Salads

Mixed Asian Salad with Macadamia Nuts

1. 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
2. 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
3. 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
4. 1 tablespoon soy sauce
5. 2 teaspoons honey
6. 1 teaspoon finely grated fresh ginger
7. 1 teaspoon Asian sesame oil
8. 1 large garlic clove, minced
9. 1/2 teaspoon Sriracha chili sauce or other hot chili sauce
10. 1/4 cup vegetable oil
11. Salt and freshly ground pepper
12. 1/2 cup macadamia nuts (3 ounces)
13. 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
14. 3/4 pound baby Asian greens or mesclun (18 cups)
15. One 3-ounce package enoki mushrooms, trimmed and separated   
    1. In a blender, combine the mayonnaise, rice and white wine vinegars, soy sauce, honey, ginger, sesame oil, garlic and chili sauce and process to mix. With the machine on, blend in the vegetable oil in a thin stream. Scrape the dressing into a small bowl and season with salt and pepper.
    2. In a medium skillet, toast the macadamia nuts over moderately low heat, shaking the skillet, until the nuts are a deep golden brown, 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer the nuts to a plate to cool. Add the sesame seeds to the skillet and toast until a deep golden brown, about 3 minutes. Transfer the sesame seeds to a plate to cool. Coarsely chop the macadamia nuts.
    3. In a very large bowl, toss the baby Asian greens with the enoki mushrooms. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss well. Scatter the toasted macadamia nuts and sesame seeds all over the salad and toss briefly once more. Serve the salad at once.  

Beet Salad with Candied Marcona Almonds

1. 2 1/2 pounds medium red or golden beets, scrubbed and trimmed
2. 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3. 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
4. 2 tablespoons sugar
5. 1 tablespoon light corn syrup
6. Salt
7. Pinch of cayenne pepper
8. 1 cup marcona almonds
9. 1/2 cup fresh tangerine juice
10. 2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
11. 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
12. 1 tablespoon minced shallots
13. 1 small head of frisée (4 ounces), torn into bite-size pieces
14. Young pecorino cheese 
    
    
    
    1. Preheat the oven to 350°. In a large baking dish, toss the beets with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Cover with foil and bake for 1 1/2 hours, or until tender. When cool enough to handle, peel the beets and cut them into 1/2-inch wedges.
    2. Meanwhile, line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and lightly butter the paper. In a medium saucepan, combine the 1 tablespoon of butter with the sugar, corn syrup and a pinch each of salt and cayenne and bring to a boil, stirring, to dissolve the sugar. Add the almonds and stir until evenly coated with the syrup. Scrape the almonds onto the parchment-lined baking sheet in an even layer. Bake with the beets for about 12 minutes, until golden and bubbling. Let the nuts cool for about 25 minutes, then break into small clusters.
    3. In a small saucepan, simmer the tangerine juice over moderate heat until reduced to 2 tablespoons, about 15 minutes. Let cool, then transfer to a large bowl. Whisk in the vinegar, mustard and shallots. Gradually whisk in the remaining 1/2 cup of olive oil and season the dressing with salt. Add the beets and frisée and toss.
    4. Transfer the salad to a platter or bowl. Garnish with the candied almonds, shave the pecorino on top and serve.