Escarole salad

Have you ever eaten the escarole?

Well, in Italy is pretty common in this season to eat escarole! There are several ways to eat escarole. You can eat raw escarole, in a salad, when the leaves are tender, sweet and light yellow. Many farmers tie the escarole heads with string when they are growing and are still in the ground to make them white-yellow and tender in the middle.
However, when the leaves of escarole are deep green, it is better to cook them, to reduce their bitter taste. The following is the simple method to make an escarole salad. Soon I will publish the recipe of the sauteed escarole!

 To make an healthy escarole salad:

Use only the white-yellow central leaves. Chop them and place into a bowl. Add a bunch of black olives and season with extra virgin olive oil, a pinch of salt and vinegar. Serve immediately.

 

 

Cabbage and Chard salad

Insalata di Cavolo e Bieta

I love cabbage! For the meat free week, here a delicious rich salad that you all should try: it’s rich in antioxidants, vitamin C, and other essential vitamins.
You can use spinach instead of chard.

Preparation time: about  10 minutes
Cooking time: -
Class: cheap, very healthy

Serves 2-3

Ingredients:
1/2 head cabbage
5 oz. (approximately 150 g) chard (or spinach)
1/2 cup (approximately 120 ml) shelled walnuts, coarsely crumbled

6-7 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
3-4 tbsp. fresh squeezed lemon juice
a pinch of salt
black pepper to taste

Method:
1. Cut the cabbage and the chard into very thin strips. In a large bowl, combine cabbage, chard, walnuts, oil and lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper, and gently mix all together. At this point, taste the salad and add more salt if needed.
Let rest for 20-30 minutes, then, transfer to a salad plate and serve.

 

Barley salad

Insalata di Farro

Barley salad is a delicious cold dish that’s easy to make and it looks and tastes great. You can use rice in place of the barley. There is a nice mix of flavors and colors in this recipe: many vegetables, tuna, eggs, barley, etc! It can be made ahead of time and it can just be taken out of the refrigerator and served. It’s a meal with low fat and extremely healthy. I have taken this salad to many picnics and my family and friends always loved it!

Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: about 50 minutes

Serves  7-8

Ingredients:

Water, about 16 cups (4 liters)
½ cup (120 milliliters) white vinegar
Salt, about 2 tablespoons
2 medium carrots, peeled and finely chopped
2 celery stalks, finely chopped
½ onion, peeled and finely chopped
½ cup (120 milliliters) frozen or fresh peas
2 medium zucchini, chopped
1 red bell pepper, diced
½ pound (220 grams) green beans, snapped
1 pound (approximately 450 grams) pearl barley
¼ pound (110 grams) smoked cheese, diced
1 can best-quality tuna in olive oil, about 4 ounces (110 grams), drained
7 green olives, pitted and chopped
9 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
Pepper to taste

Method:

1. Bring 6 cups (1½ liters) water to a boil in a large pot. Add white vinegar and ½ tablespoon salt.
2. Add the carrots, celery, and onion and boil for 12 minutes. Lift the vegetables out with a strainer and set aside.
3. Add the peas and zucchini to the same pot and let boil for about 6–7 minutes. Lift out with the strainer and set aside as well.
4. Repeat with the red bell pepper and green beans. Boil them about 8–9 minutes, lift out, and set aside.
5. In another pot, bring 10 cups (2½ liters) water to a boil. Add 1½ tablespoons salt. Add the barley and boil it, stirring often, until al dente. Drain the barley with a colander and rinse it under cold tap water. Drain well again.
6. In a large bowl, combine the barley, carrots, celery, onion, peas, zucchini, red bell pepper, green beans, cheese, tuna, olives, extra virgin olive oil, fresh lemon juice, and mayonnaise. Season with salt and pepper and gently mix. At this point, taste the barley salad and add more salt if needed.
7. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit at room temperature for 1–2 hours. Serve or refrigerate.

 

Italian Tomato salad

Insalata di Pomodori

This is the season of the tomato salad. In Italy we eat a lot of tomato salad, almost every day in the summer. The salad will have the best flavor if you make it with the freshest tomatoes you can find. I like to add a sliced avocado into my tomato salad; but that is just my personal taste because our traditional Tomato salad doesn't include an avocado.
 

Ingredients:
1 lb (450g) fresh tomatoes of different colors: green, yellow, orange and red,
1 garlic clove, peeled and chopped,
1 onion, peeled and chopped,
1 tbsp. dried oregano,
a few basil leaves,
9 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil,
salt, about ½ tsp.
hot pepper (optional).
Method:
1. Slice the tomatoes and put them into a large serving bowl. Add garlic, onion, oregano, basil and extra virgin olive oil. Season with salt and gently mix all together . Add hot pepper if desired. Taste before serving in order to decide if you have to add more salt. Serve with toasted or grilled bread and a glass of good wine.