Spinach salad with balsamico vinaigrette

For ➋
100-125 g spinach, rinsed & dried
2 small cucumbers or ½ cucumber
200 g grape or cherry tomatoes, halved
1 medium carrot, thinly sliced
shaved Parmigiano
balsamico vinaigrette

Rinse spinach and spin dry. Transfer to a large salad bowl.
Slice cucumbers, thinly slice carrots and halve cherry tomatoes. Toss all the veggies into the salad.
In a small bowl, combine the dressing ingredients: 2 tbs balsamico, 2 tbs olive oil, ½ ts salt and ¼ ts pepper. Briskly whisk or shake the dressing ingredients together.
Sprinkle the top with Parmigiano and drizzle the salad with balsamico vinaigrette.

Balsamico vinaigrette

For ➋
2 tbs balsamico
2 tbs extra virgin olive oil
½ ts salt
¼ ts pepper or to taste

In a small bowl, combine the dressing ingredients: 2 tbs balsamico, 2 tbs olive oil, ½ ts salt and ¼ ts pepper. Briskly whisk or shake the dressing ingredients together.>In a small bowl, combine the dressing ingredients: 2 tbs balsamico, 2 tbs olive oil, ½ ts salt and ¼ ts pepper. Briskly whisk or shake the dressing ingredients together.
Serve with spinach salad.

Lemony green salad

For ➍
1 large clove garlic, crushed (or grated, or mashed into a paste with a pinch of salt)
3 tbs olive oil
1 tbs good balsamic vinegar
1 tbs anchovy paste or finely chopped anchovies (or more to taste)*
1 tbs Worcestershire sauce
juice of 1 lemon (I always use a full lemon)
1 head crisp romaine lettuce, washed, dried, and torn or chopped into bite-sized pieces
1 stalk celery (2 stalks if small), sliced into half moons
½ cup grated Parmigiano cheese
salt, if needed, and lots of freshly ground black pepper to serve

Add garlic to a large salad bowl
Add olive oil and stir and let sit for a few minutes.
Add vinegar, anchovy, Worcestershire, and lemon juice, and stir. For a thicker dressing, add half the Parmigiano now. You can let this sit while you prepare the rest of your meal.
Dip a lettuce leaf in to taste your dressing. If it doesn't taste fiercely of lemon juice, garlic, and anchovy, add more of those, to taste. The balsamic and Worcestershire should be in the background.
Just before serving, add lettuce and celery and toss.
Add Parmigiano and freshly ground pepper before a final toss.
Serve immediately.

*Replace with salt for a completely vegetarian salad.

♥︎Fat-free orange vinaigrette

For ➍
4 tbs orange juice
2 tbs balsamic vinegar
1 tbs Dijon mustard
2 ts honey
⅛ ts coarsely ground black pepper

Put orange juice, vinegar, mustard, honey and pepper in a jar with tight-fitting lid. Shake until the ingredients are thoroughly mixed. 
Use with oriental or summer salads.

*The vinaigrette will keep a week in the fridge. Shake before serving.

Fish burgers with fennel & quinoa salad

For ➍
600 g pollack (or white seasonal fish, skinned)
3 scallions
1/2 red chilli
a few sprigs of coriander
1/2 lime or lemon
1 egg
60 g breadcrumbs (or panko)
4 tbs flour
dash bland cooking oil (eg. canola or peanut oil)
salt
quinoa & fennel salad
yogurt vinaigrette

Cut the fish into bite-size pieces. Mash in the food processor.
Separate the egg and add the egg whites, along with a splash of lime or lemon juice. Grind everything fine into a chunky puree.
Spoon the ground fish in a mixing bowl.
Clean the scallions and cut them into thin rounds. Cut the red chilli in tiny pieces, chop the coriander leaves and mix everything with the fish, with a pinch of salt.
Sprinkle ground breadcrumbs (or coarser panko) in a bowl.
Rinse your hands clean and dusted with a little flour.
Knead servings of fish mixture into equal patties (150 g a piece). Roll in the breadcrumbs and press gently.
Heat a splash of oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Fry the fish burgers patiently. Give them time to yarn to the core, without burning the outside.
Pour the quinoa & fennel salad. Spoon some of the yogurt vinaigrette over the fruity green and serve the remaining sauce in a separate container.
Place the freshly fried fish burgers on top and garnish the dish with coriander. Serve immediately.

Yogurt vinaigrette dressing

For ➍
1.5 dl (full) natural yogurt
1 tbs white wine vinegar
1 tbs honey
 saved grapefruit juice
 pepper &  salt

Put yogurt in a jar. Add the saved grapefruit juice from the salad.
Add some honey and wine vinegar, freshly ground pepper and a little salt.
Mix the yogurt vinaigrette.
Add to a fennel & quinoa salad.

Miso & mushroom omelet with kale salad

For ➍
1 tbs miso paste
4 eggs
1 tbs olive oil
200 g mushrooms, chopped
200 g kale, chopped, tough stems discarded (2 x volume of mushrooms)*
½ ts kosher salt
25 g unsalted chopped raw pecans or walnuts
75 g grated pecorino Romano cheese
for the vinaigrette*
1 clove garlic, finely minced
½ ts kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper
4 tbs freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 ts chile oil or chile sauce (optional)
2 tbs extra virgin olive oil
2 ts Dijon mustard
2 ts honey

Make the salad dressing by combining the vinaigrette ingredients in a jar with a tight fitting lid and shake well to combine. Taste and add more salt as needed.
Whisk the miso paste with the eggs. Heat a frying pan over medium-high heat and swirl in the olive oil. Add in the mushrooms and sauté for 2 m, or until mushrooms softened. Add in the egg and turn the heat to medium. Let cook for 2 m. Cover and let cook for an additional 1-2 m or until eggs are set.
While eggs are cooking, place the kale in a large bowl. Sprinkle with salt. Using massaging motion, rub the kale leaves together to break up and soften the kale.
When ready to serve, slice omelet in strips. Toss kale with some of the dressing, chopped nuts and pecorino Romano cheese. Serve with omelet.

*use broccoli or cavalo nero instead

**use about ¼

Mint marinated fennel salad

For ➍-➏
1 large fennel bulb (or 2 medium bulbs)
1½ ts  sugar
2 tbs lemon juice
5 cl olive oil
½ ts  mustard
½ ts  salt
1 tbs chopped fresh mint
2 ts minced shallot or onion

Make the vinaigrette. Put the lemon juice, shallot, mustard, salt, sugar and mint in a blender and pulse briefly to combine. With the motor running, drizzle in the olive oil until it is well combined.
Using a mandoline, shave the fennel into 0.3 cm slices starting from the bottom of the bulb. If you don’t have a mandoline, slice the bulb as thin as you can. Chop some of the fennel fronds as well to toss in with the salad.
Toss with the fennel and marinate for at least 1 h.
Serve this salad either cold or at room temperature.

Lemon & mustard vinaigrette

For ➍
1 tbs lemon juice
2 tbs white wine vinegar
1 tbs Dijon mustard
1½ ts fresh lemon zest
1¼ ts fresh tarragon, chopped
1¼ ts salt
⅛ ts black pepper
1 small garlic clove, crushed and finely chopped
4 tbs olive oil, half light and half extra virgin

Put all ingredients in a glass jar, seal with a lid, and shake until ingredients are well incorporated.
Refrigerate leftovers.

This twist on classic vinaigrette tastes perfect tossed with mixed greens, risoni or drizzled over tuna niçoise.

Spinach salad with warm bacon vinaigrette

For ➍
100 g baby spinach
2 large white button mushrooms, thinly sliced
¼ small or medium red onion, very thinly sliced*
1 large egg, hard-boiled, chilled, peeled & thinly sliced**
4 pieces thick-sliced bacon (about 100 g), finely diced
2 tbs red wine vinegar
½ ts honey
½ ts smooth (Dijon) mustard
coarse salt & freshly ground black pepper to taste

Place spinach in a large, wide salad serving bowl. Scatter with mushrooms, red onion* and coins of hard-boiled egg.
In a large skillet, fry bacon bits over medium-high heat until brown and crisp and having rendered their fat.
Use a slotted spoon to scoop them out of the skillet and spread them on a piece of paper towel briefly before sprinkling them over the salad.
Pour out all but 2 tbs of hot bacon fat from the skillet. Reheat over medium and quickly whisk in the red wine vinegar, honey and Dijon*. Pour over entire salad and season salt and pepper.
Toss gently and serve hot.

*Add the raw onion to the dressing in the skillet for the last 10 s to soften it and remove more of the bite, and pour the onions and dressing over the salad together.
**Put eggs in cold water. Bring it to a boil over high heat. Once boiling, set a timer to exactly 10 m, and reduce the heat to medium. Plunge egg in icy water to stop cooking immediately and chill quickly.

Warm mushroom salad with hazelnuts & pecorino

For ➍
50 g hazelnuts
2 tbs finely diced shallots
3 tbs sherry or a white wine vinegar
9 tbs extra-virgin olive oil
1 kg button or assorted mushrooms, cleaned & sliced
2 tbs salted butter
175 g salad greens such as frisé or arugula
25 g mix of fresh herbs (chives, tarragon...)
1 ts fresh thyme or a couple pinches of dried
1-2 sliced shallots
125 g pecorino or Parmigiano

Preheat the oven to 190°C. Toast the hazelnuts on a baking sheet for 8 to 10 m, rolling them around once or twice to make sure they toast evenly. Rub nuts in a dish towel to remove skins then let cool. Chop the hazelnuts coarsely.
Whisk the shallots, vinegar, ½ ts salt together in a bowl and let sit for 5 m (this will soften and almost pickle the shallots), before whisking in 5 tbs olive oil.
Heat a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add 2 tbs olive oil and 1 tbs butter until the butter foams. Add half the mushrooms, half the thyme and season with salt and pepper. Sauté the mushrooms for about 5 m, until they’re softened but not limp (cooking time will depend on the type of mushrooms).
Transfer mushrooms to a plate then repeat with the second half. When they are cooked, return the first half of the mushrooms to the pan then toss in sliced shallots, cooking for an additional 2 m.
Spread salad greens on a plate. Sprinkle fresh herbs on top, if using. Spoon hot mushrooms over the salad greens. Pour three-quarters of the vinaigrette in the sauté pan and swirl it in the pan until heated. Season it with ¼ ts salt and freshly ground black pepper. Pour over salad and toss carefully.
Use a vegetable peeler to shave cheese over the salad. Sprinkle with hazelnuts. Serve immediately.

Samphire salad with shrimps & shiitake

For ➍
300 g fresh samphire, raw or cooked & cooled

20 prawns, cooked & peeled

50 g shiitake, sliced

+/- 5 tbs of ginger vinaigrette

1 ts toasted sesame seeds

Wash and dry the samphire. 

Divide the salad of samphire, the shiitake and shrimps about 4 bowls or glasses.

Sprinkle with sesame seeds and pour over the dressing before serving.

Seared salmon & fennel salad

For ➍
2 medium fennel bulb, thinly sliced, fronds reserved
2 bunches (about 200 g) rucola, stemmed
4 salmon fillets (150 g each), skin on, scaled, pin bones removed, skin dried*
sea salt & freshly ground pepper
3 tbs olive oil
vinaigrette:
4 tbs extra virgin olive oil
1 ts grated lemon zest
2 ts fresh lemon juice
1 clove garlic, minced
½ ts sugar
¾ ts sea salt
freshly ground pepper

In a small jar with a tight-fitting lid, combine the extra–virgin olive oil, lemon zest and juice, garlic, sugar, salt, and lots of pepper. Cover tightly and shake vigorously to blend. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Set aside.

Chop the fennel fronds (3 tbs). In a large bowl, combine the fennel, 2 tbs of the fennel fronds (saving the rest for garnish), and the rucola. Toss lightly to mix and set aside.

Season the salmon on all sides with a little salt and pepper. Place a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat. When the skillet is hot, swirl 3 tbs of olive oil to coat the pan. Add the salmon, skin side down, and cook until the skin is crisp, about 4 m. Carefully turn the salmon and cook until the fillets are almost opaque throughout, but still very moist, about 4 m more. Transfer to a warm plate.

Shake the dressing vigorously again and then toss the salad with it. Arrange the salad on 4 dinner plates. Place a salmon fillet in the center, on top of the salad, garnish with the remaining fennel fronds, and serve immediately. A white Rhône wine will fit perfectly.

*To skin-dry salmon (or any other fish), remove as much water of the skin as possible. Draw a knife blade back and forth over the fish, the way a wiper blade moves across a windshield. The pressure compresses the skin and squeezes the water to the surface, and the knife blade carries it away. Repeat this until no more water rises to the surface. Wipe the knife blade clean with a paper towel to remove what looks like grayish scum.

Read a similar recipe: grilled salmon & fennel salad.

Southern spinach salad with vinaigrette

For ➍
250 g fresh (baby) spinach

apple cider vinegar vinaigrette
crumbled cooked bacon, for garnish*

Wash spinach and let dry.

Refrigerate spinach and dressing separately until serving time.

Pour dressing over spinach just before serving and toss.

If desired, sprinkle with crumbled bacon*.

*Optional. Replaces the honey roasted pecan nuts as topping in the vinaigrette.

Apple cider vinegar vinaigrette

For ➍/ app. 15 cl
10 cl/6 tbs apple cider vinegar
2 ts grated sweet or purple onion
60 g cup granulated sugar
½ ts dry mustard
½ ts salt
3 tbs vegetable oil
2 finely chopped apples
honey roasted pecan nuts*

Whisk together sugar, vinegar, onion, mustard, salt, oil and apple. Or pulse a few times in blender.

Refrigerate dressing until serving time.

Use for dressing a romaine lettuce salad, rucola or spinach salad. Pour dressing over just before serving and toss. Top with pecan nuts*.

*Optional.

Lime vinaigrette

For 75 cl
2 egg yolks
1 ts mustard
juice of 2 lemons, zest of 1 lime
2 tbs ginger syrup
10 cl vegetable stock
50 cl grape seed oil
10 cl lemon or grape oil
salt

Mix egg yolks with the mustard, lime juice and zest in the blender. Add syrup and ginger stock. Leave the blender running at medium high setting and gradually pour in a thin stream of grape seed oil and lemon to bind the vinaigrette. Season with some salt. Pour the vinaigrette into a clean, dry bottle.

Chilled it can last 4 days.

Serve with scallops & sea vegetables.

Salade lyonnaise (French poached egg salad)

For ➊
1 handful frisee lettuce, torn into small pieces
2 strips bacon, cooked & crumbled
3 tbs croutons
1 poached egg
shallot vinaigrette

Layer a chilled salad plate with torn frisee, crumbled bacon, croutons, and a poached egg.
Finish the poached egg salad with a drizzle of shallot vinaigrette.

More recipes from the Lyon region: goat cheese spread, matefaim salé, braised chicken with cream sauce.

Champagne vinaigrette

For ➊➏ servings
1 sweet-tart apple, peeled & shredded
15 cl Champagne (or white wine) vinegar
1½ ts fresh ginger, very finely chopped
1 ts lemon zest
1 tbs lemon juice
¼ t ground black pepper
½ ts salt
40 cl light olive oil

Place all ingredients in a jar. Shake until the dressing is well blended.

Alternately, you can vigorously whisk the ingredients in a small bowl until they are completed incorporated.

Oyster shallot vinaigrette

For 12 oysters
7 cl cider vinegar
⅓ tbs shallots, very finely chopped
⅓ ts black peppercorns, crushed

Mix the ingredients together and place in a glass jar.
Leave at room temperature for three days. Or slightly heat the ingredients for a few m and let the vinaigrette cool down for immediate use.Sprinkle over half opened oysters. Deep French creuses take the vinaigrette best.
Serve with a glass of cool Muscadet.

The vinaigrette can be used to enhance other foods like plain green salad or artichoke hearts. Add some croûtons. Use it f.i. in salade lyonnaise.