Blazing Salads for Freezing Nights
February 17, 2005

Nutritional guidelines urge us to eat five servings of fruits and vegetables every day but I find that a tough order to fill during the long Vermont winter. The only way I can possibly manage the veggie part is to eat one of my blazing salads. The ingredients are the stuff of a basic salad, but something extra satisfying happens when everything is stir-fried together and napped with a hot and garlicky aioli sauce. “The blazers” are a terrific antidote to take-out on a cold, busy evening.

On the way home from work I stop off at a salad bar and set up two of the larger containers. The first container holds the “8 minute sizzle stuff”: sliced onions, mushrooms, and bell peppers. The second container holds the “5 minute sizzle stuff”: shredded carrot, small broccoli florets, tomato, artichokes, olives- whatever vegetables you like. Then I top it off with a big hand full of fresh spinach and seal up the containers. I grab some whole wheat pita pouches or wraps, a hunk of cheese, and the freshest fruit I can find for dessert.

The moment I arrive home, I heat up a large non-stick pan and toss in a tiny bit of olive oil. When it’s hot, I dump in the contents of container number one and stir-fry for 8 minutes. I open container number two and reserve the spinach; this is added at the very last moment, barely wilted. I toss in the second set of veggies, cooking for another 5 minutes and season with kosher salt, a splash of sherry and some red pepper flakes.

While the food is cooking shred the cheese and whip together the aioli. My version is cheater’s heaven: mince 2- 3 garlic cloves and mix well with 1 cup of mayonnaise, 1 tablespoon of ketchup, 1 tablespoon of Dijon mustard, ¼ teaspoon (or less) red pepper flakes, and a pinch of kosher salt.

To serve, open the pitas, toss in a little cheese and add a big scoop of the blazing salad. A drizzle of the aioli and – yum- you are there! It’s amazing how simple such a healthy choice can be; keep blazing those salads and you won’t have to cop-out with take-out any time soon.  Serves 4-6.

Kim Dannies is a graduate of La Varenne Cooking School in France. She lives in Williston, VT with her husband, Jeff, and three college–aged daughters who come and go. ©2008