The other evening I wanted a salad to go with my pasta main dish, but I didn’t want a Caesar or my usual “mixed lettuce and clean out the vegetable bins” either. What my frugal mind wanted was to use up some simple vinaigrette I had prepared earlier in the week. What my mouth wanted was a bit of pizzazz. So I decided to raid my refrigerator shelves and pantry to see what I could do to liven up what often amounts to “the obligatory, good for us so we need to eat it” part of our dinner menu.

First thing I did was pour the already prepared salad dressing into the bottom of a bowl. Then I got out what looked like a nice assortment of tasty ingredients and went to town. The following recipe, which actually turned out to be totally delightful is what I came up with. (I just love ending a sentence with with. It just seems wrong, but I’m told in informal writing, ending a sentence with a preposition is considered de rigueur.) But I digress…

Basically, you can always add taste adventures to your salads by including a variety of ingredients (including a wide variety of greens) that will help lift the overall flavor from mundane to exciting. Some of my favorite “additives” are: nuts and seeds of any kind, dried fruit, olives, minced ginger (an especially healthful ingredient), apple or pear chunks, roasted veggies (especially beets), roasted red pepper (right out of the jar is fine), sliced peperoncini, and of course cheese. By all means use this list as a guide, but don’t limit your choices to just my favorites. Think outside the salad box.

My salad adventure the other evening started with leftover Dijon Mustard and Rice Vinegar Vinaigrette.  And because I don’t really have a favorite dressing, I decided to share several of my easy vinaigrette recipes with you on this post. And do make your own dressings. They are easy to prepare, economical, and truly much more flavorful than what you can purchase in a bottle. You can also control the amount of salt and sugar you are adding to your salads by preparing your own emulsions. So that makes homemade dressings a healthy choice too. So give these dressing a try. All are wonderful ways to make lettuce taste good.

And don’t forget to use kale in your salads. Learn more about this amazing green under the heading Massaged Kale.

• 3-4 T. salad dressing – your choice
• 1 c. loosely packed chopped kale
• kosher salt
• ½ carrot, cut into julienne strips
• 1 small celery stick, chopped
• about ¼ c. thinly sliced red onion
• ¾ inch piece fresh ginger, finely minced
• 3 slices of zucchini cut into matchstick sized pieces
• 2 pickled peperoncini, stemmed, seeded and thinly sliced
• 2 c. chopped romaine lettuce
• 1/3 c. slivered almonds

Pour the salad dressing into the bottom of a salad bowl. Add a tiny amount of kosher salt to the chopped kale. Using your fingers, massage the kale* for about 3 minutes or until the leaves darken and feel almost silky. Add to the salad dressing along with all the other salad ingredients, toss lightly and serve immediately.

*Massaged Kale – Kale is a strong flavored, bitter green that can be used other than in the more traditional way, as a wonderful ingredient in soup or stew, if is first treated with a little tender loving care. And as in all things that need a little massaging to render them more acceptable (stubborn personalities for example), kale loses it’s bitter and tough pre-disposition and turns wonderfully silky and sweet when the fibrous ribs have been removed and the leaves have been rubbed (massaged) together with your fingers. (Kale can be massaged either just as is, or by adding just the smallest amount of salt.) The leaves turn darker as the tough cellulose structure breaks down. The leaves actually wilt under the pressure. After this amazing transformation occurs, kale becomes perfect for even the lightest of summer salads.

And don’t even get me started on the nutritional value of kale. Well OK, but just a wee bit of information.

According to the WebMD site, “one cup of chopped kale contains 33 calories and 9% of the daily value of calcium, 206% of vitamin A, 134% of vitamin C, and a whopping 684% of vitamin K. It is also a good source of minerals copper, potassium, iron, manganese, and phosphorus. Kale’s health benefits are primarily linked to the high concentration and excellent source of antioxidant vitamins A, C, and K — and sulphur-containing phytonutrients. Carotenoids and flavonoids are the specific types of antioxidants associated with many of the anti-cancer health benefits. Kale is also rich in the eye-health promoting lutein and zeaxanthin compounds. Beyond antioxidants, the fiber content of cruciferous kale binds bile acids and helps lower blood cholesterol levels and reduce the risk of heart disease, especially when kale is cooked instead of raw.”

My favorite vinaigrettes: 

ASIAN VINAIGRETTE

• ¼ c. vegetable oil
• 2 T. sesame oil
• 4 tsp. white vinegar (the regular old fashioned distilled kind)
• 1 tsp. fresh lemon juice (the kind that comes from real fruit)
• 1 tsp. sugar
• 2 tsp. kosher salt
• freshly ground black pepper

Whisk together the oils, vinegar, lemon juice, sugar, salt, and pepper.

BASIL VINAIGRETTE

• ½ c. red wine vinegar
• 2 T. Dijon mustard
• 1 T. finely chopped shallots
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 2 T. thinly sliced fresh basil
• ½ tsp. kosher salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• 1½ c. extra virgin olive oil

Whisk all ingredients together.

CAPER VINAIGRETTE

• 1 T. drained and mashed capers
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 T. finely minced shallot
• 1 T. red wine vinegar
• 2 T. fresh lemon juice
• ¾ tsp. seasoned salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• 1/3 c. extra virgin olive oil

Whisk all ingredients together.

DIJON MUSTARD AND RICE VINEGAR VINAIGRETTE

• 2 cloves garlic, finely minced
• ¼ tsp. sugar
• ½ tsp. kosher salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• 1 T. Dijon mustard
• ¼ c. rice vinegar
• 1/3 c. canola oil

Combine all ingredients in a blender and whirl until smooth.

LEMON DIJON VINAIGRETTE

• 2 T. fresh lemon juice
• 2 tsp. Dijon mustard
• ¼ tsp. kosher salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• 1 T. minced shallots
• ½ c. extra virgin olive oil

Whisk together the lemon juice, mustard, salt, pepper, and shallots. Slowly add the olive oil and whisk until emulsified and thickened. Adjust seasoning.

RASPBERRY VINEGAR AND HONEY VINAIGRETTE

• 3 T. raspberry vinegar
• 3 T. honey
• 1/3 c. extra virgin olive oil
• pinch kosher salt

Whisk all ingredients together.

SPINACH SALAD VINAIGRETTE

• 2 T. canola oil
• 1 T. fresh lemon juice
• 1 T. finely minced shallot
• 1 garlic clove, finely minced
• 1 Tsp. Dijon mustard
• 1 tsp. sugar
• 1 Tsp. poppy seeds
• ½ tsp. seasoned salt

Whisk all ingredients together.

SWEET AND SOUR VINAIGRETTE

• scant 2 T. sherry vinegar
• 2 tsp. honey
• 1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
• ½ tsp. Dijon mustard
• 1 garlic clove, finely minced
• ½ tsp. kosher salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• ¼ c. extra virgin olive oil

Whisk together the sherry vinegar, honey, Worcestershire sauce, Dijon mustard, garlic, salt, and pepper. Slowly add the olive oil and whisk until emulsified and thickened. Adjust seasoning.