We have met the salads, and they are ours

Rare is the dive bar that serves good food, which is why most people don't eat in bars unless they're very drunk or not very discerning eaters. (It should be noted that the latter often follows the former.) But there's one special bar in Brooklyn with a vague nautical theme where I make an exception. The food there is delicious, far better than it has any right to be considering the whole bar looks like someone's basement in the Midwest. I'd tell you where this wonderful place is, but then I'd have to fight you for a seat.*

Now think: what's the sketchiest thing you could order in a bar? A salad, hands down. But I promise you, this bar's green salad with cheddar, onions and pickles is one of the best salads I've ever tasted. And I wasn't even drunk.

We recreated it at home recently and added bacon - because, why not? And so I give you...

Green Salad with Onion, Pickles and Cheddar

Serves 2 as a first course

4 C chopped green lettuce
2 oz. white cheddar, sliced wafer-thin
2 green onions, sliced thin (or 1/4 small red onion)
4-6 T sliced cornichons or dill pickles
6 T olive oil
3 T sherry vinegar
Pinch of salt
Fresh ground black pepper
3 slices of thick-cut bacon (optional)

To make the dressing, whisk the olive oil, sherry vinegar, salt and pepper together in a small bowl. If you're substituting red onion like we did, I'd recommend mixing that in too so that it has a chance to soften a little while you assemble the rest of the ingredients. You could even pickle the onion if you're feeling fancy.

Cook and drain the bacon until it's crisp; set aside to cool and then crumble into bite-size pieces. (If you're vegetarian, feel free to skip this step.)

Place the lettuce in a large bowl and mix in the dressing. Add the pickles, bacon and onion and mix well. Add the cheddar once the salad is plated. This last method is a tip from Healthy Appetite chef Ellie Krieger: adding high-calorie toppings at the end makes it seem like you have more and you'll feel more satiated than if they're hidden in the dish.


*Oh FINE. There's a clue in the title of this post. Just keep it between us when you figure it out, okay?

Brussels Sprouts for Haters

I've met many a sprout-hater in my life, and I promise you that this recipe - shamelessly passed off as my own for years even though it was ripped off from Blue Hill chef  Dan Barber - will make even the most anti-brussels-sprout person reconsider their feelings for the vegetable. It's plentiful this time of year at the farmers' market, but you'll do just as well with a fresh pint of whole sprouts at the grocery store while they're in season. It beats the pants off cooking them in butter, in my opinion, and it's easy enough for a weeknight meal but fancy enough (especially if you add some crisp cubes of pancetta) to serve at a holiday meal.

You'll be browning the sprouts face-down in the skillet on a stove top before roasting, so you'll need a large enough skillet to hold all the sprouts that's oven safe (such as cast iron) - or you can brown them in batches and roast together in the oven.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts with White Balsamic

Serves 2-3 as a side dish

2 C brussels sprouts
2 T extra virgin olive oil
3-4 T white balsamic vinegar, for de-glazing
Kosher salt
Freshly ground pepper (white pepper, if you have it)
3 T cubed pancetta, crisped and drained (optional)


Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Clean the brussels sprouts by trimming the tough stems, removing any yellowed outer leaves and halving them length-wise. Heat the olive oil in a large oven-save skillet on medium-high heat on the stove, then add a pinch of salt and a few grinds of fresh pepper. When the oil is hot, quickly place the brussels sprouts face down in the oil and cook until they begin to brown (about 4-6 minutes). Place in the oven and roast until the sprouts turn dark green and the bottoms are nice and dark brown. Return the pan to a medium flame on the stovetop and pour in the white balsamic vinegar, stirring the sprouts to coat evenly.

Two tips for that last step: 1) If you use a cast iron pan, it'll retain enough heat that you don't need to turn the stove back on to do this step. 2) Keep your face away from the pan. Just trust me when I say that you do not want a nose full of evaporating vinegar.


For more interesting takes on vegetable dishes, check out Eat Your Vegetables: Bold Recipes for the Single Cook