Those are salads with names and distinct identities. But we Angelenos can (and do!) turn anything into a salad. A can of tuna has inspired endless salads<\/a> including, it would be only fair to mention, salad Ni\u00e7oise (the classic French salad composed of tuna, green beans, tomatoes, hard-boiled eggs, anchovies and olives). Shredded chicken<\/a> has infinite possibilities in Salad City. And I once ordered a sushi salad at a Japanese restaurant (albeit in San Diego) that featured a platter of lightly dressed tender greens with edamame and pickled ginger thrown in and, yes, slices of sushi-grade raw fish. It was fresh. Easy. Original. And it was a salad!<\/p>\n No time is fresh-and-easy deliciousness as important as it is in the summertime. Or should we say saladtime. A salad meal is often composed of leftovers, and dressing can be made in advance. Salads are cool and cooling and \u2014 whether you\u2019re planning a family meal, a Girl Dinner or a party \u2014 meal salads are often the answer.<\/p>\n To put together a meal salad of your own, first, think about a theme. If I were making a hamburger salad, the first thing I\u2019d do is think about a hamburger. I\u2019d take it apart in my mind, up the veggie component \u2014 iceberg, tomato, raw or grilled onion \u2014 and think about what else I like on my burger, such as bacon and pickles. Toss all but the burger patty<\/a> together with mustard vinaigrette<\/a> or blue cheese dressing<\/a> (because mustard and blue cheese are things I would love on any burger) and put the patty \u2014 any patty, leftover or prepared for the occasion \u2014 cut into quarters, on top. <\/p>\n Are you getting the freewheeling, can\u2019t-go-wrong picture?<\/p>\n I have a friend who takes the sweetest, richest, deep-fried Chinese favorite \u2014 like orange chicken or sweet-and-sour pork. Tosses mixed Asian greens with a light dressing of sesame oil and lime juice, and then adds the chunks of meat, transforming something decadent and heavy (deep fried and drenched in sweet sticky sauce) into a salad meal that you might even call refreshing! <\/p>\n It\u2019s the Asian version of the more common (but not as common as it should be) fried chicken salad, wherein boneless fried chicken<\/a> tenders or cubes are tossed with lettuce (I\u2019d use fris\u00e9e) and whatever dressing you want (I\u2019d go with buttermilk dressing <\/a>to reflect the buttermilk that the chicken is marinated in) and anything else you might like with fried chicken \u2014 such as potatoes, bacon or corn.<\/p>\n Steak salad is a personal favorite because I like steak but in small portions, more as a condiment than a main event. To make one, first cook your perfect steak<\/a>. Then decide on your \u201cgreens,\u201d which might not be green. (I like mine with radicchio.) Choose your dressing \u2014 sherry vinaigrette<\/a> is my go-to for this. Slice the steak. Add anything you might like with steak, like roasted potatoes or a cubed baked potato, grilled onions, fresh or slow-roasted tomatoes, boiled potatoes and \/ or shaved Parmesan cheese. Toss and enjoy.<\/p>\n I\u2019ve made many Asian chicken salads<\/a>. And really. They\u2019re all good. You almost can\u2019t go wrong with that winning combination of sweet, salty, and crunchy, all conveniently served under the guise of \u201chealthy\u201d eating. But IYKYK: There\u2019s one that stands above the rest. Unless someone can persuade Joan McNamara to share her top-secret recipe for the Joan\u2019s on Third<\/a> Chinese chicken salad \u2014 a mountain of shredded iceberg lettuce laced with crispy wonton strips, delicate thin fried rice noodles, sliced velveted chicken and sliced toasted almonds, all tossed together with a mysterious emulsified sweet dressing \u2014 we\u2019ll have to go out for that one.<\/p>\n Joan?<\/p>\n Eating out this week? Sign up for Tasting Notes<\/a> to get our restaurant experts\u2019 insights and off-the-cuff takes on where they\u2019re dining right now.<\/p>\n Japanese Barbecue Salmon Salad<\/p>\n Twenty years after it was published, this combination of flavors \u2014 slightly sweet marinated salmon, crunchy cucumbers, and avocado \u2014 is still a winner. The only thing I\u2019d do differently? I\u2019d toss the vegetables together rather than composing them in sections as they are here, and then break the salmon into large chunks with my hands and gently mix them in. (Ken Hively \/ Los Angeles Times)<\/p>\n Jar Chopped Salad<\/p>\n What I love about this salad from the steakhouse Jar is just how unexpected the combination of ingredients is \u2014 cabbage, fennel, carrots and onion \u2014 laced with prosciutto, shredded chicken, olives and feta in a slightly sweet, herby vinaigrette made of champagne and rice wine vinegar \u2014 and how well they work together. The vegetables used are also available in winter, so if you fall in love with this salad, as I have, you can enjoy it all year long. Chinois Chicken Salad<\/p>\n
Get the recipe.<\/a>
Cook time: 1 hour. Serves 4.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n
Get the recipe.<\/a>
Cook time: 30 minutes. Serves 2.<\/p>\n