Recipes and tips for Warm Salads for Dinner!!

While I love Caesar and Cobb salads, I won’t make or order one as a main course for dinner. A salad may do for lunch, but in the evening, a meal centered around greens, especially cold ones, can feel more like a diet than a dinner. But I’ve found that salads can take on dinner proportions with a few warming additions, like sautéd pork or chicken, or even starchy vegetables like potatoes. A warm vinaigrette brings the sauté and the greens together, giving the finished dish the dressiness of a composed salad and the simplicity of a one-pot meal.
Prepare the toppings for these salads just as you would a stir-fry. Complete all of your peeling and chopping beforehand because things move quickly once you start cooking. Be sure to slice vegetables and meats uniformly so that they cook evenly. Set a heavy skillet over medium-high heat, let it get good and hot, and then sauté the meat and vegetables, stirring often, until they’re just cooked through.
Whisk up the vinaigrette and then warm it in the pan. Much like a pan sauce, the vinaigrette will pick up the flavors behind on the bottom of the pan from the stir-fry. The heat of the skillet may break the emulsion of the vinaigrette, but that’s fine.
Wilt the greens, but don’t let them get soggy. With most salads, I generally like to toss the greens with the toppings before serving. But for these salads, I alter my traditional approach to adjust for their delicate make-up. Ina large bowl, dress the greens with about half of the vinaigrette to just wilt them, Then I set the greens on dinner plates and top with the sautéed vegetables and meats, A drizzle of the vinaigrette provides the crowning touch for these salads, which are pretty, but just as important, plenty filling, too.

Baby Romaine Salad with Spicy Chicken & Warm Chipotle Vinaigrette

Serves tour.

6 ounces baby romaine, washed and spun dry (about 8 loosely packed cups)
1/4 pound iceberg lettuce, thinly sliced, washed and spun dry (about 2 cups)
1/2 cup loosely packed fresh cilantro leaves
1 chipotle chile (from a can of chipotles in adobo sauce), chopped, plus 2 tablespoons adobo sauce
3 oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained and chopped
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 teaspoons light brown sugar
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2 cup plus 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons fine cornmeal (preferably white)
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 1/4 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 3 small), cut crosswise into 1-inch-thick strips
1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced into half moons
1 ripe avocado, cut into3/4-inch dice
1 1/2 cups cooked fresh or thawed frozen corn kernels (from about 2 ears)
1 lime, cut into quarters

Toss the romaine, iceberg, and half of the cilantro in a large bowl. In a blender or food processor, purée the chipotle chile and adobo sauce, sun-dried tomatoes, vinegar, brown sugar, and mustard. With the machine running, slowly pour in 11/2 cup of the oil. Transfer to a measuring cup; season to taste with salt and pepper.
In a shallow dish, mix the flour, cornmeal, chili powder, and cumin with 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper. Season the chicken with 1 tea spoon salt and then dredge in the flour mixture.
Heat 2 tablespoons of the remaining oil in a heavy nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until it’s shimmering, about 1 minute. Add half of the chicken strips, evenly spaced, and cook without touching for 2 minutes. Flip and cook until the strips are just cooked through and firm to the touch, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer to a large plate lined with paper towels and sprinkle with salt. Reduce the heat to medium, add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil, and cook the remaining strips in the same manner.
Discard the fat from the pan and wipe it clean with paper towels. Set the pan over low heat, add the vinaigrette, and cook, stirring with a wooden spoon or spatula, until warmed through, about 1 minute. Return the vinaigrette to a liquid measurring cup and whisk to recombine.
Gently toss the greens with about 1/4 cup of the vinaigrette or enough to lightly coat. Portion among four plates and top with the chicken, onion, avocado, corn, and the remaining 1/4 cup cilantro. Drizzle with so me of the remaining vinaigrette (you may not need it al!) and serve with lime wedges on the side for squeezing over the salads.

Wilted Argula Salad with Crisp Potatoes, Feta & Warm Black Olive Vinaigrette

Serves tour as a light main course or six as a starter.

To make this salad more substantial, top it with a seared chicken breast. Or, serve it with a bowl of soup and crusty bread.

1/2 pound baby arugula, washed and spun dry{12 loosely packed cups)
3 tablespoons red-wine vinegar
1/3 cup pitted Kalamata olives (about 15), finely chopped
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
1 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 large russet potato (about 1/4 pound), peeled and cut in 1/2-inch dice
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper 3/4 cup finely diced red onion (1verysmall) 3/4 pound feta, crumbled (scant 1 cup)
1/2 pound small ripe cherry (or grape) tomatoes, halved (1 heaping cup)

Put the arugula in a large bowl. In a food processor, pulse the vinegar, olives, mustard, and 1 teaspoon of the thyme. Processing continuously, slowly pour in 1/2 cup of the olive oil and 3 tablespoons water to make a loose dresssing. Transfer to a liquid measuring cup.
Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons oil in large (preferably 12-inch) nonstick skillet over medium-high heat for 30 seconds. Add the diced potatoes, sprinkle with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally,until they begin to brown all over, 5 to 8 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium and cook until the pieces are just tender, another 4 to 5 minutes. Add the onion and cook, stirring, until it’s soft and lightly browned, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in the remaining 1 teaspoon thyme. Transfer to a bowl or plate.
Reduce the heat to low and pour the olive vinaigrette into the pan. Cook, stirring with a wooden spoon spatula until the vinaigrette is warmed through, about 1 minute. Return the vinaigrette to a liquid measuring cup and whisk to recombine.
Toss the arugula with about half of the vinaigrette or enough to lightly coat. Portion the arugula among four (or six) plates. Top with the potato and onion mixture and then the feta and tomatoes. Drizzle with some of the remaining vinaigrette (you may not need it all) and serve.

Spinach Salad with Stir-Fried Pork & Warm Ginger Vinaigrette

Serves four

For a splash of heat, I like to drizzle this salad with some Sriracha hot sauce or Thai chile paste.

1/2 pound,baby spinach, washed and spun dry (8loosely packed cups)
3 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
1 pound 1/4 to ½-inch thick bone pork chops, trimmed of excess and sliced crosswise 1/4 inch thick
Kosher salt
1 tablespoon dry sherry
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1/2 cup canola or peanut oil
2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
6 scallions, cut into 2inch pieces
3 1/2 ounces fresh shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and thinly sliced (about2 cups)
1/2 red bell pepper, seeded and thinly sliced
2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger

Put the spinach in a large bowl. In a small bowl, whisk the rice vinegar with 1 1/2 tablespoons of the soy sauce,th r, and 3 tablespoons water. Put the pork in a medium
bowl and season with 1/2 teaspoon salt. Toss with the remaining 1 tablespoon soy sauce, the sherry. and the cornstarch. Let sit for 10 minutes.
Heat 1 ½ tablespoons of the canola oil in a heavy, 12inch skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Add the pork and cook, stirring, until it loses its raw color and is just firm, about 2 minutes. Transfer the pork to a clean medium bowl.
To the skillet add 1 1/2 tablespoons of the canola oil and the sesame oil, scallions, mushrooms, and bell pepper. Sprinkle with salt and cook, stirring, until the mushrooms and scallions soften and brown in places, about 3 minutes. Transfer the vegetables to the bowl with the pork and toss.
Still over medium-high heal, add 1 tablespoon oft he canola oil and the ginger to the skillet and cook, stirring until very fragrant, about 30 seconds. Remove the skillet from the heat, add the vinegar soy mixture, and stir well with a wooden spoon or spatula, scraping the pan to incorporate the browned bits. Whisk in the remaining ¼ cup canola oil; the mixture will remain largely separated. Transfer the vinaigrette to a measuring cup and whisk to emulsify thoroughly.
Toss the spinach with half of the vinaigrette. Portion among four plate, top with the pork and vegetables, and drizzle with some of the remaining vinaigrette (you may not need it all). Serve immediately.