The Frugal Foodie Cookbook (6 page)

2 heads romaine lettuce, chopped

1 can chickpeas, drained

1 cucumber, chopped

2 Roma tomatoes, chopped

1 can hearts of palm, chopped

1 red pepper, chopped

1 cup button mushrooms, chopped

1 Haas avocado, chopped

DRESSING:

cup balsamic vinegar

cup olive oil

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

Salt and pepper to taste

Combine salad ingredients in a large bowl. Whisk together dressing ingredients and serve over salad.

Roasted Beet and Pistachio Salad

price
$8
servings
4
price per serving
$2

I
t’s immature, but beets crack us up. Touch them once, and your fingers are pink for days. We usually have to chase each other around the kitchen with beet fingers for 5 minutes or so before we can begin cooking with them. This salad pairs the sweet juiciness of beets with salty pistachio nuts over greens with a light dressing—a combination definitely worth a week of pink fingers.

6 small beets, peeled

2 tablespoons olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

2 cups pistachio nuts, preferably unsalted

8 cups mixed greens

DRESSING:

cup olive oil

¼ cup red wine vinegar

¼ cup balsamic vinegar

Pinch sugar

Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 425°F. Cut beets in half; place in a roasting pan tossed with 2 tablespoons olive oil, salt, and pepper. Roast about 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until soft. Meanwhile, make dressing by mixing olive oil, vinegars, sugar, salt, and pepper. Arrange pistachios on mixed greens. Slice beets and arrange on salad. Top with dressing while beets are still warm and serve.

Roasted Tomato and Asparagus Panzanella

price
$12
servings
4
price per serving
$3

T
his salad stands alone as a filling and lovely main-course dish. The hot and toasty bread soaks up the yummy flavors of the roasted vegetables, so go for a good-quality loaf if possible. This salad is especially apropos for warm weather when tomatoes are in season, and you can grill the vegetables and bread slices instead of roasting them for an even smokier flavor.

1 loaf day-old bread, cut into 1" cubes

4 tablespoons olive oil

1 garlic clove, crushed

Salt and pepper to taste

1 bunch asparagus, cut into 1" pieces

1 red pepper, cut into ½" pieces

4 ounces cherry tomatoes, halved

DRESSING:

cup olive oil

3 tablespoons red wine vinegar

1 shallot, diced

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350°F. Toss bread cubes with 2 tablespoons olive oil, crushed garlic, salt, and pepper. Separately, toss asparagus, red pepper, and tomatoes with remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil, salt, and pepper. Arrange bread cubes and vegetables on 2 separate baking trays; roast 15–20 minutes, until bread is crisp and vegetables are slightly softened. Whisk together dressing ingredients. Combine all ingredients in a large salad bowl; toss with dressing. Serve immediately.

Balsamic-Dressed Roasted Veggie Salad

price
$30
servings
5
price per serving
$6

T
his is among Alanna’s favorite meals. When it’s her turn to pick a meal for her birthday or an occasion, this is more than likely to appear on the menu. The beauty of the salad stems from two sources: its flexibility and its dressing. It doesn’t matter if you use the vegetables we recommend or any others you can imagine. Throw in whatever veggies you have, and as long as you make the reduced balsamic vinaigrette, this is sure to stun.

1 zucchini, sliced lengthwise into ½" pieces

1 yellow summer squash, sliced lengthwise into ½" pieces

1 bunch asparagus

1 large portobello mushroom, sliced lengthwise into ½" pieces

1 pepper, quartered

1 eggplant, sliced into ½" thick rounds

2 tablespoons olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

1 head romaine lettuce, chopped

1 head radicchio, chopped

1 cup cooked corn, preferably roasted

1 tomato, chopped

DRESSING:

1 cup balsamic vinegar

2 teaspoons sugar

cup olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350°F. Toss zucchini, squash, asparagus, mushroom, pepper, and eggplant with 2 tablespoons olive oil to coat; add salt and pepper. Place in a baking dish; cook about 30–40 minutes, until vegetables are tender. Set aside to cool; cut all vegetables into ½" pieces and combine with other salad ingredients in large bowl. To make dressing, bring vinegar to a boil in a small saucepan; simmer until vinegar has reduced to
cup. Remove from heat; stir in sugar. Cool, whisk in olive oil, and add salt and pepper. Arrange salads on plates, drizzle dressing on top, and serve.

Summer Salad with Basil-Mint Dressing

price
$15
servings
6
price per serving
$2.50

S
trawberries, grapes, and oranges rarely headline a green salad, but they go incredibly well with this sweet and savory basil dressing. The salad is unusual but delicious, and requires almost no preparation.

1 cup grapes, halved

1½ cups strawberries, chopped

2 oranges, sectioned and cut into 1" pieces

2 heads romaine lettuce, cut into pieces

DRESSING:

½ cup packed fresh basil leaves

½ cup packed fresh mint leaves

¼ teaspoon orange zest, grated

¼ cup fresh orange juice

2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar

1 garlic clove, chopped

½ cup olive oil

Combine salad ingredients and place a handful on each plate. Put all dressing ingredients in blender; blend until emulsified. Pour over salad.

Radish-Cucumber-Beet Salad

price
$12
servings
4
price per serving
$3

O
ur take on the beautiful yet bitter radish is simple and classy: toss it with other crunchy vegetables and dress with vinaigrette to create a flavorful, healthy summer salad. We serve this salad over romaine lettuce as a main course, but it makes a pretty first-course salad without romaine.

1 bunch beets, halved

Salt and pepper to taste

cups plus 2 tablespoons olive oil