Sourse:Seafood Salad Recipe
Grilling: Wilted Spinach and Portobello Salad
[Photograph: Joshua Bousel]
I told myself that after a no-holds-bared eating fest that happened over the holidays in Houston (seems to happen every time I visit that city), that I would slowly simmer down my gut-busting diet. With the cold weather and the steady stream of party foods that followed, my plan never came to fruition. Nearly two months later, it's high time I finally act, and over the weekend I decided that a salad was in store—grilled, of course.
I'm not much of a recipe follower when it comes to throwing together some leafy greens and a vinaigrette, but this particular one caught my eye because it required the grilling of spinach. Finally, an interesting way to use my underloved accessory, the grilling basket. Not only was the dressed spinach taken to the flames, but also the sage-rubbed portobellos and walnuts. This was a grilled salad through and through.
This meal fit into the season as much as a salad could. The mushrooms gave it a heartiness, the walnuts a nice toasty crunch, and the warm, wilted spinach was like a hint of the freshness that will soon come. Now the trick is to keep up some healthier eats while enduring the final throes of winter.
Grilled Wilted Spinach & Portobello Salad
Adapted from Grilling & Roasting by Chuck Williams
- serves 4 -
Ingredients
1 lb fresh portobellos, scrubbed clean and stems removed
1/4 cup safflower oil
1 teaspoon chopped fresh sage
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup walnuts
10 oz spinach, stems removed
2 tablespoons walnut oil
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
Procedure
1. Light one chimney full of charcoal. While the charcoal is lighting, brush the mushrooms with the safflower oil and sprinkle with the sage and pepper, set aside.
2. Whisk together the walnut oil, lemon juice, and red wine vinegar in a small bowl and set aside.
3. When all the charcoal is lit and covered with gray ash, pour out and spread the coals evenly over the charcoal grate. Place a cast iron skillet on the grill. When heated up, place the walnuts in the skillet and cook until lightly browned and fragrant, 3 to 5 minutes, stirring nuts frequently. Remove the skillet from the grill and coarsely chop the walnuts.
4. Place the mushrooms on the grill, gill side down, and cook until lightly browned, about 3 minutes. Flip and continue to cook until browned and just tender, about 3 to 4 minutes longer. Remove from the grill and slice into 1/4 inch strips.
5. Place the spinach leaves in a grill basket, and sprinkle with 1/2 of the the vinaigrette. Place the basket on the grill and cook until the leave are slightly wilted, about 3 minutes on each side.
6. To assemble the salad, place 1/4 of the spinach leaves on each plate, add a few strips of the mushrooms, sprinkle with the walnuts, and dress with remaining vinaigrette to taste.
About the author: Joshua Bousel blogs about grilling on his blog, The Meatwave, and appears weekly here on Serious Eats during grilling season.
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Turn Left Over Mustard into No-Waste Salad Dressing
If you hate waste and it seems a shame to throw away a jar of spicy or exotic mustard without getting the last bit of flavor out of it, this clever trick will turn that left over mustard into salad dressing.
At MarthaStewart.com they're big fans of lists and galleries of clever and trendy things you can do around the house. In this week's “40 Good Things” list they share a great tip for using the mustard left after the last sandwich is made, to create home made dressing:
Have a tiny bit of mustard left in the jar? Toss in a few ingredients, and shake a tangy Dijon vinaigrette right in the container. A crushed garlic clove, some chopped fresh herbs and minced shallot will add the right flavor. Pour in balsamic vinegar, season with salt and pepper, then close the lid and shake. Add olive oil; shake again to emulsify the dressing, and then drizzle over your favorite salad. With a tightly sealed lid, it will keep in the refrigerator for up to one week.
Sounds delicious and a perfect “after life” for the jar of Dijon mustard I've just about polished off. Check out the link below to browse through some of the other clever tips in their roundup. Have a frugal tip of your own to share? Let's hear about it in the comments.






