Tuesday, March 29, 2011

Kenny's Kruciferous Kreation






My long time best friend and beloved vegetarian Kenny also contributed indispensable sides to the party's feast. He brought a gigantic salad to the table (enough to feed legions). Kenny has always been a salad master. He magically combines leafy greens and his own spur-of-the-moment dressings to produce unique and satisfying flavor combinations. His primal concoction incorporates Brussels sprouts which enhance the texture; this may be my new favorite. Thank you Kenny!



Salad with sliced Brussels Sprouts:
(Makes a VERY LARGE salad)
Three bags of various greens (Rocket Mix, Mesculin Mix, Baby Spinach, Wild Arugula, etc.)
1 1/2 lbs. Brussels Sprouts
1 cup slivered almonds
8 oz. Asiago Cheese

1. Place the greens at the bottom of a large capacity salad bowl.
2. Shred the Brussels sprouts on a fine setting on a mandolin slicer, or slice finely with a sharp knife. Spread the shredded Brussels sprouts over the greens. I place mine in the middle to add visual contrast.
3. Use a vegetable peeler to make 2" cheese ribbons out of the Asiago cheese. Spread them over the vegetables.
4. Sprinkle the slivered almonds over the salad.

Vinaigrette:
3/4 cup Olive Oil
1 Whole Lemon
1/2 Tbsp. Italian Seasonings
2 Tbsp. Tahini (Sesame Paste)
3 Large Garlic Cloves
1/2 Tbsp. Salt

1. Mince the garlic and sprinkle salt over it. Then turn the blade of the knife parallel to the cutting board, and bear down on the garlic/salt mixture "smearing" it to make a paste. Repeat this step until the paste shows no more chunks of solid garlic.
2. Add this translucent paste into a steep-sided bowl, along with the remaining vinaigrette ingredients, and whisk thoroughly. Drizzle over the salad when ready to serve. (Add more oil and salt if necessary.)

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