| | | |  Today is going to be all about the wedge salad. In the salad world wedge salads deliver the most payoff for the least amount of effort. There are few things simpler. Cut a head of iceberg lettuce into quarters, top with a favorite dressing, and flare it out with a few toppings. Done. It rides high on any plate and always brings the drama. And as much as I love a wedge salad, I love a grilled wedge salad even more. Add a minute or so on the grill before dressing and you have a gorgeous grilled wedge that you can serve alongside whatever else is coming off your grill, for example tofu burgers, or grilled versions of your favorite tartine. My version features a not-shy spicy ranch dressing along with pine nuts, and lots of chives.  The recipe is below, but if you have questions about substitutions, swaps, or all the different ways to riff on this salad, please refer to my site. I go into a lot more detail there, and there's a printable version of the recipe on that page as well. | | |  When I run low on Champagne vinegar, apple cider vinegar is a good swap here. Also, if you want to thin the dressing a bit, add an extra splash of the buttermilk. You can also use other sturdy lettuces in place of the iceberg called for here, Romaine and heads of little gems are good alternatives. INGREDIENTS - 1/2 cup / 100g sour cream
- 1/2 cup / 100g buttermilk
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus more for grilling
- 2 teaspoons Champagne vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 tablespoons minced chives, plus more for serving
- 1 tablespoon sriracha, curry paste, or salsa negra
- 1-2 medium heads of iceberg lettuce
- for serving: crunchy kale chips, toasted nuts
INSTRUCTIONS - Combine the sour cream, buttermilk, olive oil, vinegar, salt, onion powder, garlic powder, chives, and sriracha in a jar. Stir until well combined.
- Prep your grill by getting it nice and hot. Cut the iceberg lettuce into quarters through the core and stem - this way they hold together. Brush each wedge with a generous amount of olive oil, and get ready to put them on the grill. It will go fast, so don't walk away. Quickly arrange the lettuce wedges cut side down across the hottest zones of your grill. Leave them there for 30-45 seconds, or long enough to take on some color. Then, quickly (and carefully) turn each wedge onto its second cut side, for another 30-45 seconds, remove quickly onto individual plates or a family-style platter.
- Serve drizzled with the dressing and lots of crushed kale chips, toasted nuts (pine nuts and pistachios pictured here), and you can never have enough chives. You'll likely have plenty of leftover dressing, it keeps, refrigerated, for 4-5 days.
Serves 4-8. | | |  The foundation of classic artichoke dip is basically the following: a can of artichokes (drained & chopped), a cup of mayonnaise, and about a cup of freshly grated Parmesan cheese. The ratio might be slightly different depending on the cook, but many recipes for artichoke dip build on this adding garlic and other seasonings from there. My take-away? That's a lot of mayo. Some recipes use an even higher ratio. The version I make hits all the crowd-pleasing notes of the classic version, but it cuts way back on the mayo-bomb aspect. Guess what? No-one can tell the difference. I still use a bit of mayo, but incorporate some silken tofu and greek yogurt. I also up the ratio of artichokes to creamy ingredients. You still get indulgent goodness of the original, but this version puts the artichokes back up front, delivers some protein with the tofu and yogurt, and still retains the spirit of the party dip few of us can resist. Sometimes silken tofu can be hard to find. No worries, I've had success using medium firm regular tofu as well - just stay clear of the firm and extra-firm varieties. See lots of variation ideas up in the post above. Also, feel free to use frozen artichokes (thaw first) - use one pound. INGREDIENTS - 2 (14-ounce) cans or jars of water-packed artichokes, well drained
- 4 ounces silken tofu
- 3 large cloves garlic
- 1/2 cup parmesan, pecorino or gruyere cheese, freshly grated
- 1/3 cup plain (or Greek) yogurt
- 1/3 cup mayonnaise
- 1/4 teaspoon fine grain sea salt, or to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- more grated cheese to sprinkle on top
INSTRUCTIONS - Preheat oven to 350F degrees. In a blender or food processor puree the artichokes, tofu, and garlic.
- Add the grated cheese, yogurt, mayonnaise, salt, and cayenne to the blended mixture and stir by hand until well combined.
- Pour the mixture into a medium-sized baking dish (or multiple smaller dishes). Sprinkle the top with more grated cheese. Bake uncovered until heated through and the cheese on the top starts to brown, about 45 minutes. If you aren't getting good browning, use your broiler for the last few minutes but keep an eye on things to prevent burning.
Makes 2 1/2 cups. | | | | | | | | |
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