[Times photo:Jim Damaske] Spinach Salad with Mango and Candied Pecans, dressed with a simple balsamic vinaigrette, packs a big punch of flavor and nutrition.

By JANET K. KEELER

© St. Petersburg Times, published May 30, 2001

Refresh limp salads with ingredients as varied as your imagination: Grilled shrimp, shaved cheese, tender beans or crisp apple slices turn lettuce into something new.

When I was growing up, we had salad with dinner, never for dinner. A trio of dressings, Thousand Island, Italian and blue cheese (which we disparagingly called "paint"), was the variable in the steady offering of iceberg lettuce, tomatoes and cucumbers.

The closest we ever got to eating salad as a meal was seeing someone order a chef's salad or crab Louis at a restaurant.

Now it seems that anything a chef can throw on the grill can be tossed on dressed lettuces to make a wonderful meal. Chicken, sliced rare steak, shrimp and scallops, swordfish and other meaty fish are nouveau favorite salad toppers.

It's not just grilled protein that has found its way into our salads. Add to that goat cheese, crab cakes, all sorts of fruits and nuts, spindly noodles and every color and size of tomatoes imaginable.

The green salad has come of age in an explosion of color, taste and texture. A well-conceived side salad adds excitement to yet another dinner of fried chicken or spaghetti. When it's bulked up for a main dish, salad can charm taste buds and satisfy even big appetites.

If you adore the iceberg-tomato-cucumber salad, leave it in your repertoire, but offer it only occasionally. There are many other combinations to try, such as candied pecans, mangoes and spinach or blue cheese, avocado and field greens. Try them at home or suggest them to restaurateurs who still think iceberg lettuce with a couple of strands of grated carrot is good eating.

Besides bringing a variety of flavors together, a green salad can add nutrient-packed vegetables and fruits to your diet. A healthful eating plan should include five servings of fruits and vegetables daily. Many of us come up short, especially in the veggie department.

Most nutrition experts, including Dr. Andrew Weil, author of Eating Well for Optimum Health (Knopf, 2000) and other health and diet tomes, recommend eating dark, leafy greens every day for their antioxidant properties. Antioxidants are thought to help prevent diseases of aging, such as cancer and heart ailments.

A salad is the easiest way to accomplish the dark and leafy requirement and -- news flash -- iceberg lettuce is the least nutritious member of the family. Spinach, romaine and mixed field greens, which can include arugula, frisee, oak leaf and radicchio, are more nutritious and flavorful.

Once you pick your greens, whether bagged or loose, start to build your salad. Resist the temptation to overload ingredients. A salad of six-plus items is more likely to create a mess than something memorable. Pick a few flavors and make them stand out. Also be aware of textures. Mix crunchy (jicama, radishes, celery, nuts) with soft (goat cheese, avocados, mangos).

When composing a main-dish salad, add ingredients to make a balanced meal. In addition to vegetables or fruit, include simple carbohydrates such as pasta, or complex carbs such as nuts and beans. Protein can come from many sources, including meat, chicken, fish, eggs, tofu or cheese.

Balance is important. You should have enough of most ingredients to get a sample every few bites. A mound of nuts on each forkful means you've overdone it. Conversely, don't make eaters hunt for the "good stuff." Make sure you've given ample amounts of protein and carbohydrates to enhance the veggies.

Another benefit with main-dish salads is that you can keep oven and stove use to a minimum. Making dinner without breaking a sweat becomes a priority in Florida when the humidity cranks up.

For side salads, consider flavors and colors that complement the other dishes you are serving. A hearty soup or stew stands up well to a salad of mostly vegetables rather than delicate fruit. Spinach leaves, strawberries, sliced almonds and a fruity vinaigrette work well as an accompaniment to grilled meat. Serving fish? Go tropical with jicama, papaya and a pineapple vinaigrette, or Asian with exotic mushrooms, sesame seeds and a dressing bolstered with rice wine vinegar.

Dressing can make or break a salad. Too much of the wrong, or even the right, kind masks flavors. If the dressing is added too early, the greens become soggy.

Salad dressing is big business these days. Most grocery stores stock shelves and shelves of the stuff in regular, low-fat and non-fat varieties. There are refrigerated dressings in the produce section, and envelopes of powdered mixes to combine with oil and water.

But it's not difficult to make your own, though that can be a hassle to do daily. Use bottled dressing for weeknight fare, and save the show-stopping gourmet concoctions for the weekend. Use the best oils and vinegars you can afford when making homemade dressings.

Why go to all this trouble? Besides the fact you are worth it, you'll enjoy what you are eating more and are likely to eat it again. If you are eating bare-bones salads not because you like them but because they are good for you, you'll grow bored and resentful quickly. Your family is likely to revolt before you do.

No time to do all that chopping? Fit it in to your schedule by chopping enough for two salads on one night. Store ingredients separately in airtight containers. Also, when you are grilling steaks, throw on marinated chicken breasts for tomorrow night's main-dish salad.

There aren't any rules for salads anymore.

Spinach Salad With Mango and Candied Pecans

• Non-stick vegetable spray
• 1/4 cup packed golden brown sugar
• 6 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 1 cup pecan halves
• 1 6-ounce bag baby spinach leaves
• 1 large mango, peeled, pitted, cut into thin wedges

Spray sheet of foil with non-stick spray. Stir sugar, 1 tablespoon oil and 1 tablespoon vinegar in heavy medium skillet over medium-high heat until sugar melts and syrup bubbles, about 3 minutes. Mix in pecans. Stir until nuts are toasted and syrup coats nuts evenly, about 7 minutes. Using fork, separate nuts and cool completely. Coating will harden as nuts cool.

Combine spinach, mango and cooled pecans in large bowl. Whisk remaining 5 tablespoons of oil and 2 tablespoons of vinegar in small bowl to blend. Season dressing with salt and pepper. Toss salad with enough dressing to coat. Serves 4.

Source: Cooking Light.

Green Salad With Cranberry Vinaigrette

Dressing:

• 11/2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons and 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons fresh cranberries
• 11/2 teaspoons prepared Dijon-style mustard
• 1/4 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon water

Salad:

• 1/2 cup sliced almonds, toasted
• 1/4 red onion, thinly sliced
• 2 ounces crumbled blue cheese
• 1/2 pound mixed salad greens

In a blender or food processor, combine the vinegar, oil, cranberries, mustard, garlic, salt, pepper and water and process until smooth.

In a large bowl, toss the almonds, onion, cheese and greens with the dressing until evenly coated. Serves 4.

Note: Ken's Steakhouse makes a cranberry vinaigrette that is available in grocery stores in the fall and winter. You can substitute raspberry vinaigrette, of which there are several on the market.

Source: www.saladrecipe.com.

Green Salad Tossed With Tomato Dressing

Salad:

• 1 head Romaine lettuce, torn
• 2 chopped scallions
• 1 diced green bell pepper
• 1 diced celery stalk
• 1 Granny Smith apple, diced
• 1/4 cup walnuts, toasted

Dressing:

• 2 large ripe tomatoes
• 1/8 cup almonds, toasted
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• Salt and pepper

Combine salad ingredients in a large salad bowl. Set aside.

Wash tomatoes and place in a blender or food processor. Process until smooth. Add the remaining ingredients and process until the almonds are smooth and the rest of the ingredients are blended. Check the seasoning. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Toss prepared salad with dressing. You may not need to use it all. Serve with lots of fresh Italian home-made bread for a refreshing main dish salad in the summer. Makes 4 servings.

Note: Substitute pine nuts for the walnuts in the salad. Add a couple of mushrooms if desired.

Source: www.ichef.com.

Green Salad With Grapefruit, Onion and New Orleans Dressing

Dressing:

• 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon Dijon-style mustard
• 1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Salad:

• 1 large head of Boston or green leaf lettuce, torn into bite-size pieces
• 1 pink grapefruit, peeled and sectioned, membranes removed
• 1 medium onion, thinly sliced

In a small bowl, whisk together the vinegar, paprika, sugar, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, salt and olive oil.

Arrange the lettuce, grapefruit and onion slices in a chilled bowl. Drizzle with the dressing and toss lightly to coat. Serves 6.

Source: www.deliciousorchardsnj.com.

Spinach-Cantaloupe Salad

Salad:

• 1/2 cantaloupe, seeded, peeled and diced
• 7 cups fresh spinach, torn
• 11/2 cups cooked ham, cubed
• 1 cup red onion, thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup green grapes, halved

Dressing:

• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 2 tablespoons orange juice
• 2 tablespoons vinegar
• 1 tablespoon chopped onion
• 11/2 teaspoons grated orange peel
• Dash pepper
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon poppy seeds
• 1/3 cup chopped pecans, toasted

Place cantaloupe, spinach, ham, onion and grapes in bowl. Chill for at least 2 hours. Combine sugar, orange juice, vinegar, onion, orange peel and pepper in a blender; cover and blend until smooth. With blender running, gradually add oil until slightly thickened. Stir in poppy seeds. Cover and chill. Just before serving, pour dressing over salad and toss. Top with pecans. Serves 6.

Source: MasterCook.

Grilled Steak Salad With Caramelized Shallots

• 2 boneless beef top loin steaks, cut 1-inch thick (about 8 ounces each)
• 5 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 6 shallots, thinly sliced
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• Salt
• 5 cups torn, mixed field greens
• 1 cup sliced mushrooms
• 1 medium red bell pepper, roasted, cut into strips
• 1 medium yellow bell pepper, roasted, cut into strips

Dressing:

• 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 tablespoons crumbled Gorgonzola cheese
• Salt and pepper

Combine garlic and 2 tablespoons of the oil; brush over steaks. Place steaks in food-safe plastic bag. Close bag securely and marinate in refrigerator 15 minutes to 2 hours.

Heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil in small non-stick skillet over medium heat until hot. Add shallots and cook about 10 minutes until shallots begin to brown, stirring frequently. Sprinkle with sugar and cook until shallots are glazed and caramelized, about 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Set aside.

Grill steak to desired doneness. Carve steaks into slices. Season with salt, as desired.

In large bowl, combine salad greens, mushrooms, roasted peppers and caramelized shallots; toss gently.

Combine dressing ingredients; add salt and pepper, as desired. Drizzle over salad. Top with grilled steak slices.

Note: If desired, substitute 1 7-ounce jar of roasted red peppers or red and yellow peppers, well-drained, for fresh bell peppers. Serves 4.

Source: www.beefnutrition.org.

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