Meat Salads comma Ham
I like the Deli, but not that you cannot control what is in the mix. So, I'm left with do-it-yourself.
Prep: 5-10 mins.
This one is pretty simple.
Most often, you can find the ends of a really good honey glazed ham for cheap, at your Deli. Grab 'em and recycle the saved money into a fine bread (see above).
Cube about 1/4 of the ham, into 3/8th cubes maximum. Put it in the microwave for 1-2 minutes, until just getting crispy (be sure to cover while it cooks - they will jump like Mexican beans, sometimes).
In small chunks, put the rest of the ham into a blender/food processor. Put in some Gerkins pickles (do not substitute!), cut in rough pieces so the blender doesn't run as long. Run the blender until all is chopped, but not mushed (n.b. do not 'rush' and put in dressing of any kind - it usually foils the processor action).
Remove, add the crisped pieces and mix with a small bit of light mayo or miracle whip, just enough to bring it together.
Keeps up to two weeks.
Variations:
1. If you like ham and turkey, the mix that works is about 2 parts turkey to 1 part ham (but no more!). Turkey can mush (and I really hate that), so I have a special tool to deal with that and avoid the blender, except if in a rush. Blend/process the turkey separately, if you must.
2. Cube and microwave some turkey pastrami instead (a major brand sells this pre-packaged quite inexpensively compared to regular pastrami and without nearly as much fat). I prefer this prep.
3. If you have some prosciutto, cut into strips one inch long and 1/8 wide and use that instead of the cubes.
4. Use a "hot ham" or a pepper ham slice. If you do, substituting a dill pickle is "okay".
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
The Week In Salads
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
The Week in Salads
Cucumber Salad
This one takes a while to make and keeps pretty well (about a week).
Prep:
Dice a red onion. (I definitely do not substitute - the red makes a nice color combo). Optionally, cut up the green part of a scallion or two or three (top right, in picture).
Two-step cucumber: cut some thin slices of your cucumber (get a nice english cuc, or your favorite), out of less than 1/4 of the length. Using a peeler, peel the remaining 3/4+ in circles, starting at one end and working your way to the other. If you do not have the patience for this, you can also use the coarsest part of a box-grater, to get little cucumber "chips". Some of the little seeds will fall away. That's o.k. (and desirable for some cucumbers).
Variations:
There are preps that use heavy-cut onion, if you are an onion lover. Some call for chopped peanuts on top. Some put vinegar in the dressing (yuk! unless you have a sour or pithy cucumber to 'rescue'). Shallots instead of garlic seems a superior idea. Some recipes call for hot peppers or pepper flakes (bleh). Mint - I haven't tried.
Composition:
I salt & pepper along the way.
As you fill up a layer with cucumber, sprinkle with salt. Pepper also, if you like (I don't with this dish, so I have no recommendations, except maybe a white pepper, so you don't put black flecks into the salad).
I use Morton Lite Salt (substitute Morton Salt Balance). It's "balanced" (with potassium) and good for dishes you like salty, without challenging your body to "rebalance" itself. However, it still isn't "okay" for sodium restricted diets (I don't think). Yes, it's more expensive, but this is a time to pay-up -- you can get your "naked sodium" calories elsewise (yes, "elsewise" is a word!).
When finished "layering", stir in the red onions and the big slices and optional ingredients, like the scallion. Definitely use one of the new Rubbermaid produce-saver inventions, so that the liquid drains (or let it sit and do the same "manually").
Shown here with sesame porkYou can eat it straight-up, especially when it is very fresh, alongside most everything. This salad could be a "salt" in a salty-sweet plate, for instance.
The typical Thai dressing advised involves a mix of nuoc chom (can be very salty, so think ahead), lime juice, seasame oil and possibly shallot/garlic and/or chili paste (green).
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
The Week in Salads
The 'week in salads' is important, because blogging, although fun, uses less calories than ... thinking, judging by the waistline...
Carrot-raisin salad:
This one is easy to make and keeps for about a week.
Buy the carrots already shredded. Wash well in salad spinner.
I love the golden raisins (used above), but the regular ones present better.
I dress with Kraft's low-cal miracle-whip, but alternate with a French dressing prep, to keep the dish from getting "tired".
I've put in some mandarin oranges, drained.
You can sprinkle with walnuts, when served, if you want a little crunch.
Alternative Preps:
If you make it for fresh, try the Thai-prep, using mangos and small cubes of firm tofu.
The dressing is a combo of orange juice & lime juice (2:1); honey & orange-flower water (2:1); sesame oil, and sesame seeds.
These will be in season here shortly [click to embiggen]:
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
The Week in Salads
Watermelon and banana, with a dollop of strawberry sorbet in the middle. Kiwis when you have them. If the watermelon you got is a bit of a dud, try splashing some juice on it. This doesn't keep - don't bother making it in advance.
p-dog is down for the count with some flu-like bug. I'm just enjoying my bowlfuls until I'm next. Love endureth all things. *cough*...
Sunday, May 25, 2008
Food Porn
Homemade chicken salad on cranberry-raisin focaccia
Okay, this one is about as fru-fru as it gets for sandwiches 'round here.
Every now and again the local has the cranberry-raisin focaccia. This one I made myself. (If you believe that, I have a bridge to sell you).
I use my two-style chicken prep for the salad. Boil the hell out of some chicken, until it falls apart with a fork (~2 hrs). Cube other chicken (grilled, baked, or left-overs). This will give you your two textures. Other ingredients: grapes and almond slivers. Bring together as you like, with dressing, etc. I don't spice it at all, in order to let the bread do the talking (if I did, I'd try rosemary somehow, which is technically an herb - and never let it be said we weren't technical...).
Balance the sweet with some salty pretzels.