Spinach Salad Blues Recipes

BLUE SPINACH SALAD

Steps:

• Toss together the spinach leaves, grapes, blue cheese, and pumpkin seeds. Serve with blue cheese salad dressing if desired.

SPINACH SALAD WITH BLUE CHEESE

Steps:

• Place dressing ingredients in a sealed jar or cruet and shake well to mix.
• Toss all the salad ingredients to mix well.
• Do not add dressing until just before serving.

SPINACH SALAD BLUES

Steps:

• Combine the shallot, 1/2 pint of the blueberries, salt, sugar, vinegar and oil in a blender and blend well.
• Trim the spinach and rinse well.
• Pat the spinach dry.
• Combine the spinach, remaining blueberries, blue cheese and pecans in a large salad bowl and toss to mix well.
• Add the blueberry vinaigrette just before serving and toss until well coated.

SPINACH AND BLUE CHEESE SALAD WITH SLICED APPLES AND SPICED CARAMELIZED PECANS

Steps:

• Cut the apple into quarters, remove the stem and the seeds, and cut into very thin slices. Sprinkle lemon juice over the slices and set aside.
• When ready to serve, in a salad bowl, combine the apple, spinach, radicchio, and blue cheese. Season lightly with salt and pepper and toss with the dressing. Adjust seasoning, to taste.
• To serve, divide the salad among 4 plates and sprinkle the pecans around each salad.
• In a small bowl, whisk together the shallots and the mustard. Whisk in the vinegars, and then the olive and vegetable oils. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Transfer to a covered container and refrigerate until needed.
• Yield: 1 1/4 cups
• Recipe courtesy Wolfgang Puck, "Adventures in the Kitchen", Random House, 1991
• In a deep-fryer or a deep pot, heat the oil to 350 degrees F. (A deep-frying thermometer can be clipped to the side of the pan so that you can tell when the proper temperature has been reached).
• Meanwhile, in a large saucepan bring 2 quarts of water to a boil. Add the pecans and boil for 2 minutes. Drain in a large strainer, shaking off all excess water. Sprinkle the salt and cayenne pepper over the nuts and then coat with the confectioners' sugar, a little at a time, allowing the sugar to melt into the pecans. Toss the nuts by shaking the strainer, adding a little more sugar each time, until all the sugar is used and all the nuts are coated. Do not use hands or a spoon to toss. The nuts should have a glaze of sugar.
• Carefully add the nuts to the heated oil, keeping the oil at 350 degrees F. Cook until golden brown, about 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove with a slotted spoon to a baking tray to cool.
• Yield: 2 cups
• Recipe courtesy Wolfgang Puck, "Pizza, Pasta & More!," Random House, 2000

CLASSIC SPINACH SALAD

Steps:

• In a large bowl toss together the spinach, crumbled bacon, if using or eggs, mushrooms and red onion. Top with your favorite vinaigrette.

SPINACH SALAD WITH BLUE CHEESE DRESSING

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Soak the red onion in a small bowl of ice water, about 30 minutes. Drain and pat dry.
• Meanwhile, make the croutons: Mash the anchovies with a fork. Combine the olive oil, mashed anchovies, 1 grated garlic clove and a pinch each of salt and pepper in a medium bowl. Let stand 5 minutes. Add the torn bread and toss with your hands until the bread absorbs the oil. Spread on a baking sheet and bake, stirring halfway through, until golden brown and crisp, 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool.
• Whisk the buttermilk, sour cream, blue cheese, vinegar, parsley, the remaining grated garlic, 1/2 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper in a large bowl until combined. Add the spinach, lettuce, cucumber, red onion and croutons; toss well.