Now SaladSuccess is not only providing the best salads and dressings to make with our SaladSuccess shaker, but now will provide the measurements if you only want to make enough dressing for one salad.

The bones of this recipe are from Ina Garten, the Barefoot Contessa with changes to the proportions.  I love this combination on a bed of lettuce since there are so many calories in a single avocado.  Most grocery stores sell very unripe (hard as rock) avocados – I’m lucky that my local farmers market carries avocados.  Unless you have a specialty shop, often Costco avocados are ripe or will ripen in the next few days.

Ingredients for the SaladSuccess Shaker

• Freshly squeezed lemon to the 1/3 orange line of SaladSuccess Shaker
• Olive oil to the top orange line of SaladSuccess Shaker
• 1 large spoonful of  Dijon mustard
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Ingredients for a single salad dressing

• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• 2 tablespoons of olive oil
• 1 tablespoon of freshly squeezed lemon juice
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Ingredients for the Salad

• 4 ripe avocados
• 2 large red grapefruits
• Mesclun lettuce or arugula

Just before serving, cut the avocados in quarters, remove the seeds, and peel off the skin. Cut each quarter into 2-3 slices. Whisk all the vinaigrette ingredients and oss the avocado slices in the vinaigrette to prevent them from turning brown. Peel off the grapefruits slices (removing all the white pith), then strip the membranes to release the grapefruit sections.

Arrange the avocado slices around the edge of a large platter lined with mesclun lettuce or arugula. Arrange the grapefruit segments in the center. Spoon the remaining vinaigrette on top and serve.

Courtesy of Ina Garten, Barefoot Contessa.

INGREDIENTS – for a single salad or use the Sherry-Shallot Vinaigrette in Salad Success container
1 minced shallot
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 heads Belgian endive, halved lengthwise, cored, and very thinly sliced (about 2 1/2 cups)
3 small fennel bulbs, halved lengthwise, cored, and very thinly sliced (about 3 cups)
1 large Fuji apple, halved lengthwise, cored, and very thinly sliced (about 2 1/2 cups)

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Whisk together shallot, mustard, vinegar, salt, and pepper in a wood, or glass salad bowl. While constantly whisking, add oil by pouring in a thin stream down the side of the bowl. Whisk until all oil is incorporated. Taste and adjust seasoning as desired.

Add endive, fennel, and apple slices to the vinaigrette and toss to coat. Taste again and adjust seasoning as desired. Serve.

Courtesy from Chowhound, Recipe of the Day, 2/3/2010

Many users of  the SaladSuccess shaker have been asking for salad recipes to go along with the dressing,  I guess we all get tired of lettuce and a few wedges of tomatoes, cucumber slices and carrots.  Once of my favorite salads is Belgium endive salad, which is simple, and elegant.  Around this time of year, I get cravings for endives (my husband hates them, which is great since they are expensive and he won’t touch them) and have endive salad marathons at lunch time.  Make sure that you use Reggiano Parmesan cheese – it intensifies the flavors of the endives with the vinaigrette.

INGREDIENTS

Belgium endives – one or two (endive lovers) per person.  Don’t count the kids, it is an acquired taste due to the bitterness of the endives.

Reggiano Parmesan – about 10 beautiful long slices

Sherry & Shallots vinaigrette

DIRECTIONS

First chop off the thick, hardcore end of the endive.

I like to rough chop the endives so that they make little curls.  That way it is easier for the dressing and parmesan to get mixed with the vinaigrette.  However for a more elegant look, you could peel the leaves of endives.

Decorate with the cheese.

When ready to serve, shake the sherry & shallot dressing in the SaladSuccess shaker and pour over the salad.

This is a wonderful, quick and easy recipe that uses the Shallot & Sherry vinaigrette.  If you are able, fresh shrimp off a boat is the best way to make the salad, but those of us that are not as lucky to live near a dock with shrimp boat, can easily make this recipe using pre-frozen shrimp.  From the 3 least expensive frozen shrimp bags – Trader Joe’s, Costco & Safeway, I found that the Safeway “WaterFront Bistro” large shrimp 2 lb. bag with shell is excellent and convenient.  Usually these bags are on sale for $12 to $14 and there are approximate 60 shrimp in each bag.  I use approximately 10 shrimp per salad plate.  If you like spinach leaves, substitute with the mesclun greens.

INGREDIENTS

10 peeled and deveined shrimp per plate

Mesclun Greens

¼ to ½ cup of finely shredded Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese or similar

Olive oil – enough to cover the bottom of the pan

¼ cup white wine

¼ cup chicken stock

1 large shallot, finely sliced

Shallot-Sherry or Classic Vinaigrette

DIRECTIONS

With oil covering the bottom of your pan and using a medium high flame, sautée the shallots, add the wine and stock and let come to a boil.  Toss in the shrimp and cook until pink.  Turn off the heat, add the cheese and mix well.

On a plate with mesclun greens, add the shrimp mixture and pour a tablespoon of the wine – stock liquid over shrimp.  Shake vigorously the vinaigrette in the SaladSuccess shaker, and pour a little less that usual on top of your salad.  If you’d like, add an extra sprinkling of the parmesan cheese, soft boiled egg or garden tomatoes when in season.

Vinegared dishes in Japan are called sunomono as su means vinegar in Japanese. Sunomono has a light, clean taste and goes with many types of dishes. Try this dressing on finely sliced cucumbers (get out the mandoline), a bit of daikon (Japanese radish), scallions and carrots.  If you want to be adventurous, put few tiny raw scallops and a slice of raw salmon, along with a little dollop of crab meat (steam these if you’re squeamish). Then sprinkle with sesame seeds.  This recipe is from a fabulous web site, www.edibleparadise.com and was contributed by Chef Andrew Cohen,

Chef Andrew has provided a dashi recipe at Edible Paradise.  Dashi is the stock used in Japanese cuisine.  It’s made with kelp and bonito flakes, all available at Asian markets. Instant dashi powder is also available at stores. Use it if you are time-limited. Usually, about 1 tsp of dashi powder is used for 3 to 5 cups of water. Just follow the instructions on the package.

INGREDIENTS
3 large spoonfuls of light miso
Fresh ginger – use your peeler and get 6 nice peelings
4 large spoonfuls of cider vinegar or lemon juice
2 large spoonfuls of dark sesame oil
Peanut or vegetable oil

Water

DIRECTIONS
Miso, ginger, lemon or cider vinegar  and sesame oil.  Shake vigorously in SaladSuccess shaker until smooth.

Add oil to ¾ blue oil line.  Shake vigorously

Then add water to top blue line and shake until thick and creamy. Add more miso for a richer flavor.

To dress up this salad, don’t forget to put crispy Chinese noodles.  This dressing is great over chicken with chopped white cabbage, jicama and scallions. If you don’t like a “hot” dressing, tone down the Chinese mustard.

INGREDIENTS

Rice Wine Vinegar

Peanut or vegetable oil

6 tablespoons of Chinese mustard

6 tablespoons of Honey

Salt & Pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS

Rice Vinegar to the 2/3 orange line of the SaladSuccess Shaker

Peanut Oil to the top orange line

Add Chinese mustard and honey

Salt & Pepper to taste

Shake vigorously in the SaladSuccess Shaker

Arrange salad, pour dressing on the greens, and arrange crispy  noodles.

INGREDIENTS

Walnut Oil

Lemon Juice – about 6 freshly squeezed lemons, remember to strain

8 ounces Roquefort cheese

Salt & pepper

Directions

Pour walnut oil up to the blue oil line

Add lemon juice

Add salt & pepper to taste

Add Roquefort cheese*

Shake vigorously in SaladSuccess shaker

Unscrew SaladSuccess top and pour enough dressing over bed of greens.

* If you want this dressing to be more flexible, shake the dressing up (with salt & pepper)  BEFORE ADDING THE ROQUEFORT, pour enough dressing to the bottom of the salad bowl and add 4 ounces of Rocquefort. Place greens in the bowl, and let the salad rest until serving time.  Then toss.  You can use the remainder of the dressing for other salads and add tarragon or chives to flavor the vinaigrette.

Adapted from The Tante Marie’s Cooking School Cookbook by Mary Risley

INGREDIENTS

Olive Oil

Guava Nectar

Lime Juice – Approx. 3 limes

Dijon Mustard

Salt & cayenne pepper

DIRECTIONS

Olive oil to the ½ blue mark

Guava nectar to the top vinegar line

Add strained lime juice

Add one spoonful of Dijon Mustard

Salt and pepper to taste

Shake vigorously in SaladSuccess shaker

Adapted from Martha Stewart Living Cookbook.

INGREDIENTS

3 buds or more of garlic – unpeeled

Classic French Vinaigrette

Finely chopped herbs for the garden such as tarragon, basil, oregano

DIRECTIONS

Cut off the stem (top part) of the garlic

Roast or grill garlic until soft

Squeeze out the soft garlic into a bowl

Add herbs

Add enough Classic French Vinagrette made in the SaladSuccess shaker so that dressing has a nice consistency

Mix well

Pour over salad