The best dishes are the simple ones like this Arugula Salad. This salad achieves an elegant flavor with just a few simple ingredients. You may want to serve this salad as a first course or pair it with grilled steak, grilled chicken, or a thin crust pizza.
Ingredients
Salad
5 oz. baby arugula (full grown works too)
2/3 cup sliced almonds, toasted
1/2 cup dried cranberries (sweetened variety)
1/2 cup shaved Parmigiano-Reggiano (1.5 oz)
Dressing
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 Tbsp honey
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
Make the dressing: In a small mixing bowl whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, honey and season with salt and pepper to taste. Chill for 15 minutes if time allows.
Slightly soften the dried cranberries in a bowl by covering with hot water. Let them sit for about 1 minute and the strain.
To assemble salad: Toss the arugula with about 2/3 of the dressing then on a serving platter or individual salad plates layer half the arugula, half the almonds, half the cranberries and half the parmesan.
Repeat layering then drizzle with remaining 1/3 of the dressing. Serve right away.
Chef's Notes:
1. Run a vegetable peeler along one of the flat sides of the Parmigiano-Reggiano to create about 1/2 cup cheese shavings
2. Use a canning jar instead of a bowl to make your salad dressing.
3. Added sliced apples to the salad instead of the dried cranberries or cherries
4. Substitute a good quality Balsamic vinegar in place of the lemon juice and honey
5. Experiment with other nuts like pistachios or walnuts