Some days I just want something simple, tasty, and refreshing for dinner. Especially if those days are Taco Tuesdays at work (a weekly holiday my girls and I from the office treat ourselves to - we go this amazing taco truck a few blocks from our work to get our fix of savory meat, fresh guacamole, and hot sauce wrapped up in assorted bundles of tasty, spicy goodness. Burritos are my go-to, so large they're enough for two meals! But I digress -), or if I bring leftover pizza and curried stew for lunch.
Last night was one of those times, where all I craved were light, flavorful, and juicy foods. I had a gorgeous head of Romaine lettuce from the farmer's market - thanks Ash for spotting those at the stand! - a good stock of canned sardines in my pantry, and some odds and ends that came together to make a bright and crisp salad that bordered on exhilarating. It made me happy to look at and even happier to eat it.
I like salads that focus on a few good ingredients and how their flavors blend and play together. I think this one hit the mark, a few simple things to make something that is more than the sum of their parts. I could have cheerfully munched away on those tender crisp green leaves, the juicy tart-sweet apple, savored the salty cheese and the briny sardines, one by one. Put together, they were a flavor explosion in my mouth.
I also 'made' tortilla chips, from some corn tortillas I had in my fridge that were begging to be put to use. A quick search over the Internet turned up troves of websites with tips on baking tortillas into chips. Simple and tastes amazing hot from the oven. I would definitely recommend these chips plus your favorite dip/salsa/guacamole for your next get-together (or just to munch on for yourself, anytime, anywhere).
Falling for Apples and Cheese Salad:
Half a head of Romaine lettuce
1 Honeycrisp apple (or Fuji if Honeycrisps aren't readily available)
1 one-inch cube of Gruyere cheese
Half a tin of sardines (I like sardines relatively unmessed with, in olive oil or water without extra salt or flavorings)
Dressing:
1 clove of garlic, finely minced (let your garlic sit for at least 5-10 minutes after mincing, before you use it, to help it maximize its cancer-fighting properties. They are supposedly activated by slicing/cutting/grinding/mashing/you get the picture...)
1 tsp honey
1 tsp Dijon mustard
a little more than a tsp of extra virgin olive oil
2 tsps rice vinegar
Rinse well, dry, and tear Romaine leaves into the size you like. Wash your apple thoroughly, slice into bite sized slivers, keeping the peel on if organic, peeling if not organic (just to be careful of any residual pesticides, even if the apple is organic, wash and rub vigorously and well under running cold water). Sliver your cheese as finely as you like, using a mandoline, or you can coarsely grate them as well depending on the texture you like.
Vigorously beat and stir the salad dressing ingredients together at the bottom of your salad mixing bowl. Add lettuce, toss to coat thoroughly, then add apples and sardines, tossing and breaking up sardines as you go, and evenly distributing the dressing. Put salad onto your plate, sprinkle with the cheese, and enjoy!
*Serves 1 :) Go on, treat yourself!
Baked tortilla chips:
Ready made corn tortillas
Olive oil
Sea salt
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Brush olive oil on both sides of tortillas, stack them up and slice into sixths. Arrange single layer on baking sheet, lightly sprinkle with the sea salt, pop into the oven and take them out when the edges have curled up and the chips are golden brown. Enjoy and congratulate yourself on your ingenuity :)
