Big Italian Salad With Cold Cuts Food

BIG ITALIAN SALAD

Steps:

• Make the dressing: Combine all dressing ingredients in a food processor and blitz to blend.
• Place all of the salad ingredients except for the cheese in a large bowl. Right before serving, add about half of the dressing and toss well. Add more dressing little by little as necessary; be sure to dress greens very generously, otherwise salad will be bland. Toss in the cheese, then taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper, if necessary.
• Note: Ricotta salata is an Italian sheep's milk cheese that has a salty, slightly tangy flavor, almost like a dry Italian feta. It is not the same as the wet ricotta in the tub. You can find it at Whole Foods, gourmet grocers or specialty cheese shops.
• Note: Nutritional information was calculated assuming ½ cup of ricotta salata and all of the dressing was used.

ITALIAN CHOPPED SALAD

Steps:

• Place the red onion in a small bowl and cover with cold water (this step keeps the onion's flavor but removes some of its harsh aftertaste). Let sit while you prepare the rest of the salad.
• Place the sun-dried tomatoes in a separate bowl and cover with hot water to rehydrate. Let sit while you prepare the rest of the salad.
• Peel the kale leaves off of the stems and discard the stems. Chop the leaves into very thin ribbons. You will have about 6 cups. Place in a very large mixing bowl and sprinkle with a pinch of kosher salt. Grab the kale by big handfuls, massaging it with your hands until it turns dark green in color, feels softer, and is fragrant. Don't skip this step! It makes the kale tender and delicious.
• To the bowl, add the romaine, cherry tomatoes, chickpeas, cheese, salami (if using), pepperoncini, and olives.
• Mix up the dressing: in a large liquid measuring cup or small mixing bowl, whisk together all of the ingredients-olive oil, vinegar, mustard, garlic, honey, oregano, salt, and pepper. Alternatively, you can shake all of the ingredients together in a mason jar with a tight-fitting lid.
• Drain the red onion and sun-dried tomatoes. Add to the bowl with the romaine mixture.
• If serving the salad all at once, drizzle enough dressing on to lightly coat it, then toss to combine (when in doubt, start with less dressing. It's easy to over dress a salad!). Or, if you are serving the salad over a series of days, toss the salad without the dressing to combine, then dress only the portion you plan to eat right away. Taste and add extra salt or pepper as desired.

BIG ITALIAN SALAD WITH COLD CUTS

Steps:

• Make the dressing: Whisk together all of the ingredients in a medium bowl and set aside.
• Make the salad mix: Spin dry all the lettuces, celery, parsley, and onion in a salad spinner. Wrap in paper towels to dry thoroughly and refrigerate.
• Meanwhile, halve the cherry tomatoes and olives and transfer to a very large bowl. Shave the cheese with a vegetable peeler to yield 1 cup. Reserve some of the shaved cheese for garnish and add the remaining cheese to the bowl.
• Remove the vegetables from the paper towels and add to the bowl. Season with fleur de sel. Add the dressing and toss to coat. Taste and adjust the seasoning, if necessary. Scatter the salami and reserved cheese over the top and serve immediately. Alternatively, prepare the salad mix and refrigerate for up to 3 days. Toss each serving with some of the dressing, as needed.

COCONUT MANGO SALAD WITH SHRIMP

Steps:

• Heat a medium skillet on medium and add oil. When you see a wisp of white smoke, add the shrimp and lightly saute them for about 1 minute, then reduce the heat to low. Add the shallots, garlic and Thai chilies and cook them for an additional minute, until the shrimp are just cooked through.
• Turn off the heat. Stir in the lime juice, fish sauce and sugar. Stir it until the sugar is dissolved. Transfer the shrimp and dressing to a serving plate. Allow to cool for a few minutes. When ready to serve, arrange the mango, coconut and red onion in the serving bowl. Toss to combine, and garnish with scallions and cashews.

NEW ORLEANS MUFFALETTA

Steps:

• Chop all vegetables and add all salad ingredients.
• Marinate overnite.
• Cut bread in half and remove some of the middle to make room for salad.
• Spread both halves of bread with olive salad, pressing down.
• Top one side with cheese and meats.
• Carefully close bread and wrap with aluminum foil.
• Bake in oven @ 350 for about 10-15 minutes or until cheese is melted.
• Add lettuce, if desired and cut into wedges.

ITALIAN STALLION SALAD

Steps:

• On a small cutting board, lay down a piece of plastic wrap, about 2 feet long. Stack the provolone cheese in the center in a roughly 5-inch area. Layer the sopresetta on top of the provolone followed by layers of salami, basil leaves, prosciutto, and mozzarella. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap, place in refrigerator, a 1/2 hour, with a heavy plate on top to press mixture together.
• In a large salad bowl, toss together lettuces, pepperoncini, peppadew and olives.
• In a small bowl combine balsamic vinegar, oregano, parsley, thyme, garlic, salt and pepper. Slowly whisk in oil to incorporate.
• Remove cheese and meat stack from refrigerator and slice it into 2 1/2-inch strips that are 1/4-inch thick. Add dressing to salad and toss. Decorate top with meat and cheese pressed slices. Garnish with Parmesan.