Because Sunday night's dinner was such a heavy one I was feeling the need to lighten up for the week in hopes of finding some more room in my skirts and pants around the zipper and button area ;) SO I made the decision to make this week's theme 'Salads'...but I really didn't want to just stick to the old standbys?
Usually when I decide to do a salad week I toss a (pun intended) ceaser salad and butternut squash salad and maybe a sushi salad in the mix because they're family favorites, this week however I wanted to try all new recipes and expand the repertoire a bit... so to my favorite cooking website I went and found several interesting and new (to me) salad ideas and planned our dinners!
Monday I made a lovely calamari salad with fresh calamari, red onion, kalamata olives, cherry tomatoes and a lemony dressing..it was very nice, but even BETTER the next day for lunch! Tuesday I made a lentil salad with goat cheese and garlic grilled shrimp, it was also enjoyable and made me want to do more with lentils...I seem to think of them only served soup style with sausage but they are such a nice hearty choice for cold salads and really can go with SO many different flavors!!
Onto last night...I had planned on making an escarole and roasted broccoli salad with an anchovy dressing recipe I had found and thought looked good but to be honest when it came time for dinner I was so hungry the thought of it kinda bored me... I even briefly contemplated taking the kids out to eat since my hubby had texted me that he was going to be home late!
I ho hummed around the kitchen for a bit and tried to talk my hungry self into cooperating with my wanting my pants to fit looser self and then in a fit of annoyance I chopped the broccoli up and slid it in the oven desperately craving and wishing instead we had something melty, cheesy, meaty or just plain fatty awaiting our dinner plates!!
I assembled the rest of the salad not expecting much and tried to talk myself into the concept of food as fuel and not for the sheer enjoyment that eating brings to me and as I plated our overly green looking dinner I honestly wasn't expecting much.
BOY was I wrong!!
Not to become one of those annoying women who sing the praises of a salad ;) but it was amazing!! The roasted broccoli took on an almost meaty flavor, the escarole was nutty and fresh and the anchovy dressing had just the right amount of zesty lemoneyness that with the shaved ramano cheese on top gave it a richness that made it all work together so beautifully that I couldn't stop going on about how good it was!! The kids finally told me to calm down as they got tired of my fussing over a salad...but it seriously was THAT good!
I have vowed that I will NOT judge a recipe by what appears to be it's overly healthfullness and/or boringness again!
http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/escarole-and-roasted-broccoli-salad-with-anchovy-dressing
Peace and salad week!
-V
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