Salad Fries

Yes, you heard correctly. These are French fries with salad on top. You may be asking why I would do this, or maybe you’re already on my wave length in thinking that this is a genius creation- either way, you need to give these a try. The idea for putting salad on fries had been swirling around in my head for quite sometime, so one Sunday afternoon, I decided to give them a try. I told my husband that I was making salad fries for lunch and, if my memory serves me well, he replied with three comments. “What is that?”, to which I proceeded to share my apparently outlandish idea about making a salad and putting it on top of French fries. He followed with, “Why would we do that?”, and a very firm, “I don’t think I will like them”.

Ha. I am very happy to say that he was wrong. A week or two later, a friend came over for dinner and I very confidently (emboldened by the new salad fry convert in my husband) told her that we were going to make salad fries. Her initial response was similar to that of my husband, but by two bites in, I had another ally in the fight to make salad fries a real thing. So, I warn you not to dismiss these babies with an eye roll or a shake of the head, but maybe, one day when you’re feeling a little adventurous, whip up a batch of salad fries…I am certain that you won’t be sorry.  

Notes

-This is more of an idea or concept than a specific recipe and you can use any fries and salad that strikes your fancy. You can find my favorite French fries here, but I have also made these using Trader Joe’s frozen French fries and they are still delicious so you do you. 

-The salad that the fries are topped with is a play on a Greek salad using a family recipe for a homemade Italian vinaigrette. When I was little, I have vivid memories of sleepovers at my Aunt Mary’s house on Friday nights. My favorite part of the slumber party was Saturday morning breakfast, when my aunt, my cousin and I would crowd into the kitchen and spend the morning scrambling eggs and frying bacon. The thing that my Aunt Mary was known in our family for, though, was her homemade salad dressing. There was never a family meal where a cobalt blue glass bottle filled with this salad dressing was not present. When my family moved to Florida, this salad dressing became harder to come by. We would bring home a few bottles from our summer trips back to North Carolina and try to ration it so that we wouldn’t run out before the next visit. This dressing is super easy to throw together and can be kept in the fridge for a few weeks and is good on any greens that are in need of a little love.

Salad Fries

Your favorite French fries (I like these)

For the dressing: 

3/4 cup olive oil (Sometimes I do half of this as sunflower, grapeseed, or avocado oil so that the olive oil isn’t too overpowering)

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

1 tsp dijon mustard

2 cloves garlic crushed

1 tsp oregano

salt and pepper to taste

For the salad

mixed greens

1/4 cup sliced cherry tomatoes

1/4 cup chopped olives

3-4 chopped artichoke hearts

2 oz crumbled feta 

For the herbed yogurt sauce:

1/2 cup greek yogurt

1-2 garlic cloves, minced

1 tsp lemon juice

2-3 tbsp of chopped fresh herbs (mint, oregano, parsley, basil)

salt and pepper to taste 

1. Mix all dressing ingredients together in a jar and shake well to combine. 

2. Mix together salad ingredients and dressing, toss to combine. 

3. To serve: Place your French fries on a serving platter or plate, drizzle with yogurt sauce and top with salad.

Brothy Pasta with Greens

Greens are probably my favorite vegetable. They are like little chameleon leaves that take on the flavors of whatever they are cooked with and that versatility makes them a staple in my refrigerator. I am always on the hunt for a new, under the radar green that I can slip into any and every dish in my kitchen. I also especially like anything that has been simmered with lots of garlic and covered in parmesan cheese and that's exactly that luxurious treatment that this broccoli rabe gets here. You can substitute any greens that you have on hand, but hearty leaves will hold up to the broth better than softer ones. 

Growing up in an Italian family, we had some very regular staples in our weekly meal rotations. My mom made two different soups two-pot soups that served as my inspiration for this recipe. These types of soups (or brothy pasta dishes) require few ingredients and take very little time to put together- perfect for a last-minute weeknight dinner. 

You start by cooking your pasta in a heavily salted pot of boiling water. You can use any short pasta that you want, I chose ditalini for this recipe because I think they are super cute and I had half of a box already in my pantry. While your pasta is cooking, you sauté a lot of garlic and greens in some butter and olive oil with mushrooms and a little red pepper until your garlic is fragrant and your greens are wilty. At this point, chicken broth is added and the simmering continues. *Note: If you have a few parmesan rinds in your refrigerator begging to be used, you can toss one or two into the broth as it simmers. It will not disappoint and everyone will thank you.*

This is the most important part of cooking any pasta, any time. SAVE YOUR PASTA WATER. Do not pour it all down the drain! You don't have to save it all, I usually reserve about a cup because you never know when you are going to need it. After you drain your pasta, add it to your greens and broth and stir until everything is coated. If it seems like you need a little more liquid, add some of your pasta water until you get the consistency that you want. Salt and pepper and serve with some grated parmesan cheese...maybe will some crusty bread and some white wine and you are in business. 

Brothy Pasta with Greens

Yield: Approximately 5 servings

8 oz ditalini pasta, cooked 

2 tablespoons butter

1-2 tablespoons olive oil

4 cloves of garlic, chopped

1/2 cup mushrooms, sliced

2 cups broccoli rabe, roughly chopped

1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper

1 1/2 cups broth (you can use chicken or vegetable)

1/2 cup pasta water (reserved from cooking)

Salt and pepper to taste

Grated parmesan for serving .

1. In a large skillet, heat butter and olive oil. Add garlic, mushrooms, and crushed red pepper and sauté for 2-3 minutes until garlic is fragrant. Add chopped broccoli rabe and let cook for another 2-3 minutes until greens are starting to wilt.

2. Add broth and bring to a simmer. Simmer for about 4-5 minutes and then add pasta. Add extra pasta water if more liquid is needed. Salt and pepper to taste.

3. Serve topped with lots of parmesan cheese.