The Tunnel Cocktail (from Cravan, Paris)

Note: Join me and Franck as he mixes up this Tunnel cocktail today on my IG Apéro Hour, live from…Cravan! Join us at 6pm CET, Noon ET, and 9am PT. Go to my Instagram profile at that time and click on my profile picture when there is a red circle around it, which means we are live. You can also watch us in replay on…

Note: Join me and Franck as he mixes up this Tunnel cocktail today on my IG Apéro Hour, live from…Cravan! Join us at 6pm CET, Noon ET, and 9am PT. Go to my Instagram profile at that time and click on my profile picture when there is a red circle around it, which means we are live. You can also watch us in replay on my IGTV channel. More information about how to tune in, and watch live, as well as in replay, here.

One of my favorite spots in Paris is Cravan. It’s not right in the middle of town, nor is it in the popular St. Germain area, or the trendy 10th or 11th arrondissements. But a few métro stops is all it takes to find yourself at one of the loveliest little outposts in the city.

Continue Reading The Tunnel Cocktail (from Cravan, Paris)...

May Daisy cocktail

Note: I’ll be making this May Daisy cocktail today on my IG Live Apéro Hour. Join me at 6pm CET, Noon ET, and 9am PT. Go to my Instagram profile at that time and click on my profile picture when there is a red circle around it, which means I am live. You can also watch it in replay on my IGTV channel. More information…

Note: I’ll be making this May Daisy cocktail today on my IG Live Apéro Hour. Join me at 6pm CET, Noon ET, and 9am PT. Go to my Instagram profile at that time and click on my profile picture when there is a red circle around it, which means I am live. You can also watch it in replay on my IGTV channel. More information about how to tune in, and watch live, as well as in replay, here.

And before we know it, it’s May. After this lockdown is over, which is planned to unfold in France on Monday, I realize I’m going to have to go back and rewrite all the posts I wrote during the last few months as in the future, people will read them and wonder what the heck I am talking about when I say “lockdown,” “confinement,” and “shelter in place.”

Continue Reading May Daisy cocktail...

Perfect Italian Salad

This classic Italian salad is your soul mate side dish! It features crisp veggies, crunchy croutons, tangy pepperoncini, and a punchy homemade dressing. Here’s a great salad that’s simply perfection, in our books. Meet this Italian salad! It’s full of all the right flavors and textures: crisp lettuce, crunchy garlic croutons, and zingy pepperoncini. It’s covered in punchy, herby Italian vinaigrette that makes the flavors sing! And shaved Parmesan seals the deal. It can play sidekick to just about anything. It’s no secret: this salad is staunchly Italian-American, not a classic Italian recipe. But that’s what we love about it! What you need for the best Italian salad Perhaps you’ve had a salad like this at an Italian American restaurant (the nostalgia factor is one thing Alex and I love about it). Somehow all the components come together into perfect harmony. Here’s what you need to make the best Italian salad…or really, the best salad: Crisp greens: Use contrasting greens for variety: we like crunchy romaine and bright green butter lettuce. Tomato & red onion: The veggies bring color and crunch. Olives & pepperoncini: This is what brings that classic “Italian salad” vibe: tangy, briny, and zingy flavors. Do not […]

A Couple Cooks – Healthy, Whole Food, & Vegetarian Recipes

This classic Italian salad is your soul mate side dish! It features crisp veggies, crunchy croutons, tangy pepperoncini, and a punchy homemade dressing.

Italian salad

Here’s a great salad that’s simply perfection, in our books. Meet this Italian salad! It’s full of all the right flavors and textures: crisp lettuce, crunchy garlic croutons, and zingy pepperoncini. It’s covered in punchy, herby Italian vinaigrette that makes the flavors sing! And shaved Parmesan seals the deal. It can play sidekick to just about anything. It’s no secret: this salad is staunchly Italian-American, not a classic Italian recipe. But that’s what we love about it!

What you need for the best Italian salad

Perhaps you’ve had a salad like this at an Italian American restaurant (the nostalgia factor is one thing Alex and I love about it). Somehow all the components come together into perfect harmony. Here’s what you need to make the best Italian salad…or really, the best salad:

  • Crisp greens: Use contrasting greens for variety: we like crunchy romaine and bright green butter lettuce.
  • Tomato & red onion: The veggies bring color and crunch.
  • Olives & pepperoncini: This is what brings that classic “Italian salad” vibe: tangy, briny, and zingy flavors. Do not omit!
  • Parmesan shavings (optional): Thick slices of Parmesan make a savory counterpoint; they’re easy to omit for a vegan salad.
  • Italian dressing: The dressing brings a punch that only homemade dressing can.
  • Garlic croutons: Crunchy, garlicky and totally worth the time to make!
Italian salad

Tricks for Italian salad dressing

A few tricks for the Italian salad dressing! This dressing is one of our favorites, and it comes together quickly. The only thing you need to know is how to get the perfect emulsion. Emulsion is when the olive oil and vinegar combine into a creamy liquid, versus separating into their separate parts. Here’s what to remember:

  • Use a medium sized bowl. Whisk in too small a bowl, and you won’t be able to get the whisking motion large enough to get an emulsion.
  • Pour the oil in 1 tablespoon at a time. Drizzle in the oil gradually and whisk vigorously before adding more. This makes it combine perfectly!
Italian Dressing Recipe

Why make homemade croutons?

Not everyone has time for homemade croutons. But they only take a few minutes of hands on time, and take this Italian salad to the next level! It’s a great way to use up bread that’s starting to get stale. All you’ll need is 15 minutes to bake (and the oven preheat time). The garlic flavor and the massive crunch is absolutely worth the time. Another reason to make homemade? They have no preservatives, and they don’t overdo it on the salt.

You can also make the croutons in advance. Just store them in a sealed container at room temperature until serving. They last for about 1 week, but are best when fresh. You can absolutely omit for a gluten-free salad and it still tastes great.

Italian salad

Ways to serve Italian salad

This Italian salad is perfect with Mediterranean or Italian-style foods like pizza and pasta. You can even make it into a main dish! Here’s what we recommend:

This Italian salad recipe is…

Vegetarian. For vegan, plant-based, and dairy-free, omit the Parmesan cheese. For gluten-free, omit the croutons.

Print
Italian salad

Perfect Italian Salad


1 Star2 Stars3 Stars4 Stars5 Stars (8 votes, average: 4.63 out of 5)

  • Author: Sonja Overhiser
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 0 minutes
  • Total Time: 15 minutes
  • Yield: 4 to 6
  • Diet: Vegan

Description

This classic Italian salad is your soul mate side dish! It features crisp veggies, crunchy croutons, tangy pepperoncini, and a punchy homemade dressing.


Ingredients

  • 1/2 recipe Homemade Croutons (or use purchased or omit for gluten-free)
  • 1 recipe Homemade Italian Dressing
  • 1 Romaine heart (3 cups)
  • 5 cups butter lettuce
  • 1 handful sliced red onion
  • 1/2 cup sliced cherry tomatoes
  • 1/2 cup sliced black olives (or halved olives)
  • 1/2 cup jarred sliced pepperoncini
  • 1/4 cup large Parmesan shavings (omit for vegan)

Instructions

  1. Make the homemade croutons (or make them in advance). 
  2. Make the Italian dressing.
  3. Chop romaine and lettuce. Thinly slice the red onion. Slice the tomatoes in half. 
  4. Place the greens in bowls, then top with the vegetables, olives, pepperoncini, Parmesan shavings, and croutons, then drizzle with dressing. Or, you can place them all together in a large serving bowl and toss with the dressing. (If making in advance, refrigerate the components separately and keep the croutons at room temperature. Bring the dressing to room temperature before serving.)

  • Category: Salad
  • Method: Raw
  • Cuisine: Italian American

Keywords: Italian salad

More perfect green salads

There are so many tasty green salads to try! Here are some favorites:

A Couple Cooks - Healthy, Whole Food, & Vegetarian Recipes

The Long Hello

Note: I’ll be making this The Long Hello cocktail today on my IG Live Apéro Hour, which will also feature Romain making the classic French Salade de carottes râpées, grated carrot salad. Join us at 6pm CET, Noon ET, and 9am PT. Go to my Instagram profile at that time and click on my profile picture when there is a red circle around it, which…

Note: I’ll be making this The Long Hello cocktail today on my IG Live Apéro Hour, which will also feature Romain making the classic French Salade de carottes râpées, grated carrot salad. Join us at 6pm CET, Noon ET, and 9am PT. Go to my Instagram profile at that time and click on my profile picture when there is a red circle around it, which means we are live. You can also watch it in replay on my IGTV channel. More information about how to tune in and watch live, and in replay, here.

This elegant sipper is the creation of Damon Boelte, who is the head bartender and co-owner of Grand Army bar and restaurant in Brooklyn. Not only is Damon a great bartender, but he has a particular knack for naming cocktails. This one is based on an experimental music album (Damon is also a musician), although I like to think it got its name because it’s so good…you don’t want to say goodbye to it!

Continue Reading The Long Hello...

The Algonquin cocktail

When I rediscovered cocktails a while back, rye whiskey was the spirit that reeled me in. I loved its spicy, smoky notes and each one I tried was different than the others. Here, in the Algonquin cocktail, the rye is mixed with fruity pineapple juice, which gives it a suggestion of the tropics, but the whiskey brings it back to the “serious” category. But not…

When I rediscovered cocktails a while back, rye whiskey was the spirit that reeled me in. I loved its spicy, smoky notes and each one I tried was different than the others. Here, in the Algonquin cocktail, the rye is mixed with fruity pineapple juice, which gives it a suggestion of the tropics, but the whiskey brings it back to the “serious” category. But not too much.

Continue Reading The Algonquin cocktail...

Bronx Cocktail

Not as famous as its “other borough” cousin, the Manhattan, the Bronx is a fruitier, lighter alternative to the rough-and-tumbler whiskey-based cocktail. However one sip and you may find yourself visiting the Bronx a little more often!
Con…

Not as famous as its “other borough” cousin, the Manhattan, the Bronx is a fruitier, lighter alternative to the rough-and-tumbler whiskey-based cocktail. However one sip and you may find yourself visiting the Bronx a little more often!

Continue Reading Bronx Cocktail...

The Alaska Cocktail

[Note: If you’re interested in learning more about Chartreuse, tune into my Instagram Live today, April 24th, at 6pm CET, Noon ET, 9am PT. I’ll be joined my Charteuse expert Tim Master and he’ll be answering questions and making this cocktail. Because of the split-screen format, this Live session can’t be archived for replay – so tune in live (here’s how) to watch!] While green…

[Note: If you’re interested in learning more about Chartreuse, tune into my Instagram Live today, April 24th, at 6pm CET, Noon ET, 9am PT. I’ll be joined my Charteuse expert Tim Master and he’ll be answering questions and making this cocktail. Because of the split-screen format, this Live session can’t be archived for replay – so tune in live (here’s how) to watch!]

While green Chartreuse has been around for nearly four hundred years, Yellow Chartreuse is a relative newcomer, introduced in 1840. While it’s lower in alcohol than green Chartreuse, it too comes by its color naturally. It’s a touch sweeter and milder in taste than green Chartreuse, so it works well in cocktails where a little sweetness would be called for. Rumor has it the yellow color is because saffron is added, as is honey, but no one will reveal or confirm any of the ingredients in Chartreuse. Where Chartreuse jaune shines brightly in the Alaska cocktail, this bracing mix of gin, orange bitters, and yellow Chartreuse.

Continue Reading The Alaska Cocktail...

The Spring Supper Salad

Greetings, friends! For fun I am resurrecting one of the blog posts I wrote back in 2010 – a warm butter bean salad bowl, garlic-roasted carrots and wild rice. Why I am re-publishing a decade-old recipe? Well, for one I thought that there are a…

The post The Spring Supper Salad appeared first on My New Roots.

Greetings, friends! For fun I am resurrecting one of the blog posts I wrote back in 2010 – a warm butter bean salad bowl, garlic-roasted carrots and wild rice. Why I am re-publishing a decade-old recipe? Well, for one I thought that there are a bunch of new followers around here who have never even seen this delight (hello, by the way)! Second, most of you who have been here since the beginning may have forgotten about it. Third, it’s the ideal pantry staple recipe. And lastly, because it’s very, very delicious. Creamy butter beans, golden garlic-y carrots coins, chewy wild rice, crisp and bright pickled onions, silky kale, and refreshing dill, all coming together with a lick-your-lips mustardy dressing that is divine on just about everything – this salad and beyond.

I’ve also re-named it the Spring Supper Salad because it’s the perfect seasonal transition meal (yea baby, it’s definitely a meal) incorporating both winter and spring produce and flavours, as we make our way into the light of the upswing! Hooray!

This recipe brings back so many memories for me. It was around this time that I had been working in restaurants in Copenhagen for about 3 years. I loved my job, and could hardly believe that someone actually paid me to spend all day in a hot, cramped kitchen, cooking a dozen new dishes every day without a menu or recipes – definitely still in the honeymoon phase. I felt confident in the food I was making, applying my deep understanding of nutrition to recipe development, and I used every day to push myself creatively, keenly aware of how fast I was learning and growing. I was certainly in the vortex, and it was a very exciting time of my life. 

I started my shift around 8 am, and the majority of my dishes needed to be ready at 12 noon when we opened the doors for lunch. This is a relatively short window of time to pump out 200 servings of anything, but after some years, I developed short cuts that would deliver a lot of flavour in a hurry. One of these short cuts, was garlic oil – the first thing I would make after tying my apron strings, that would act as a marinade, a roasting medium, and a base for soups, stews, dressings and sauces for the entire day. In fact, I don’t think that there were many dishes coming off of my station that didn’t have garlic in them back then (such an easy way to make things taste good!). This oil sat on my bench and it got tossed into all the things, and all the people kept coming back for more. 

One thing I loved using the garlic oil on, was winter veggies. I could toss them in said liquid gold, crank up the oven, and in half an hour, I’d have a blistered, glistening pile of roasted rainbow roots to serve, only needing a squeeze of lemon juice and a smattering of fresh herbs to make it presentable. Who wouldn’t want to dive into that?! Plus, it was cheap. Like most restaurants, we were always looking at the bottom line and how we could make even the most humble foods taste exquisite. Garlic oil was the ticket. 

At the restaurant, my signature move was combining veggies, grains, and beans in exciting ways (which was very novel at the time!) so this dish emerged from a commercial oven’s worth of garlic-roasted carrots needing a home. With some tender and creamy butter beans coming off the stove, and some day-old, steamed wild rice calling out to me from the fridge, this combination came together very organically, taking the varied textures, colours, and flavours into consideration. 

The secret to this dish is the consistency of the garlic in the oil. Different from mincing garlic and adding it to oil, here you must must must grate it or blend it up together so it becomes almost paste-like. This way, the garlic goes everywhere the oil does, and evenly caramelizes into the most divine, delectable gold, that’s mellow and sweet and roast-y. You will not hate it.

Stop! Fiber time.

Fiber is probably the least sexy and alluring of all the nutrients we hear about. It’s all about Protein! Fat! And if you hear about carbohydrates, it’s probably something ignorant and unfair (I really hate jerks picking on macronutrients, back off!). Fiber seems pretty boring and something only your grandmother cares about, so why do you need to?  

One reason that plant-rich diets are so health-sustaining, is not only due to their high fiber content, but their potential for fiber diversity. In the past, fiber has been broken down into two main categories: soluble and insoluble. What’s new and exciting in this field of research, is that we can see that fiber can be broken down into several more categories (viscous, non-viscous, non-starch polysaccharides, resistant starches etc.) each one bringing forth the potential for diversified food sources for our gut bacteria. In short, the greater the diversity of plants we eat, the greater the diversity of our microbiome. 

Why does this matter? Because our gut is the foundation for our overall health. If we’ve got a wide range of troops on the front lines of our immune system, the better our chances are for not just surviving, but thriving. The fiber we eat also feeds our good bacteria, and specific types of fiber feed specific types of bacteria. Enjoy eating the widest variety of plants you can, to ensure that you’re supporting the widest variety of good guys in your digestive system. They will repay you in spades I’m tellin’ ya! 

The foods with the highest amounts of fiber are beans and lentils, vegetables, fruits, grains, and nuts and seeds (remember that there is no fiber in animal-based foods). Different proportions of soluble, insoluble fiber, as well as viscous / non-viscous fiber, and fermentable fiber can be found in all of these food groups, it is highly recommended that you eat from each of them. And instead of focusing on grams (the minimum daily recommended intake is a measly 25g, not that we’re talking about that…), we need to focus on diversity. Enjoy as many plant-based foods as you can, and experience the terrain of your body slowly begin to change. Everything comes back to the gut, and not just what you are eating, but what your gut-bacteria are eating too.

With this dish, you’ll be feeding those good guys with fiber from six different plants! Talk about a solid mix. Beans, whole grains, 3 different veggies, plus herbs, add up to serious fiber diversity. Good, good, good fiberations! 😉

The fun thing about revisiting this recipe, was seeing if there was anything I would change this time around. I have learned so much and grown incredibly as a cook in the past ten years, so I was surprised that I didn’t have many tweaks to make. The only two things I felt this salad needed was a dark leafy green and a pickle – classic Sarah B moves at this point! Since we still don’t have any spring greens happening yet, I decided kale was the winner, and obviously it needed to be massaged! I turned the red onions in the original recipe into a quick pickle, as this is another indispensable kitchen technique that I’ve learned since posting the first time around.

This salad-meal has everything you need and crave from a single bowl: it’s super flavourful and filling, with all of the textures in the mix to satisfy your noshing desires. The elements can all be made separately, even on separate days, if it seems like too many things to cook at once for a single dish. If you go the rollover route, boil the beans and rice a day or so before (and make extra while you’re at it, because meal prep is for winners), and pickle the onions up to a week ahead. The kale can be prepped / massaged a day or so in advance, but the carrots should be roasted right before serving. 

If you don’t have butter beans, any white bean would work (navy, cannellini, Great Northern, or baby lima beans are some varieties) and if you want to switch up the grain, any kind of rice would work – even millet or quinoa would be delicious! Instead of carrots, use any root veg you have kicking around your crisper: beets, sweet potato, turnip, or winter squash would taste great in the garlic oil. And if dill isn’t the herb of your dreams, try substituting it with flat-leaf parsley, cilantro, basil, or tarragon. 

I really hope you enjoy this delicious and satisfying meal soon. These days are asking so much of us, and I continue to come back to the kitchen for grounding, clarity, and connection. There are no answers, just presence. And in that presence I find myself over a cutting board, being grateful for just what is front of me, slicing a carrot, then another, saying thank you for simple things.

Love to you all. Stay well and safe out there.
xo, Sarah B

The post The Spring Supper Salad appeared first on My New Roots.

Cranzac Cookies

When the lockdown was announced about a month ago, I thought of all the great things I would finally be able to do. I would finally tackle those five- to seven-season tv series that everyone told me that I just had to watch, that require a hundred-hour commitment to get through them. (Breaking Bad and The Wire, I’m looking at you…) I would have the…

When the lockdown was announced about a month ago, I thought of all the great things I would finally be able to do. I would finally tackle those five- to seven-season tv series that everyone told me that I just had to watch, that require a hundred-hour commitment to get through them. (Breaking Bad and The Wire, I’m looking at you…) I would have the time to go through all those folders of paperwork that pile up like a fallen cheerleader formation when you live somewhere where paperwork is as common (but not as welcome) as wine.

Or I might finally tackle The Goldfinch (769 pages) or finish A Little Life. I only made it to page 30 (of 720 pages) of the latter before my brain felt like an Escher print.

Yet none of those things have happened. I ended up launching a daily Apéro Hour on my Instagram IGTV channel and found myself doing a lot more cooking and baking and writing. I try to squeeze in a little exercise either following videos on YouTube or taking online Pilates classes, and ended up revisiting some vintage recipes, including my variation of one by Marcella Hazan. But I dug into my own personal cookbook archives to make these Cranzac Cookies, and I almost wish I didn’t, because I could not stop eating them. Continue Reading Cranzac Cookies...

Cosmopolitan Cocktails and Roasted Nuts with Rosemary

I’ve had my blog for a while, over twenty years now, and one of the first recipes I posted on it was for a Cosmopolitan cocktail. Back then, in the 1990s, Cosmopolitans were still the rage. Much of it was due to Sex in the City, where they were the drink of choice for four women who were close friends, trying to find their way…

I’ve had my blog for a while, over twenty years now, and one of the first recipes I posted on it was for a Cosmopolitan cocktail. Back then, in the 1990s, Cosmopolitans were still the rage. Much of it was due to Sex in the City, where they were the drink of choice for four women who were close friends, trying to find their way in New York City, navigating through boyfriends, parties, careers, and cocktail bars. During their get-togethers, the cocktail of choice was always a round of Cosmos.

Roasted Nuts with Rosemary

The cocktail become somewhat of a cliché and faded from popularity as the craft cocktail movement elbowed in. But everyone once in a while, I still like a Cosmopolitan.

Continue Reading Cosmopolitan Cocktails and Roasted Nuts with Rosemary...