Bites of Insight: Beets are available at our local farmer's market in three varieties. The standard red, yellow and candy striped (or Chioggia). The candy stripped beet is a variety from a small coastal town in Italy called Chioggia. This "peppermint candy" beet looks beautiful grated in salads. However, it loses its candy stripe once cooked and becomes pale pink. It is milder in flavor and requires less cooking.

Ingredients

3 beets, cooked, peeled and cubed
3 seedless tangerines, peeled, and sectioned
½ cup feta cheese, crumbled

Dressing:
1/3 cup olive oil
2 Tbs balsamic vinegar
1 Tbs minced fresh mint

Directions

If using fresh beets, scrub well but do not peel. Cut stem off to within one inch of beet. Immerse in water, cover and bring to a boil then reduce heat to medium. Depending on the size of the beets, cooking will take about 30 minutes or longer. They are cooked when the beet feels tender when a fork is pushed into the center. Drain and cool. Remove skin and stem by rubbing off with your fingers under running water. Cut beets into ½-inch bite size pieces.

Peel tangerines and separate wedges. Remove any white membrane. Either leave whole or cut in half.

This dressing will make more than you need for this salad. It's a favorite in our house and I'm sure you'll want to have extra. For this amount of salad, place ½ cup of finished dressing in a salad bowl. Add cooked beets and tangerines and toss. Sprinkle with feta cheese.

Notes

Serves 4

Recipe: kosher, dairy

This is our adaptation of an authentic Caesar dressing. However, we do skip the anchovies. If you add them, we would recommend omitting or reducing the salt.

Ingredients

4 large garlic cloves - minced or crushed
4 tablespoons lemon juice
4 tablespoons mayonnaise
2 Teaspoon salt
2/3-cup olive oil
2 tablespoons water, buttermilk or half and half*
2/3-cup Parmesan cheese

Directions

Whisk all ingredients together or pulse in processor until combined
Dressing can be refrigerated 2-3 days prior to using.
However, remove from refrigerator for about 1 hour and mix well prior to serving. If too thick, mix in 1-2 Tablespoons additional milk, water, or half and half

For an authentic Caesar dressing, pour over cleaned, dried, torn romaine lettuce
However this dressing is delicious with any lettuce you choose.

Optional additions when ready to serve, top with Garlic croutons, grilled or poached salmon, cherry tomatoes, Kalamata olives

Make freshly ground pepper available to guests

Notes

If serving this for Shabbos or Yom Tov, simply pre-grind pepper into a decorative bowl, and place a tiny spoon with it

*Using the real dairy products will make a richer dressing

Recipe, Kosher, dairy

By Rebbetzin Rashi Minkowicz
Educational Director of North Fulton Georgia Chabad Center

A classic salad with a Mediterranean flavor to use as an appetizer or a side, and it's Passover friendly.

Ingredients

2 eggplants
1 red pepper
1 green pepper
1 small red onion
1/4 cup olive oil (plus a bit more for sprinkling on veggies)
1/4 cup white vinegar
1 tsp sugar
1.5 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
5 cloves garlic, crushed

Directions

Slice eggplant into thin rounds or dice
Dice peppers
Dice onionsPut eggplants into pan careful to spread out so they don't overlap too much and sprinkle with olive oil
Put peppers and onion in another pan and sprinkle with olive oil
Place peppers and onions in oven and roast on 450 or 500 (depending on how hot oven gets) for 20 or 30 minutes or however long takes for veggies to get slightly blackened on edges
Boil vinegar, oil, sugar, salt, pepper, garlic in small pot till bubbly
Pour onto roasted veggies and mix well.
Let sit until it cools and marinates a bit

Notes

Goes great with challa, fish, etc.

Adapted from Eileen Goltz, CuisinebyEileen.com 

This Cauliflower Cobb Salad is so versatile – serve as a side dish, on a buffet table, and with the addition of the salami or turkey pastrami, it can be served either for lunch or a light dinner. Lovely to look at, easy to make, and your guest swill love it.

Ingredients:

4 cups cauliflower floweret’s, steamed al dente and cooled
2 to 3 hard boiled eggs
2 stalks celery
1 chopped green pepper
2 green onions sliced thin
1/3 cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 teaspoons sugar
2 tablespoons chopped sweet pickles
1/2 cup cooked kosher salami or turkey pastrami, cut into bite sized pieces (optional)
Salt and pepper
Fresh dill to taste

Directions:

Place the cauliflower into a large bowl. Add the chopped egg, green pepper, and green onions. Season with a little salt and pepper, mix gently and set aside. In another bowl combine the mayonnaise, lemon juice, garlic powder, onion powder, chopped pickles, sugar, pepper flakes, dill and salt and pepper. Mix to combine. Pour the dressing over the cauliflower and mix to combine. Place in a serving bowl and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Top with salami or turkey pastrami and serve.

Notes:

Yield: Serves 8 to 10

Recipes: Salad, Cauliflower, Meat or Parve, Kosher

Adapted from New Kosher Cuisine by Helen Nash

"This is a Japanese-style salad that can be a meal in itself. I like to serve it with arugula or watercress, drizzled with some of the Miso Dressing."

Ingredients

1 cup raw brown rice*
1 1/4 cups water
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
One 14-ounce package extra firm tofu
2 scallions
1 yellow or orange bell pepper
8 shitake mushrooms, stems removed
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
Arugula or watercress, for serving

Miso Dressing
2 tablespoons barley miso**
2 tablespoons sake
Generous 1 1/2 teaspoons honey
1 tablespoon seasoned rice vinegar
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Bring the rice, water, and salt to a boil in a small saucepan. Lower the heat and cook, covered, for 30 minutes, or until the rice is soft. Fluff with a fork. Transfer to a large bowl and cool.
Drain the tofu; pat it dry, and cut into 1-inch cubes.
Cut the scallions, including the green part, into thin slices. Cut the bell pepper in half; then core and seed it, and cut into thin slices. Wipe the mushroom caps with a damp paper towel and cut into thin slices.
Heat the wok over medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of the oil and heat for less than a minute. Add the tofu and scallions and stir-fry about 1 minute. Combine with the rice.
Add the remaining 2 tablespoons oil to the wok and heat. Stir-fry the pepper and mushrooms quickly, about 1 minute. Add to the rice.

To make the dressing: Combine all the ingredients in a small bowl. Toss the rice with about three-quarters of the dressing. Season to taste. Drizzle the remaining dressing over the greens.

Notes:

Yield: 6 appetizer servings, 4 generous luncheon servings

* While you can use regular brown rice to make this dish, I prefer premium Japanese medium-grain brown rice, as it is much creamier than other varieties. It is available in most specialty food stores.
**Barley miso is available in most health-food stores.

Adapted from Barefoot Contessa Foolproof, by Ina Garten

This salad can be lunch on its own, or part of a lunch buffet, The combination of couscous, which is a Middle Eastern pasta, plus tuna, olives, peppers, and lots of garlic and lemon is great for entertaining because it gets better as it sits. Israeli couscous has larger grains than regular couscous and absorbs all the flavors very well.

Ingredients:

2 cups Israeli couscous (10 to 12 ounces)
2 (7-ounce) cans or jars of, tuna in olive oil, drained and flaked
2 teaspoons grated lemon zest (2 lemons)
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2-cup good olive oil
3 tablespoons capers, drained
1/2 cup pitted, oil-cured black olives, coarsely chopped (3 ounces)
1/2 cup jarred roasted red peppers, medium-diced (4 ounces)
2 teaspoons minced garlic (2 cloves)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 cup chopped scallions (6-8 scallions)
1/4 cup julienned fresh basil leaves, lightly packed
Juice of 1/2 lemon

Directions:

Bring 4 cups of water to a boil in a medium-saucepan. Add the couscous and reduce the heat to very low. Cover the pot and simmer for 12 to 15 minutes, until the couscous is just tender. (I pull the pot halfway off the heat.) Drain in a colander.

Meanwhile, combine the tuna, lemon zest, lemon juice, olive oil, capers, olives, red peppers, garlic, 1-tablespoon salt, and 1 1/2 teaspoons black pepper in a large bowl. Pour the hot couscous into the mixture and stir well. Cover and set aside for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Just before serving, stir in the scallions, basil, juice of the 1/2 lemon, and 1 more teaspoon of salt. Taste for seasonings and serve warm or at room temperature.

Notes:

Yield: 6 to 8 servings

Kosher certified Israeli Couscous and Albacore solid white tuna in olive oil are available at Trader Joe's

Recipes: Salads,Israeli Couscous,Tuna, Parve, Kosher

1 red onion
2 garden cucumbers (or 1 English cucumber), peeled
2 Tablespoons white vinegar
2 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon chopped fresh dill
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

• Chop, chop, chop the cucumbers and onions. (If you are using the Zyliss, use the coarse blade on the cucumbers and the fine blade on the onion.)

• Mix in remainder of ingredients

• Shake, shake, shake

• Chill and serve

• Optional: Add ¼ cup dairy or parve sour cream

Serves 4 as a side dish

by Estee Kafra, Spice It Right!

This salad is gorgeous — the colors just spring out at you. It looks much more complicated to make than it really is. The ingredients are readily available all year round. Please note that the color from the beets will bleed, so assemble the ingredients only before serving.

Ingredients

3 large or 5 baby red beets, trimmed
3 large or 5 baby golden beets, trimmed
Salt and black pepper
2 oranges
2 blood oranges
1 fennel bulb
1/4 cup mint leaves, finely chopped
1/2 cup toasted hazelnuts, lightly crushed

Dressing:
1 Tbsp orange juice
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp vinegar (can also use lemon juice)

Directions

Preheat oven to 400° F.

Wrap each color beet separately in foil and bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes until soft. Remove from foil, run under cold water and then remove peels. Cut each beet into quarters or eighths and place each color in its own bowl. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. (Note: The beets can be prepared up to two days in advance and kept in the refrigerator, covered tightly.)

Cut all peels and pith off oranges, working over a bowl to catch the juice for dressing. Cut between membranes, releasing segments.

Peel and clean fennel. Using a peeler, peel crosswise to create paper-thin strips.

When ready to serve, mix together beets, oranges and fennel. Top with mint and toasted hazelnuts. Mix ingredients for dressing and drizzle over salad. Serve at room temperature.

Notes:

Yield: serves 6-8

NOTE: You can use all red beets if golden beets are not available.
DAIRY OPTION: Add feta cheese before serving.

Recipes: Salads, Beets, Parve, Kosher

Adapted from THE PERFECT MIX by Diane Phillips

This mix can be used to make a dressing for salads or a dip for fresh veggies or chips.

1  1/2 tablespoons dried parsley
1 tablespoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dried chives
1/4 tablespoon dried oregano
1/4 tablespoon tarragon
1/2 tablespoon garlic powder
1/2 tablespoon lemon pepper

In a medium bowl, combine all the ingredients. Store in airtight container.

Recipe Card:
Ranch Dressing
Makes 1 cup

1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 tablespoon Ranch-style Dressing and Dip Mix

In a large bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, buttermilk, and dressing and dip mix. Refrigerate for one hour before serving.

Ranch Dip
Makes 2 cups

2 Tablespoons Ranch-Style Dressing and Dip Mix
1 cup mayonnaise or low-fat low-fat mayonnaise
1 cup sour cream or low-fat yogurt

Combine all of the ingredients. Refrigerate for 2 hours before serving with raw veggies, chips, or use as a topping for baked potatoes.

To print the recipe card below, click here.

by Esther Deutsch, CHIC Made Simple

The slightly spicy dressing in this salad is nicely balanced with the cool cucumbers and sweet mango. If you prefer the salad even spicier, you can add more sriracha sauce. The salad can be served in one two ways. To prepare it as a slaw, shred the imitation crab sticks (kani) by hand and julienne the mango and cucumber in a food processor. Serve each portion with an avocado wedge as a garnish. Or serve this salad in avocado halves; cut an avocado in half, remove the pit, and fill each hollowed avocado half with the kani salad.

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons mayonnaise
1/2 tablespoon sriracha sauce
1 teaspoon lime juice
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
Fresh black pepper

Salad:
7 kani (kosher imitation crab sticks), finely diced
1 medium English cucumber, finely diced*
1 mango, finely diced

Directions:

To prepare the dressing: In a small jar or bowl, combine the mayonnaise, sriracha sauce, lime juice, garlic, salt, and black pepper.

In a large bowl, combine the kani, cucumber, and mango and toss with the dressing. Serve immediately.

Notes:

Yield: serves 6

*English cucumbers, commonly referred to as "hothouse cucumbers," are crispier and sweeter than standard cucumbers due to the low seed content.

Recipes: Salads, Kani (kosher imitation crab sticks), Kosher