Spinach Salad With Tamarind Dressing And Pappadam Croutons Recipes

SPINACH SALAD ON GARLIC CROUTONS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Put the eggs in a pan, cover with water and bring to a boil over medium heat. Cover the pan, turn off the heat and let stand 10 minutes. Run the eggs under cold water, crack and return to cold water for a few minutes to loosen shells. Chop the eggs and set aside.
• Arrange the bread on a baking sheet and toast in the oven until golden, about 8 to 10 minutes. Remove baking sheet from the oven and rub with the garlic. Drizzle with oil and sprinkle with the cheese, then return to the oven to melt the cheese, about 1 to 2 minutes.
• While bread toasts, heat a skillet over medium-high heat with 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, a couple of turns of the pan. Add the pancetta and crisp for about 3 minutes. Stir in the mushrooms and cook until tender, about 8 to 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, to taste, and deglaze the pan with Marsala or dry sherry.
• While mushrooms cook, combine spinach with red onions and dress with juice of 1 lemon, a liberal drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil and nutmeg.
• Arrange the toasts on a platter and top with the mushrooms and spinach. Garnish with chopped eggs and serve.

SPINACH SALAD WITH TAMARIND DRESSING AND PAPPADAM CROUTONS

Steps:

• Fry pappadams:
• Heat 1/2 inch oil in a 10-inch heavy skillet (2 inches deep) over moderate heat until thermometer registers 350°F (see cooks' note, below). Fry 1 pappadam, turning over once, until blistered and pale golden, about 1 minute total. Lift pappadam from skillet with tongs, letting excess oil drip back into skillet, and transfer to paper towels to drain (pappadam will crisp as it cools). Return oil to 350°F and fry remaining pappadams, 1 at a time, in same manner.
• Make dressing:
• Whisk together water, lime juice, honey, tamarind concentrate, and salt in a small bowl, then add oil in a slow stream, whisking until combined.
• Assemble salad:
• Toss spinach and cucumbers with dressing in a large bowl. Break pappadams into 1 1/2-inch pieces and add to salad just before serving, tossing gently to combine.

PERFECT SPINACH SALAD (NO, REALLY)

Steps:

• Make the hard boiled eggs, if using (or make them in advance). Chop them into bite-sized pieces.
• Add the pecans, soy sauce, maple syrup and smoked paprika to a small non-stick skillet over medium heat. When it just starts to bubble, reduce the heat to low but still slowly bubbling. Simmer 6 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally. In the last minute when the liquid is mostly evaporated, stir continuously until it is totally cooked out and the nuts start clumping together. Immediately remove from the heat and transfer the pecans to a sheet of parchment paper in a single layer. Sprinkle with 2 pinches kosher salt and allow to cool to room temperature, about 5 minutes.
• Make the Balsamic Vinaigrette.
• Thinly slice the shallot. If using apple instead of hard boiled egg, thinly slice the apple.
• Place the spinach on plates or in bowls. Top with hard boiled eggs or apple slices, smoky pecans, sliced shallot, and feta cheese crumbles.

SPINACH SALAD WITH HONEY-MUSTARD DRESSING

Steps:

• To prepare the croutons: Preheat the oven to 350°F.
• Cut the bread into 1/2-inch cubes and place them on a baking sheet. Pour the butter over the bread cubes and toss them until they are evenly coated. Bake for 10 minutes, or until they are golden brown.
• To prepare the salad ingredients: Gently place the eggs in a small saucepan and cover them completely with cold water. Bring the water to a boil and simmer over medium heat for 10 minutes. Turn off the heat and let the eggs stand in the water until they are cool. Peel the eggs and dice them into 1/4-inch pieces.
• Meanwhile, cut the bacon into 1/4-inch-thick strips and place them in a sauté pan. Cook over medium heat for 12 to 15 minutes, or until crisp. Transfer to paper towels to drain.
• Wash the mushrooms and cut into 1/4-inch thick slices.
• To prepare the dressing: Place the honey and Dijon mustard in a small bowl and stir until combined.
• Place the spinach in a large bowl and toss with the dressing. Arrange the mushrooms, eggs, bacon, and croutons on top of the spinach.