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A spin on salads
Posted on March 2nd, 2009 4 comments
Among the items I pass up at the grocery store include salad dressing. It’s one of those condiments that are overpriced and easy to make at home. Although you can make all kinds of fancy dressings, I tend to stick to the basics. About a 1/4 cup of olive oil, the juice of half a lemon, 1/2 a teaspoon of sugar, some salt and pepper, and finely minced garlic. I frequently save time by grating the garlic with a small grater. This shortcut is Gordon Ramsey approved, so I figure it’s okay.
It’s easy to find things in your baking cupboard to add pizazz to an otherwise boring salad. Sunflower seeds, slivered almonds, walnuts, chopped dates, dried cranberries, raisins, and various spices can be used in any combination that you desire. A light sprinkling is all that is needed, so it’s a relatively frugal way to turn a simple meal into something special.
Here are a few combinations I love to add on top of a spring mix (mesclun) salad:
- Toasted walnuts, dried cranberries, chopped dates, blue cheese
- Roasted beets, walnuts and blue cheese
- Diced mushrooms and green onions
If you want to purchase a lot of mesclun salad, you may want to consider the cost of making it yourself. To prepare it yourself, you may want to buy ingredients such as:
- Arugula
- Radicchio
- Endive
To keep your salad fresh, wash it as soon as possible, dry the leaves in a salad spinner, and the wrap in paper towel. Cover in a plastic bag and keep in your crisper.
What is your favourite frugal tip for enjoying fresh salads?
4 responses to “A spin on salads”
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I like to get spinach or arugula so I can also use some of the leaves to put in pastas, soups, or egg scrambles. Sauteed baby spinach is awesome, too…we had some for dinner tonight.
I like eating my salad leaves in different ways beyond just salads. Your mix-in ideas are awesome, btw! -
Erran March 2nd, 2009 at 11:16
You forget balsamic vinegar….oh the humanity!! No salad, or plate of olive oil is complete without its partner, good ol’ Balsamic. Mmmm…I’m drooling at the thought of it now…*drool*
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I love a good salad and yes it’s hard to keep the greens fresh. Great tips.
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My secret ingredient in homemade dressings has to be Clubhouse Salad herbs. Mixed with olive oil and red wine vinegar, I put it on everything! It’s not quite as frugal as just salt, pepper and garlic, but one shaker lasts at least a year (more when you’re on your own like me) and it’s still cheaper than 2 bottles of no-name salad dressing!
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