Recipe idea: Turn your favorite appetizer into a salad
Snacks and small plates are my favorite way to eat. My most beloved dishes are appetizers. When I have leftover ingredients or a craving, I “saladize” those apps!
Background
I enjoyed this video about go-to appetizers from Bon Appétit Test Kitchen Talks series. I was intrigued by the stuffed dates. I had the ingredients on hand, so I made them. They were fab, but I was the only one who loved them, so what to do with the extra ingredients? I mean, a second and third round was a possibility, but for only me? Also, not really a quick and easy lunch. So I made a salad version instead. Simpler. Lovely.
Will it salad?
There are plenty of appetizers that you can “saladize” pretty easily. So, let’s play “Will it salad?”! For this game, I am talking about the leafy-green-garden salad vs the cooked-veg-or-chopped-proteins-and-cheeses-with-mayonnaise salad.
In general, if the appetizer is made of mainly unprocessed ingredients, it’ll salad.
Yes!
Goat cheese stuffed dates
These ingredients are just as delicious and frankly, less fussy, in a salad. I like cold crunchy romaine lettuce for this, though peppery baby arugula is good too. Crumble the goat cheese instead of waiting for it to come to room temp and mixing filling. Make a honey vinaigrette with some chili or crushed red pepper if you’re feeling fancy, or drizzle over the top as Kendra shows in the video.
Skip the salami or replace the salami with bacon. Switch out honey for Balsamic vinegar! Ooo! Now you’re getting into Devils on horseback territory.
Olive dip or olive tapenade with crudités
One of my go-to appetizers is a creamy mixed olive dip with parsley and lemon. The original recipe from Chowhound is no longer available (RIP Chowhound.com)
. So if you want this appetizer, you’ll have to invite me to your party.
But the same idea would work with your favorite olive tapenade, too. Instead of processing those olives, roughly chop and throw in with the lettuce and the crudité vegetables, which are now cubes instead of sticks. Mix up a creamy or vinaigrette dressing, with or without anchovy paste or anchovies (Worcestershire is a fine sub). If you already have tapenade made, it’s the base of a lovely dressing.
I mean, not a too much of a stretch to turn this one into a vegetarian Niçoise-style salad. Or not! Throw on that tuna! Add an egg!
Bruschetta
I am not providing a recipe link here, but I am referring to the familiar tomato and basil on toast rounds.
Caprese or panzanella anyone? More greens won’t hurt.
Cowboy caviar
So I add jicama for crunch, forgo the chips and eat directly from the bowl anyway, but yeah, throw it on some finely shredded lettuce or Napa cabbage. Heck yeah, crumble some corn chips on top for croutons. Why not?
… and I could go on and on. I’ll just leave a few more here: Buffalo wings, Spring rolls/Summer rolls, Shrimp cocktail
No!
There are appetizers you cannot “saladize”. And why would you try? Oysters Rockefeller, mozzarella sticks, Hormel chili dip, pigs in blankets, sweet bacon wrapped smokies, hot spinach and artichoke dip, Top the Tater or your favorite sour cream based dip and chips.
via GIPHY
References
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salad
“Why Is a Salad Called a Salad When There’s No Lettuce?” by Jessica Furniss, allrecipes.com
Image detail from Affiche Delftsche Slaolie on Wikimedia Commons