The other day, I made a very weird discovery. For a person who eats salad everyday seven days a week, I have disproportionately few salad recipes in this site. Why? I have no idea. Perhaps it is because, usually my salads consist of either lettuce or cauliflower and broccoli, olive oil and vinegar. So, not something that interesting to talk about.
Well, I decided to change this and make a really tasty, really different salad that could easily stand on its own even as a main dish.
Another thing that motivated me to make this salad is a little secret I will share with you my friends. Throughout the 43 years of my life, I have never tried asparagus, not at least until today. And why is that, you will wonder? Now, this is really embarrassing, but when I decide to take everything out in the open, I do it with all honesty. The reason why I haven’t tried asparagus, was because I didn’t like their looks. Now, how stupid this sounds? I know, I know it sounds really stupid! But it is the absolute and honest truth. I never liked their looks and I didn’t want to eat them because of that.
But a child has to grow up eventually, right? And the child has to put aside his or her prejudices and move on and try new things and decide that she doesn’t like them not because of their looks, but because of their flavor. Just like we must do with people. We mustn’t decide based on superficial characteristics, but based on the character each one of us carries.
Thus, and because as a person I approach everyone and everything with equal respect, I decided it was high time, I had had to change my notion for asparagus.
I made this salad on Saturday for lunch and we loved every bit of it. I never thought that asparagus, which by the way I still think they look a bit weird, would have that distinct and veggie flavor they have.
The salad was amazing! Warm ingredients mixed with cool ones and the vinaigrette on top was the perfect complement to it all. Crunchy and soft, sweet and savory, light and filling at the same time, just made us all very happy. My son didn’t touch it, but I cannot say anything. Who am I to judge him? He is more open to new flavors than me, when I was at his age and I hope that some things that he doesn’t eat now he will be able to appreciate them as he gets older.
In the meantime, let me give you the recipe which I found here. Of course I made a few changes particularly in the vinaigrette to fit our taste. If you get the chance do try it and it won’t let you down!
Baby Spinach Salad with Roasted Asparagus and Mushrooms
Ingredients
30 gr. /1 oz. pine nuts
2 shallots, sliced
2 tbsp of parsley, finely chopped
250 gr./9 oz. fresh mushrooms, sliced
A bunch of rocket
2 garlic cloves, minced
150 gr./5 oz. baby spinach
½ kilo/17 oz. asparagus
1 bell pepper of any color, sliced
½ cup dried cranberries
1 cup olive oil
½ tsp dried oregano
½ tsp dried basil
¼ tsp dried thyme
½ tsp Herbes de Provence
¼ tsp anise
Salt and pepper to taste
For the Vinaigrette
1 cup olive oil
½ cup balsamico
Juice of half a lemon
½ vegetable cube
1 tbsp honey
Instructions
Preheat oven to 200°C/400°F.
In a bowl mix the olive oil, the minced garlic, the oregano, the basil, the thyme, the Herbes De Provence, the anise and salt and pepper.
Brush the mushrooms and place them in a non-stick pan.
Bake for 15 minutes.
Brush the asparagus with the olive oil mix.
Toast slightly the pine nuts.
Place them in a non-stick pan and bake them until they become soft.
Arrange the baby spinach, the rocket, the pepper, the cranberries, the toasted pine nuts, the mushrooms, the asparagus and the shallots.
Salt and pepper to your liking.
For the Vinaigrette
Dissolve the ½ vegetable cube in the olive oil and add the rest of the ingredients.
Mix very well.
Pour it a glass vase and place it in the fridge.
The quantity of this vinaigrette is more than the one you need for the salad, but you can use it in any other green salad. I usually make more so I don’t have to make the vinaigrette during busy weekdays. If you don’t want to store it then reduce the quantities of the ingredients to half.
Pour about 4 to 5 tbsp of the vinaigrette to the salad, toss and serve.
I am sending this to Full Plate Thursday hosted by Miz Helen!
- 30 gr. /1 oz. pine nuts
- 2 shallots, sliced
- 2 tbsp of parsley, finely chopped
- 250 gr./9 oz. fresh mushrooms, sliced
- A bunch of rocket
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 150 gr./5 oz. baby spinach
- ½ kilo/17 oz. asparagus
- 1 bell pepper of any color, sliced
- ½ cup dried cranberries
- 1 cup olive oil
- ½ tsp dried oregano
- ½ tsp dried basil
- ¼ tsp dried thyme
- ½ tsp Herbes de Provence
- ¼ tsp anise
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 cup olive oil
- ½ cup balsamico
- Juice of half a lemon
- ½ vegetable cube
- 1 tbsp honey
- Preheat oven to 200°C/400°F.
- In a bowl mix the olive oil, the minced garlic, the oregano, the basil, the thyme, the Herbes De Provence, the anise and salt and pepper.
- Brush the mushrooms and place them in a non-stick pan.
- Bake for 15 minutes.
- Brush the asparagus with the olive oil mix.
- Toast slightly the pine nuts.
- Place them in a non-stick pan and bake them until they become soft.
- Arrange the baby spinach, the rocket, the pepper, the cranberries, the toasted pine nuts, the mushrooms, the asparagus and the shallots.
- Salt and pepper to your liking.
- Dissolve the ½ vegetable cube in the olive oil and add the rest of the ingredients.
- Mix very well.
- Pour it a glass vase and place it in the fridge.
- The quantity of this vinaigrette is more than the one you need for the salad, but you can use it in any other green salad. I usually make more so I don’t have to make the vinaigrette during busy weekdays. If you don’t want to store it then reduce the quantities of the ingredients to half.
- Pour about 4 to 5 tbsp of the vinaigrette to the salad, toss and serve.
- 30 γρ. κουκουνάρι
- 2 κρεμμύδια, κομμένα σε φέτες
- 2 κουταλιές της σούπας μαϊντανό, ψιλοκομμένο
- 250 γρ. φρέσκα μανιτάρια, κομμένα σε φέτες
- Ένα ματσάκι ρόκα
- 2 σκελίδες σκόρδο, ψιλοκομμένο
- 150 γρ. σπανάκι baby
- ½ κιλό σπαράγγια
- 1 πιπεριά οποιουδήποτε χρώματος, κομμένη σε ροδέλες
- ½ φλ. αποξηραμένα cranberries
- 1 φλ. ελαιόλαδο
- ½ κκ.γ. ξερή ρίγανη
- ½ κ.γ. ξερό βασιλικό
- ¼ κ/.γ. ξερό θυμάρι
- ½ κ.γ. βότανα Προβηγγίας
- ¼ κ.γ. γλυκάνισο
- Αλάτι και πιπέρι
- 1 φλ. ελαιόλαδο
- ½ φλ. balsamico
- Χυμό από μισό λεμόνι
- ½ κύβο λαχανικών
- 1 κ.σ. μέλι
- Προθερμένετε το φούρνο να 200 ° C.
- Σε ένα μπολ ανακατέψτε το λάδι, το σκόρδο, τη ρίγανη, το βασιλικό, το θυμάρι, τα βότανα Προβηγγίας, το γλυκάνισο και αλάτι και πιπέρι.
- Αλείψτε με αυτό τα μανιτάρια και τοποθετήστε τα σε ένα αντικολλητικό ταψί.
- Ψήστε για 15 λεπτά.
- Αλείψτε και τα σπαράγγια με το μίγμα του ελαιόλαδου.
- Σε ένα τηγάνι βάλτε το κουκουνάρι και ροδίστε το.
- Τοποθετήστε τα σπαράγγια σε ένα αντικολλητικό ταψί και ψήστε μέχρι να μαλακώσουν.
- Βάλτε σε ένα μπωλ το σπανάκι baby, τη ρόκα, το πιπέρι, τα cranberries, τα ροδισμένα κουκουνάρια, τα μανιτάρια, τα σπαράγγια και τα κρεμμύδια.
- Αλάτι και πιπέρι ανάλογα με τις προτιμήσεις σας.
- Διαλύστε ½ κύβο λαχανικών στο ελαιόλαδο και προσθέστε τα υπόλοιπα υλικά.
- Ανακατέψτε πολύ καλά.
- Βάλτε σε ένα γυάλινο βάζο και βάλτε το στο ψυγείο.
- Η ποσότητα αυτή της βινεγκρέτ είναι περισσότερη από αυτή που χρειάζεστε για τη σαλάτα, αλλά μπορείτε να τη χρησιμοποιήσετε σε οποιαδήποτε άλλη πράσινη σαλάτα.
- Κάνω συνήθως περισσότερη, έτσι έχω και για άλλες σαλάτες.
- Ρίξτε 4-5 κουταλιές της σούπας από τη βινεγκρέτ στη σαλάτα και σερβίρετε.
