Wilted Greens Salad

Ever try cooked lettuce?

Wilted lettuce salad is fast and fun when you have a lot of greens to eat-up and empty the fridge for more. The soft, cool lettuce, hot crisp bacon and tangy-sweet dressing all come together in a veritable explosion of different but complementary textures and flavors. Making wilted lettuce salad is simple and takes very little time.

Too Much Kale left over?

Add it to the recipe below when cooking the bacon and then toss it with the salad after it cooks for a few minutes and drain well on paper towels with the bacon.

Wilted Greens Salad

 adapted from Taste of Home, Alberta McKay, Bartlesville , OK

Ingredients:

• 4 cups lettuce, washed, dried and torn 
• (optional - 1 cup kale leaves removed from rib) 
• 4 to 6 green onions, sliced 
• Cracked pepper 
• Coarse salt 
• 4 bacon slices 
• 1 1/2 tsp. vinegar 
• 1 tsp. lemon juice 
• ¼ tsp. sugar 
• 1 hardboiled egg - chopped 

 Preparation:

Put lettuce and chopped onion into a large bowl and toss them well. Sprinkle a generous amount of cracked pepper and a smaller amount of coarse salt over the lettuce and green onions and toss them again. Add chopped hard boiled egg.

Place 4 bacon slices into a frying pan and fry them over medium heat until they are crisp and completely cooked through. Put the cooked bacon onto a paper-towel-lined plate to drain. (Now is the time to add and cook kale and drain it too on paper towels)

Turn the heat up under the bacon drippings until they start to sizzle. Add the vinegar, lemon juice and sugar and stir with a wooden spoon until all of the sugar is dissolved.

Crumble the bacon into the frying pan and stir, this is your hot dressing; then pour the hot dressing over the cool lettuce, onions, eggs (and optional slightly cooled fried kale), toss well, and serve.

Watermelon and Salad

adapted from The Wave @ Disney's Contemporary Resort
Serves 4

6 ounces baby lettuce leaves and chard leaves mixed (remove ribs) 

8 ounces feta cheese, crumbled 

20 pitted kalamata olives 

1/3 cup candied pecans 

2 tablespoons white vinegar 

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil 

8 (4-inch) wedges watermelon 

6 teaspoons aged balsamic vinegar, divided

Combine lettuce mix, feta cheese, olives, and candied pecans in a large bowl. Whisk together white vinegar and oil in a medium bowl. Add half of vinaigrette to lettuce mixture. Gently toss, slowly adding more vinaigrette until mixture is coated. Place 2 wedges of watermelon on each plate; evenly drizzle each with 1 1/2 teaspoons aged balsamic vinegar. Evenly distribute lettuce mixture over watermelon wedges; serve immediately.

Grilled Chicken with Rice and Fruit in Lettuce Wraps

Diners make their own wraps.  Stuff leaves of Boston lettuce with Jasmine rice and shredded Grilled Chicken tossed in a Lime Vinaigrette.  Add prepared herbs, veggies and fruit.  Roll it up, drizzle on Ginger Dressing and tuck in!

for Chicken:

~  2 grilled chicken breasts
~  1/3 cup lime vinaigrette (see below)

Shred the chicken meat and toss in the vinaigrette.  Let it sit 5 minutes and toss again.  Transfer to serving bowl.

for Lime Vinaigrette  (can be made ahead):

~  1/2 cup fresh lime juice
~  1 tablespoon honey
~  1/2 teaspoon dried hot red pepper flakes
~  3/4 teaspoon salt
~  1 cup olive oil

Whisk together the first 4 ingredients, then drizzle in the olive oil. Use 1/3 cup for chicken and serve the rest in a pitcher or dressing bottle.

for colorful bowls of Herbs, Veggies and Fruit:

~  1 head "Nancy" Boston lettuce, leaves separated and washed
~  1 cucumber, halved lengthwise, cored and cut into 1/8" thick matchsticks
~  1 red onion, cut into very thin slices
~  1 lb ripe peach or mango, peeled, pitted and cut into 1/8" thick matchsticks
~  1/4 cup fresh cilantro or other herb, finely chopped

for Rice  (can be made ahead and warmed before serving):

~  1 cup Jasmine rice
~  1 3/4 cups water
~  1/4 teaspoon salt

Wash rice in 3 or 4 changes of cold water in a large bowl until water is clear, then drain well in a large sieve.  Bring measured water and salt to a boil, add rice, cover tightly and cook over low heat until water is absorbed and rice is tender, about 20 minutes.  Remove pot from heat and let stand, covered and undisturbed another 10 minutes.  Fluff rice with a fork and transfer to a bowl to cool a bit.

for Ginger Dressing  (can be made ahead):

~  1/2 cup seasoned rice vinegar
~  1/2 cup vegetable oil
~  6 tablespoons mayonnaise
~  1/4 cup soy sauce
~  1/4 cup fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped
~  2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
~  1/2 teaspoon Asian sesame oil

Puree all ingredients until smooth, about a minute in a blender.  Serve in a pitcher.