This is the perfect salad to compliment your Christmas dinner. The buttery avocados and the sweet Mandarins combine beautifully with the exotic Asian dressing.
You can toast the nuts and make the dressing couple of days ahead. Wash and chill the romaine ahead of time also. Peel and segment the mandarins up to 6 hours ahead; cover and chill.
ROMAINE SALAD WITH MANDARINS AND ASIAN DRESSING
(prep time 30 minutes. Makes 12 servings)
1/2 cup slivered almonds
4-5 mandarins or small clementines (about 1 1/2 lb.)
2 firm-ripe avocados (12 oz. total)
5 quarts bite-size pieces romaine lettuce leaves (about 2 heads)
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
In a 6 to 8 inch frying pan over medium-high heat, shake almonds often until lightly browned, about 7 minutes. Watch careful so you don’t burn them. Set aside.
If peel on mandarins is tight, use a knife to cut it and white membrane from fruit, then cut between inner membranes and fruit to release segments.
Discard the peel and membranes; reserve the juice for another use. If peel is loose, pull off and discard any loose membrane.
Peel and pit avocados; thinly slice into the bowl. Add the mandarins and about half the dressing and toss gently.
Add lettuce, almonds, sea salt and freshly ground pepper to bowl. Add additional dressing to lightly coat the lettuce. Mix gently.
ASIAN DRESSING
(makes about a cup) This dressing is wonderful with any tossed greens so I make double the recipe and always have it on hand.
In a medium sized bowl mix together the dry ingredients.
1 tsp. sugar,
1 tsp. dry mustard,
3/4 tsp. curry powder,
1/2 tsp. garlic powder,
1/2 tsp. sea salt salt,
A very generous amount of freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup red wine vinegar,
2 tb. white wine,
3 tb. spoons light soy sauce
3/4 cup good quality vegetable oil
In a small bowl mix the dry ingredients together.
In a medium size bowl whisk the red wine vinegar, the white wine and the soy sauce. Add the dry ingredients and whisk. Slowly whisk in the vegetable oil. You can store this dressing for several days in a covered jar in the refrigerator.
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- ROMAINE SALAD WITH MANDARINS AND ASIAN DRESSING
- prep time 30 minutes. Makes 12 servings)
- ½ cup slivered almonds
- 4-5 mandarins or small clementines (about 1½ lb.)
- 2 firm-ripe avocados (12 oz. total)
- 5 quarts bite-size pieces romaine lettuce leaves (about 2 heads)
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- ASIAN DRESSING
- makes about a cup) This dressing is wonderful with any tossed greens so I make double the recipe and always have it on hand.
- In a medium sized bowl mix together the dry ingredients.
- 1 tsp. sugar,
- 1 tsp. dry mustard,
- ¾ tsp. curry powder,
- ½ tsp. garlic powder,
- ½ tsp. sea salt salt,
- A very generous amount of freshly ground black pepper
- ¼ cup red wine vinegar,
- 2 tb. white wine,
- 3 tb. spoons light soy sauce
- ¾ cup good quality vegetable oil
- In a 6 to 8 inch frying pan over medium-high heat, shake almonds often until lightly browned, about 7 minutes. Watch careful so you don't burn them. Set aside.
- If peel on mandarins is tight, use a knife to cut it and white membrane from fruit, then cut between inner membranes and fruit to release segments.
- Discard the peel and membranes; reserve the juice for another use. If peel is loose, pull off and discard any loose membrane.
- Peel and pit avocados; thinly slice into the bowl. Add the mandarins and about half the dressing and toss gently.
- Add lettuce, almonds, sea salt and freshly ground pepper to bowl. Add additional dressing to lightly coat the lettuce. Mix gently.
- ASIAN DRESSING:
- In a small bowl mix the dry ingredients together.
- In a medium size bowl whisk the red wine vinegar, the white wine and the soy sauce. Add the dry ingredients and whisk. Slowly whisk in the vegetable oil. You can store this dressing for several days in a covered jar in the refrigerator.
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