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Sunday, September 23, 2012

Two Salads with a Tangerine Balsamic Vinaigrette

Simple salads with a unique Tangerine Balsamic Vinaigrette atop fresh greens with fruit, and with grilled steak can be as much an appetizer as a salad. Assemble dressing in a shake bottle and shake well before serving. Water cress is a seasonal available ingredient; you may substitute mesclun greens or other mixed greens

Salad One
Thin slices of grilled rare steak or lamb3
Thin slices of Bosc pears
Twice washed and patted dry watercress trimmed of excess stems

Salad Two
Mandarin orange slices
Twice washed and patted dry mesclun greens
A cherry tomato or two
Optionally add sliced avocado
Optionally add pinenuts


Tangerine Balsamic Vinaigrette

            3 Tablespoons tangerine1 balsamic vinegar or more to taste
2 Tablespoons Italian grape seed oil2 (Substitute peanut oil)
¼ Teaspoon onion powder
¼ Teaspoon garlic powder
¼ Teaspoon smoked paprika (pimentón)
¼ Teaspoon aji Amarillo chili powder
¼ Teaspoon aji Ancho chili powder
½ Teaspoon sea salt
½ Teaspoon white pepper
¼ Teaspoon Lemon pepper
1/8+ Teaspoon Xanthan gum4 powder (optional)

Salad with a Tangerine Balsamic

Toss greens in vinaigrette. Make a bed of greens. Add other toppings. Drizzle toppings with additional vinaigrette, as required.














Notes:
1&2. Both oil and vinegar are available from Midtown Olive Press at The Shops at Friendly Center, 3354-141 West Friendly Ave. Greensboro, NC 27408, (336) 315-6000 have a excellent ones. See their website: Midtown Olive Press
3. Alternatively use thin-cut breast of chicken that has been sautéed in butter. Lamb has more flavor than beef when served cold.

4. Xanthan gum is used as a thickener for salad dressing. A 1/2 teaspoon will thicken a cup of salad dressing, keeping the mixture more homogeneous. Use 1/8 teaspoon and a smidge more for this amount of dressing.

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