Connoisseur Michael's Complicated Salad
A while ago some friends of mine discovered an assortment of recipes in a vegan cookbook. After combining the recipes and removing the vegan part we had what is called “The Complicated Salad”. It is both delicious and nutritious. While its preparation is not for the feint of heart the rewards of making this delightful meal are bountiful. Try not to get discouraged the first time you make salad – it is quite an endeavor. With each preparation things get easier and quicker. This a great salad to make with a friend, parsing out the responsibilities so no one feels overworked.
What you will need:
Field Greens
Avocado
Your choice of chicken, pork, shrimp, tofu or some combination
For the Roasted Tomato Vinaigrette:
4 plum tomatoes
1 ¼ cup olive oil
¼ cup red wine vinegar
Many garlic cloves
1 bunch cilantro
Salt and pepper
For the Quinoa Salad:
1 ½ cups dry quinoa
1 red bell pepper
1 red onion
1 package frozen corn
1 can black beans
1 bunch cilantro
¼ cup roasted tomato vinaigrette
For the BBQ Sauce:
1 ½ cups tomato paste
Chipotle peppers from a can with adobo sauce (3 or 4 usually does it)
2 Tbsp honey
1 cup apple cider vinegar
½ cup molasses
Many garlic cloves
Dried basil
1 cup water
Salt and Pepper
For the pumpkin seeds:
Pumpkin seeds
Smoked paprika or chili powder or chili powder and powdered cayenne pepper
Olive oil
Salt and pepper
In order to make The Complicated Salad as expeditiously as possible one to should do things in the following order – BBQ Sauce – marinade meat, Roasted Tomato Dressing, Pumpkin Seeds, Quinoa Salad, Cook Meat, Put Together Salad, Serve.
Let’s start with the BBQ Sauce. Throw all the ingredients together in a blender and blend until smooth. Taste and add whatever you feel necessary to make your tongue tingle with delight.
Cut the meat into thin strips (unless using shrimp which you would leave whole), put in bowl, and liberally pour BBQ Sauce over it – the meat should be completely smothered.
Reserve the leftover BBQ Sauce, this recipe should leave you with quite a bit left over, to use later for other cooking endeavors. The meat should marinade for as long a possible, but in reality it’s not that important since you’ll be cooking the meat in the BBQ Sauce. After the meat has set for a while in the sauce throw meat and sauce into a frying pan and cook through till done.
Next comes the Roasted Tomato Vinaigrette. Halve the plum tomatoes and put them cut side down on a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
Roast the tomatoes in a 400 degree oven for 20-25 minutes, until the skin is blistered and the flavors have concentrated. Keep the oven on after you’re done so you can use it for the Pumpkin Seeds.
Allow the tomatoes to cool a bit and then blend with the rest of the ingredients in a blender. Taste test and add whatever needs adding.
Onto the Pumpkin Seeds. Spread pumpkin seeds out a baking sheet and mix with the olive oil and spices until every seed is covered in spicy yum-yumness.
Throw in the already warm oven and bake until the seeds get brown and start to pop. Be careful, the seeds will continue to cook for a bit after you take them out of the oven.
The Quinoa Salad. While you’ve been doing all this work at the oven you should have had the quinoa boiling away on the stove top; follow the package directions.
Once the quinoa is done throw the frozen corn in right away so the heat of the quinoa unthaws the kernels.
Add the red onion, red bell pepper, can of black beans (drain the juice),
cilantro, and roasted tomato vinaigrette to taste.
Now to put the salad together. Start with a base of mixed greens and on top of that add the Quinoa Salad.
Top the Quinoa Salad with the meat and BBQ Sauce.
Atop the meat goes as much Roasted Tomato Vinaigrette as you wish.
Top the entire thing with half a sliced avocado
and then sprinkle with the Roasted Pumpkin Seeds.
This salad is healthy, delicious, filling, lasts for several days, and really cleans you out if you know what I mean. Use the extra BBQ Sauce and Vinaigrette for other lovely cooking endeavors. Enjoy!