Salads don't always have to be served cold, there are some great warm salads that make wonderful dinner meals. They can range from a warm pasta salad to a warm potato salad.
I wanted to share a few that I make during the summer months for my family.
Chicken cashew salad is a favorite in my home. It's very simple and very elegant to make. To start heat 2tsp of olive oil in a skillet. Then with one pound of chicken breast cut up into pieces saute in your skillet. Add two finely chopped celery stalks along with a cup of finely chopped onion for eight minutes. When your chicken is no longer pink inside, it is time to make the dressing. Mix 1/4 cup of olive oil with 1tsp dried tarragon and pour over your chicken. I then serve this warm mixture over shredded cabbage, and top with chopped cashews.
My husbands favorite is warm salad with wild mushrooms. To make you whisk 3tbsp of olive oil with 1tbsp of white wine vinegar, salt and pepper to taste. Then in your skillet heat up 1tbsp of olive oil and and when warm add, a combination of your favorite mushrooms. At least one pound of them sliced nicely. Cook your mushrooms over med heat, just until the liquid is cooked off, and slightly brown. When this is done, you remove them and add them to your vinaigrette and stir to coat all the mushrooms. I then serve the mixture on top of toasted bread with a little arugula sprinkled on top along with some shaved parm cheese.
A dutch oven salad made easy. In your dutch oven you want to heat up 2tbsp of olive oil and than add two sliced pears to it. You will cook your pears stirring them until browned. Then take your pears and transfer them to a bowl. After that you will whisk two small sliced shallots into 6 tbsp of sherry vinegar along with 4tsp's of Dijon mustard. Then add your shallot mixture into your dutch oven, and stir for 20 seconds. You then add 3 cups of cooked chicken, a thin sliced head of radicchio, one large fennel bulb and two cut up carrots cut matchstick style. Along with 2tbsp of chopped toasted walnuts. Stir and cook your veggies just till wilted, usually this takes about three minutes. Then with your pears, place them back into the dutch oven, season with salt and pepper to taste. With some Boston lettuce leaves, place them on four plates and top them with the warm mixture. To top it off grate some Gorgonzola cheese on top.
Thai Salad is another family favorite in my home. Easy to make, starting with the dressing. You take 1/2 cup of rice vinegar and 1/3 cup peanut oil, 2tbsp of lime juice, 1tbsp of white sugar, 1 1/2tsp of fresh minced ginger, 1 1/2tsp of hot pepper sauce, 1 1/2tsp of soy sauce, 1tsp salt and one minced garlic clove. Then add 1/2tsp of crushed pepper flakes and set aside. You then cook a package of spaghetti of your choice. When done drain and rinse the pasta off with cold water. Toss your pasta with half of your dressing mixture. Then open a bag of spring salad greens add one small thin slice of red pepper and four chopped green onions. To the greens sprinkle the rest of your dressing on them. Then serve this way, greens on the bottom, pasta on top, deli sliced roast beef cut in strips on the pasta, and finished with chopped salty peanuts.
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