Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Warm Cobb Salad

After our 70s weather yesterday, we're hovering in the high 40s early this morning. We live in Ohio after all, which boasts the following official weather motto: "If you don't like the weather, wait 5 minutes and it will change."

Keeping this in mind, and knowing that Ohio is far from the only state in the Union that features changing weather, this salad is custom made for a March or April dinner.

I came up with this idea for a warm Cobb Salad after SPH had been requesting one in February but made the statement, "this isn't exactly salad weather." It features a yummy warm dressing and as with so many of my favorite family recipes, it can be altered to suit all sorts of kids' tastes.

G loves, loves a good salad, and is happy munching away on anything with greens. R? Not so much. So I lower the amount of salad greens, and up the vegetables he likes, along with the hard boiled egg and cheese I know he loves.

Warm Cobb Salad

Warm Dressing
:
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup red onion, minced
1/2 cup rice wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar
3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
4 cups shredded red cabbage
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

Salad:
8 cups Bibb or Boston lettuce
1 cup shredded carrots
2 tomatoes, diced
8 hard boiled eggs
4 slices bacon, crumbled
1/2 cup bleu cheese crumbles
diced turkey or chicken (optional)
other options: cheddar cheese, sliced cucumbers, sliced peppers, croutons

In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium high heat. Add the onion and cook 4-5 minutes or until the onions begin to wilt. Add the vinegar and mustard, stir well. Add the cabbage, salt and pepper. Cover and cook about 10 minutes, or until the cabbage wilts. Keep the mixture covered and remove from heat.

Meanwhile, arrange the greens and other salad components amongst 4-6 servings. Top with 1/2 cup of the cabbage mixture* and toss.

Serves 4-6.



*Cabbage for a salad dressing? The oil, vinegar and mustard are the real "dressing" of this salad, but the cabbage serves as a great vehicle to get the dressing on the salad. The cabbage becomes almost sweet as it braises in the dressing components. Really.

SPC

1 comment:

Mom of 12 said...

That looks so yummy! I have a hard time getting my 12 kids to eat vegetables and the boys are harder than the girls...although my 2-year-old loves beans, any kind of beans. I recently started a blog and we are including a recipe day every Thursday. Please stop by and let me know what you think. Leave me a comment so I know you were there. Thanks!
Sandy
www.twelvemakesadozen.blogspot.com