Enjoy salad? Then why not turn it into a main dish? Here, Patricia Wells shares two delicious salad and dressing recipes, all from her new cookbook, “Salad as a Meal: Healthy Main-Dish Salads for Every Season.”
Recipe: Crab salad with lime and avocado and creamy lemon-chive dressing (on this page)
Chicken salad with green beans
1. Prepare a large bowl of ice water.
2. Fill the pasta pot with 3 quarts of water and bring it to a rolling boil over high heat.
Add the salt and the beans and blanch until crisp-tender, about 5 minutes. (Cooking time will vary according to the size and tenderness of the beans.) Immediately remove the colander from the water, letting the water drain from the beans. Plunge the beans into the ice water so they cool down as quickly as possible. (The beans will cool in 1 to 2 minutes. If you leave them longer, they will become soggy and begin to lose flavor.) Drain the beans and wrap them in a thick kitchen towel to dry. (Store the beans in the towel in the refrigerator for up to 4 hours.)
3. In a large bowl, combine the beans, chicken, and celery. Toss to blend. Add just enough dressing to coat the ingredients lightly and evenly. Add the cilantro and toss again. Taste for seasoning. At serving time, season with pepper.
Tahini-lemon-yogurt dressing
In the food processor or blender, mince the garlic. Add the tahini, yogurt, lemon juice, and salt and puree to blend. Taste for seasoning. The dressing can be used immediately. (Store the dressing in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Shake to blend again before using).
Equipment: A 5-quart pasta pot fitted with a colander, a small jar with a lid
Wine suggestion: This salad calls for a slightly exotic wine. I never tire of the unique, spicy flavors and aromas of Austria's flagship white wine, Grüner Veltliner.
Salad: 4 servings, Dressing: 1 cup
Crab salad with lime and avocado
1. In a large bowl, combine the crabmeat and citrus zest and toss with just enough dressing to lightly coat the crabmeat. Taste for seasoning.
2. In another bowl, combine the bell pepper, celery, cilantro, and Red Hot Salt and toss with just enough dressing to lightly coat the vegetables. Taste for seasoning.Combine the contents of the two bowls, mixing gently to blend.
3. Mound the salad in the center of the dinner plates. Arrange the avocado slices around the salads. Serve with the toast.
Creamy lemon-chive dressing
In the jar, combine the lemon juice and salt. Cover with the lid and shake to dissolve the salt. Add the cream, chives, and lemon zest. Shake to blend. Taste for seasoning. The dressing can be used immediately. (Store the dressing in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Shake to blend again before using.)
Equipment: 4 chilled large dinner plates, a small jar with a lid
Wine suggestion: The last time I prepared this salad we had it with a mineral-rich Riesling, the Domaine Ostertag Clos Mathis.
Will the dressing curdle?
Given the right circumstances, such as the addition of acids or heat, any milk or cream product will curdle (meaning the curd protein coagulates and forms clumps). The greater the fat content of the milk or cream, the more it will resist curdling. I use a light cream with a 12% fat content, much like what is also called half-and-half, and have never had a problem with curdling when adding lemon juice to the cream.
Salad: 4 servings, Dressing: 1 1/4 cups
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