Salads Archives - Gluggable

BROCCOLI SALAD

If “desperately holding on to summer, but also loving the autumn” was a recipe, our Broccoli Salad is an easy multi-seasonal marvel that’s ideal for late summer BBQs or a Thanksgiving feast.

And though we call it a salad, it more-than-satisfies as a vegetable side dish, especially at big celebrations. Since it benefits from extra time in the fridge, you can make it ahead of time and not have to worry about cooking times, stovetop availability, or oven space. None of that stress – just fresh, satisfying, crunchy deliciousness.

Serves 6-8

For the dressing
2/3 cup good mayonnaise
1 tablespoon white vinegar
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

For the salad
5 cups broccoli florets (from about 2 crowns)
4 spring onions, finely sliced
6 strips cooked bacon, chopped
1 cup grated cheddar cheese, preferably extra old – plus more for serving

In a small bowl, mix together dressing ingredients and set aside.
In a large serving bowl, add the broccoli florets (chop up any overly large florets; you’re going for bite-sized pieces here) followed by the chopped bacon and most of the cheese.
Pour over the dressing and toss together until everything is well-coated.
Cover and refrigerate for an hour or two to allow the flavours to combine and for creamy dressing to penetrate the broccoli (that sounds lascivious, but you know what we mean).
Before serving, add another sprinkling of grated cheese on top.

GREEK SALAD

When I was a youngster, growing up in Unionville, Ontario, my mom and dad taught me how to make this recipe I think mainly so they could invite friends over, sit on the deck with a California Cooler or two (yes, it was the 80s) while the kids cooked in the kitchen. Oh the 80’s! But, you know what, I was always happy to be delegated to kitchen duty.

Today, this recipe reminds me of happy childhood summertime memories and allows my imagination to take me to the shores of the Greek Isles where the days are long and the sun sets long over the horizon. It’s also part of a healthy Mediterranean diet which wasn’t really a thing in the 80’s, but today our waistlines are thankful for it. (Welcome mid-40’s . . . you’re just around the corner!)

This recipe is completely open to your interpretation which is why I love it so much. There are so many ways to personalize it to suit your taste. Not a fan of fresh oregano, use dry. Prefer lemon juice over red wine vinegar, that’s okay too. I encourage you to play around with the quantities of all the ingredients until it’s just right for you! (Truth be told, the day we photographed this recipe, I forgot the kalamata olives – so if you like those, please add in as many as you like. A lot of people don’t love olives and this recipe definitely doesn’t require them so you can “forget” to buy them.)

Once all is prepped and made, it’s time to snap open a cider or pour another crisp glass of sauvignon blanc (or retsina if you really want to transport to Greece) to accompany the fresh ingredients that go into our version of the classic Greek Salad. Oh and any remaining salad tastes even better on day two! Have fun cooking!

For the dressing
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon white vinegar
1 tablespoon oregano (fresh if available)
1 to 2 garlic cloves, minced

1 large English cucumber, diced
4 to 6 tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1 large green bell pepper, chopped
1 red onion, chopped roughly
300g Feta cheese, diced or roughly crumbled
Salt and pepper

Make the dressing: In a large bowl that will hold the salad, combine extra virgin olive oil, red wine vinegar, white vinegar, oregano, garlic and whisk until combined (don’t worry about emulsifying the oil and vinegar – it all works out in the end)
Add all ingredients to the dressing and toss
Add salt and pepper to taste

Recipe created by Gluggable.

CAPRESE SALAD

It was the end of a very long day after a run of even longer days. I was in Milan acting as the food and beverage manager for an Olympic Games hospitality program. It was my first contract as an independent event planner and I felt on top of the world. Sure, my feet were tired, my head hurt from all the hustle and bustle, but I didn’t have a care in the world. I had one job to do. To ensure our guests had exceptional food and beverage experiences every step of the way on their personalized Olympic Games journey.

That night, I remember sitting on the edge of my bed, exhausted, clicking through the channels on a little TV that was perched on top of a dark wood dresser. Of course, every program was in Italian so trying to find a show to watch was really an exercise in futility. I had a rare night off and, caught up in the energy and excitement of the Games, I was so excited and wasn’t able to catch up on needed rest so I went for a run on the hotel’s one treadmill in a tiny exercise room with a low ceiling and mirrored walls on the top floor of the hotel and finally started to settle into the rare downtime.

Back in the room (already well past 10pm), post run, feeling less hyper and more at ease, I picked up the phone, fumbled my way through the few Italian words (mainly food-related) I knew and ended up ordering a caprese salad and a Coca-Cola from the kitchen. When it arrived at my door, I sat on the bed in my white hotel robe and devoured the salad, enjoying every bite like I was experiencing the dish for the first time.

Sure, I was in Italy so maybe everything just tasted better, but I remember the tomatoes being the perfect ripeness, the whole basil leaves gorgeously bright green and the cheese thickly sliced (not skimpy) all drenched in a slightly spicy freshly pressed olive oil with just the right amount of crunchy crystalized sea salt.

Heaven.

The ice cold and super sweet bottle of Coca-Cola (wine would have worked if it wasn’t only hours before I needed to get up again for another Olympic-sized day of work) washed everything down sublimely.

The Caprese Salad has and always will be one of my favourite dishes to eat ever. Hands down. Now here’s the weird thing. I don’t like fresh tomatoes. Never have. Sure, I love the idea of them and I love to grow them in my vegetable garden, but there’s something about the texture and flavour I’m not a fan of. Until you add fresh basil, fresh mozzarella, good olive oil and salt. Something MAGIC happens. The combination works so well and no matter where I am, enjoying a caprese salad is one of my life’s greatest pleasures. To me, this dish is pure and simple happiness.

Originally, the recipe was created as an ode to Italy as reflected in the tri-colour combination of the recipe’s ingredients – red, green and white – the three colours of the Italian flag. Additions to the recipe happen, from pesto to balsamic vinegar. But for me, I’m more of a purist when it comes to this salad and prefer not adding anything on top. That being said, the acidity and sweetness from balsamic isn’t a bad thing, I just prefer it without. I’d avoid pesto and let the fresh basil stand out unadulterated.

So try this recipe for the first time and make your own incredible memories or revisit it, closing your eyes as you enjoy every last bite transporting you back to your own happy memories of enjoying this recipe. Wherever you were at the time. Saluti! Trevor

4 vine-ripened tomatoes
2 large balls of fresh mozzarella
8 to 10 large basil leaves
Salt (preferably Maldon)
Extra virgin olive oil

Admittedly these directions aren’t rigid. Everyone has their own style when it comes to making this salad and sometimes our style changes depending on our mood. We like the mozzarella sliced most of the time, but sometimes it’s fun to tear off chunks and serve the salad more rustic, etc.