Recipe: Chipotle-Garlic Chopped Salad, Freds Chopped Chicken Salad

Serves 4 to 6.

Note: This recipe offers a creamy balsamic dressing and a well-balanced mix of green beans, chicken, ripe pear, onion and avocado. In light of the recent Centers for Disease Control warning not to eat romaine lettuce, we recommend checking the ingredient list on any salad blend you buy. For this recipe, you'll have dressing left over, which can be refrigerated for up to 1 week. Shake to re-emulsify before using; or you can cut the dressing ingredients in half. To blanch the green beans, boil a pot of water over high heat. Add a pinch of salt and then the beans; cook for 30 seconds, then drain and immediately transfer them to a bowl of water and ice cubes. When cool, drain and pat dry. Adapted from "The Freds at Barneys New York Cookbook," by Mark Strausman and Susan Littlefield.

For the dressing:

• 1/4 c. balsamic vinegar

• 1/4 c. Dijon mustard

• 1/4 c. low-sodium soy sauce

• 1 tsp. kosher salt

• 1 c. extra-virgin olive oil

• 1 to 2 tbsp. sugar

For the salad:

• 1 ripe pear, cored and cut into 1-in. chunks

• 1 tbsp. fresh lemon juice

• 1 c. string beans, blanched and cut into 1-in. pieces (see Note)

• 1 c. cherry tomatoes, each cut in half

• 1/2 c. minced onion

• Flesh of 2 ripe avocados, cut into 1-in. chunks

• 3 1/2 c. cooked chicken, from 1 roast chicken

For the dressing: Combine the vinegar, mustard, soy sauce, kosher salt and pepper in a blender; purée for about 30 seconds. On low speed, slowly drizzle in the oil to form an emulsified dressing. Taste and add the sugar, as needed. The yield is 1 1/2 cups.

For the salad: Sprinkle the pear with lemon juice in a mixing bowl; this will keep the fruit from turning brown. Add greens, the green beans, tomatoes, onion, avocado and half of the chicken. Add 3/4 cup of the dressing and toss to make sure everything is lightly coated, adding more dressing, as needed.

Divide the mixture among individual plates, distributing it equally. Top each portion with the rest of the chicken and serve right away, passing the remaining dressing at the table.

Nutrition information per each of 6 servings, with total of 1 cup dressing:

Calories490Fat37 gSodium590 mg

Protein27 gCholesterol70 mgDietary fiber5 g

Serves 4.

Note: This recipe pays homage to Tex-Mex cuisine, with components that can be prepped and held in the refrigerator for a few days so you can assemble the salad for weekday lunches or a quick dinner. The original recipe called for charring the corn in a separate step; these days, the convenience of good-quality charred corn on the frozen aisle makes this prep even simpler. In light of the recent Centers for Disease Control warning not to eat romaine lettuce, we offer the substitution of green leaf lettuce or green cabbage instead. The dressing can be refrigerated for up to 1 month. Before serving, run its container under warm water to loosen up the contents, then shake to re-emulsify. Adapted from "The Minimalist Kitchen: 100 Wholesome Recipes, Essential Tools and Efficient Techniques," by Melissa Coleman.

For the dressing:

• 1/4 c. extra-virgin olive oil

• 2 tsp. ketchup

• 1 tbsp. white wine vinegar

• 1 tbsp. good-quality mayonnaise

• 1 garlic clove, smashed

• 1/4 tsp. kosher salt

For the salad:

• 1 1/2 lb. green leaf lettuce or green cabbage, thinly sliced (see Note)

• 20 sweet potato tortilla chips ( such as Food Should Taste Good brand), or regular

• 1/2 c. shredded Monterey Jack cheese

• 1 (15-oz.) can no-salt-added black beans, drained and rinsed

• 1/2 c. sliced grape tomatoes

• Flesh of 1 avocado, diced

• 3 radishes, thinly sliced

• 1/4 c. chopped fresh cilantro

Directions

Nutrition information per serving:

Calories490Fat31 gSodium310 mg

Carbohydrates44 gSaturated fat6 gTotal sugars6 g

Protein14 gCholesterol15 mgDietary fiber13 g

Serves 4 to 6.

For the dressing:

• 1 1/2 c. regular or low-fat mayonnaise

• 3/4 c. Heinz ketchup

• 1 tbsp. sherry vinegar

• 1 tbsp. Sriracha

• 1 tbsp. plus 2 1/2 tsp. Dijon mustard

• 2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

• 1/2 tsp. kosher salt, or more as needed

• 2/3 c. minced cornichons (from 4 oz.; may substitute sweet gherkins)

• 2 tbsp. large eggs, hard-cooked and grated

• 2 oz. freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

For the salad:

• 1 pint cherry tomatoes, cut into halves or quarters

• 2 c. green beans, blanched and cut into 1-inch pieces (see Note)

• 1/2 medium zucchini, cut lengthwise in half and then crosswise into very thin slices (preferably with a mandoline)

• 2 oz. mild Cheddar cheese, cut into small dice

• 2 heads green leaf or butter lettuce, cut into 1/2-in. pieces (see Note)

• 2 strips cooked bacon, cut into 1/4-in. pieces

• 2 eggs, hard-cooked and separated into whites and yolks, then grated

• 20 chives, minced

For the dressing: Whisk together the mayonnaise, ketchup, vinegar, Sriracha, lemon juice, mustard, Worcestershire sauce and salt in a mixing bowl until well blended. Stir in the cornichons, onion and eggs. Taste, and add more salt and/or lemon juice, as needed. Yield is about 4 cups.

For the cheese crisps: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone liner. Line a plate with paper towels.

Portion the cheese into 2-teaspoon piles, spacing them about 1 inch apart and pressing them down slightly. Bake (middle rack) for about 6 minutes, or until golden and melted. Let cool on the baking sheet, then transfer to the paper towel-lined plate to drain before using.

For the salad: Combine the tomatoes, green beans, zucchini, radishes (to taste), Cheddar cheese and lettuce in a mixing bowl. Add 1 1/2 cups of the dressing and toss to coat. Taste, and add more of the dressing; you want the salad components to be evenly and well coated.

Divide among individual bowls or plates, then top each serving with some of the bacon, the cheese crisps (breaking them up as you go), grated egg whites and yolks. Sprinkle with the chives and serve right away.

Calories270Fat16 gSodium800 mg

Carbohydrates19 gSaturated fat5 gTotal sugars9 g

Protein14 gCholesterol125 mgDietary fiber6 g

Serves 1 to 2.

Note: Don't worry about the length of the ingredient list for this crunchy salad: You're picking up almost everything at the grocery store salad bar, and the dressing takes 3 minutes to assemble. Much of the basic prep is done and this makes just enough for one large dinner salad, or two smaller salads. For measuring purposes, a "tongs' worth" is about the amount you can reasonably pick up using those black plastic salad bar tongs. The dressing can be refrigerated for up to 3 days. From Bonnie S. Benwick.

• 2 tbsp. creamy peanut butter, preferably natural style

• 1 small garlic clove, minced

• 1 tbsp. plus 1 tsp. low-sodium soy sauce or tamari

• 1 tbsp. plain rice vinegar

• 1 tbsp. water

• 2 tbsp. sunflower or canola oil

• Pinch sugar, or more as needed

• 2 tsp. sesame seeds, preferably roasted

For the salad:

• 2 tongs' worth pea shoots, coarsely chopped

• 1 tongs' worth sliced red bell pepper cut into smaller pieces, if desired

• 2 or 3 spoonfuls thickly sliced cucumber, cut into 1/2-in. pieces

• 1 tongs' worth thinly sliced red or white onion

• 3 spoonfuls shelled, cooked edamame

• 2 spoonfuls chopped green onions

• 3 tbsp. unsalted peanuts, coarsely chopped

Directions

For the dressing: Whisk together the peanut butter, garlic, soy sauce or tamari, rice vinegar, water, toasted sesame oil, sunflower or canola oil in a liquid measuring cup, until smooth. Taste and add the sugar as needed, stirring to blend well. Sprinkle in the sesame seeds. Yield is about 1/3 cup.

For the salad: Combine the pea shoots, asparagus, red bell pepper, cucumber, onion, edamame, green onions and the salmon, if using, in a mixing bowl. Add half the dressing and toss to coat evenly. Taste, then add some or all the remaining dressing. Top with the peanuts. Eat straight out of the bowl.

Nutrition information per each of 2 servings with total of half the dressing used:

Carbohydrates26 gSaturated fat4 gTotal sugars7 g