantly whisking, stream in the olive oil until dressing is well combined.
• Drizzle some of the dressing over the salad, toss, taste, and add more dressing if desired. If there's any extra dressing, refrigerate for later use.