Tag Archives: Winter Salads

Spicy Cold Shrimp Cucumber Salad

Posted on by December 11, 2014

I love this Spicy Shrimp Cucumber Salad for a variety of reasons, first an foremost, as a girl from Wisconsin, I love recipes that are consistent year ‘round. It truly can be the bleak midwinter in much of the country around the Holidays, and having vibrantly colored and flavored food can make things bright. While you may not be able to find mouse melons, tender Persian cucumbers should be available. Aside from being made up of year ‘round vegetables, an exciting and hearty salad can be just what the palette (and the diet) need this time of year. There’s so much butter and milk and cream and carbs in the form of Christmas cookies and the like, and I love those things too, but sometimes one really needs a break. Finally, if you have lots of Jewish friends, like I do, you know that a common Christmas day tradition amongst Jews is Asian food and a trip to the movie theater. So this Spicy Shrimp Cucumber Salad is a break from the traditional in terms of Christmas-y recipes of baked goose and ham and is an homage to all of my wonderful Jewish friends. I encourage all of us, regardless … Continue reading →

Roasted Cauliflower Hazelnut Celery Salad via Jerusalem

Posted on by January 12, 2015

This Roasted Cauliflower Hazelnut Celery Salad via Jerusalem is one of my very favorite recipes, from one of my very favorite cookbooks from recent years. I have made, or tasted many of the recipes from this book, as the book has been very popular amongst my cooking and entertaining friends, but there’s something about this salad. I have made this Roasted Cauliflower Hazelnut Celery Salad via Jerusalem multiple times, which for a person who has to cook constantly and come up with new recipes of her own almost as frequently, repeating a recipes says something big. Basically, I really love this Roasted Cauliflower Hazelnut Celery Salad via Jerusalem and of course was quick to include in on the menu for my Jerusalem Cookbook Dinner Party. It’s absolutely everything that’s right about winter cooking, and more importantly, a winter salad. And you get to show off your new Pomegranate opening techniques when you make this Roasted Cauliflower Hazelnut Celery Salad via Jerusalem. Fun, right? … Continue reading →

Red Grape, Blue Stilton Salad

Posted on by February 16, 2015

This Red Grape, Blue Stilton Salad came about when I needed a nice winter salad to serve with Boeuf Bourguinon. I was so focused on the main dish, that I forgot all about the salad. Fortunately, I had some leftover cocktail nuts on hand, so that’s where I started. Next up was the vegetable drawer. Since arugula is my favorite green, I usually have it in the house. The spiciness of the nuts and the arugula sent me to the fruit drawer. I definitely needed something a little sweet to balance things out. Thank goodness for these beautiful red grapes. Dried fruit would do in a pinch, too. Either cranberries or cherries would be perfect. Finally, I wanted to add a little cheese for some richness and I was hoping I had blue when I opened the cheese drawer. While the blue cheese I had on hand is English, not French, it turned out to be a perfect fit in the flavor profile department, and this delicious Red Grape, Blue Stilton Salad was bold enough to start of a meal as flavorful and decadent as Boeuf Bourguinon. … Continue reading →

Beet, Carrot, Fennel and Citrus Salad

Posted on by January 19, 2015

This beautiful, jewel-hued Beet, Carrot, Fennel and Citrus Salad is perfect for a long Winter even if you aren’t pairing it with the rest of my Middle Eastern Feast. Everyone knows they need to eat their veggies, but sometimes it can be a challenge to find something inspiring in the Winter. That’s where new preparations for root vegetables come in. Eating them raw isn’t so strange when they’re shaved thin, or grated small. And pairing them with fresh herbs and citrus, which is at its best this time of year is the way to go. I love having the excuse to get out my mandoline or the different discs for my food processor, and I like making Winter salads in big quantity to make it easier to keep my diet goals on track even when local produce isn’t a reality. I often grated extra beets, carrots and fennel and keep them in bags in the fridge. They store well for a few days and you can keep making the salad fresh all week long. Or, you can make this Beet, Carrot, Fennel and Citrus Salad as a show-stopping dish to serve along with Lamb Kofta and my Middle Eastern Feast Menu. … Continue reading →