Ritas Salad Dressing Recipes

TRADITIONAL INDIAN RAITA

Can't take the heat? Then eat some raita. In India, the condiment is used to cool the palate.

Provided by Bon Appétit Test Kitchen

Categories Condiment/Spread No-Cook Low Fat Vegetarian Quick & Easy Yogurt Low Cal Healthy Low Cholesterol Bon Appétit

Yield Makes 1 cup

Number Of Ingredients 6

Traditional Indian Raita image

Steps:

Mix all ingredients in medium bowl. Season to taste with salt. Chill raita, covered, until ready to serve.

Ingredients

1/2 cup plain yogurt
1/2 cup chopped seeded English hothouse cucumber
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
2 teaspoons chopped green onions
1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

VIA CAROTA'S INSALATA VERDE

At Via Carota, the charming West Village restaurant run by the partners Jody Williams and Rita Sodi, the menu description for insalata verde does little to give away any details about what makes it so unbelievably, mouth-smackingly perfect. A visual inspection of the dish reveals only leaves of endive, butter lettuce, frisée and watercress all piled as high as gravity will allow, topped by a drizzle of dressing studded generously with shallots and mustard seeds. In truth, all the secrets of this otherworldly salad lay in the graceful, unlikely application of a flavorless one: water. First, the five carefully chosen types of lettuce are all triple-washed to yield what Williams called "a super happy salad." Next, the minced shallots are given a quick rinse under cold water - instead of a long maceration in vinegar - to keep them shalloty and savory and prevent them from becoming too acidic, which could overwhelm the delicate lettuces. And finally, and perhaps most surprising, Williams adds a spoonful of warm water to the vinaigrette. "We add warm water to make it more palatable," she explained. "Pure vinegar is just too strong - it assaults the taste buds. We want a salad dressing so savory and delicious that you can eat spoonfuls of it. We want you to be able to drink it!" This might just become your go-to vinaigrette. Spoon it liberally over everything from boiled asparagus to farro salad to steak and fish and roast chicken. It's so good that you might even be tempted to pour it into a glass and top it off with sparkling water.

Provided by Samin Nosrat

Categories salads and dressings

Time 15m

Yield 6 to 8 servings

Number Of Ingredients 15

Via Carota's Insalata Verde image

Steps:

Wash the greens: Fill a sink or large basin with tepid water. Remove any wilted or damaged leaves from the butter lettuce, romaine and endive. Trim each head at the root to release whole leaves. Leave butter-lettuce leaves whole, but halve large leaves of romaine and endive on the bias, then drop into water. Trim and discard any roots and long stems off watercress, and drop remaining leaves and tender stems into water. Trim and discard dark green outer leaves and tops from frisée until only light green and white parts remain. Trim at the root to release leaves, and drop into water. Swirl greens in water, then drain. Wash twice more in cool, then cold, water, then transfer to a salad spinner to dry. Gently wrap in clean dish towels, and set aside.
Place the shallot in a fine-mesh strainer, and quickly rinse with cold water. Allow to drain, then place in a medium bowl, and add vinegar and warm water. Allow to sit for 2 minutes, then whisk in oil, mustards, honey (if using), thyme, garlic and a large pinch of salt. Taste, and adjust salt and vinegar as needed.
To serve, gently pile a generous handful of greens into a serving bowl, then sprinkle with salt, pepper and a generous drizzle of dressing. Continue with another handful of salad and more seasoning and dressing, repeating until you have a glorious, gravity-defying mound of salad. Top with a final drizzle of dressing, and serve immediately.
Wrap remaining greens in an airtight container or plastic bag and refrigerate for up to 3 days. Cover and refrigerate remaining dressing for up to 3 days.

Ingredients

2 heads butter lettuce, such as Boston or bibb
1 romaine heart
1 large Belgian endive
1 bunch watercress
1/2 small head frisée
1 large shallot, minced
2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon aged sherry vinegar, plus additional, as needed
1 tablespoon warm water
1 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 1/2 teaspoons whole-grain mustard
1 1/2 teaspoons honey (optional)
2 sprigs thyme, washed and stripped
1 large clove garlic, finely grated
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

RITA'S FAMOUS DRESSING BALLS

These are a tradition in my mother-in-law's family. I never liked dressing until I had these. They get a nice golden brown on the outside and taste great with gravy.

Provided by 2bizzy

Categories Breads

Time 12h30m

Yield 16 serving(s)

Number Of Ingredients 9

Rita's Famous Dressing Balls image

Steps:

Place bread in a large bowl and let sit overnight.
Preheat oven to 350°.
Sauté onions and celery in butter or margarine tender. Pour over bread and toss with hands to mix.
Add chicken broth and mix with hands again. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Add eggs and celery seed and mix thoroughly.
Form into 2" balls and put in a baking dish.
Bake for about 45 minutes or until golden brown.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 218.1, Fat 13.4, SaturatedFat 7.8, Cholesterol 56.9, Sodium 351.6, Carbohydrate 20.7, Fiber 1.2, Sugar 2.4, Protein 4

Ingredients

2 loaves stale bread, torn into small pieces
1 cup butter or 1 cup margarine, melted
2 medium onions, chopped
2 1/2 stalks celery, finely chopped
2 cups low-fat chicken broth (canned)
2 large eggs, beaten
1 1/2 teaspoons celery seeds
salt
pepper

CUCUMBER RAITA

Serve this cool, refreshing salad with my Lamb Tagine and Moroccan Couscous on this site. Make the salad early in the day and keep in the refrigerator to let the flavors blend and intensify. Add more mint to taste, but do not substitute dried mint; the flavor is just not the same.

Provided by BenevolentEmpress

Categories Side Dish Sauces and Condiments Recipes

Time 3h15m

Yield 12

Number Of Ingredients 6

Cucumber Raita image

Steps:

Stir together the cucumber, yogurt, lemon juice, mint, sugar, and salt in a bowl. Cover and refrigerate at least 3 hours, preferably overnight.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 49.7 calories, Carbohydrate 2.8 g, Cholesterol 7.5 mg, Fat 3.3 g, Fiber 0.5 g, Protein 2.5 g, SaturatedFat 1.7 g, Sodium 61.7 mg, Sugar 2.1 g

Ingredients

2 hot house cucumber - peeled, seeded and thinly sliced
2 cups Greek yogurt
3 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
½ teaspoon white sugar
¼ teaspoon kosher salt

RITA'S PASTA AND MEAT SAUCE

This dish is great for kids and adults. There's a sweetness to the meat sauce that kids love and then they don't seem to mind that there are veggies in the sauce...

Provided by Rita

Categories Main Dish Recipes Pasta

Time 50m

Yield 4

Number Of Ingredients 15

Rita's Pasta and Meat Sauce image

Steps:

In a large skillet over medium heat, combine ground beef, onion and garlic. Cook until meat is evenly brown. Drain excess fat. Stir in carrots, bell pepper, diced tomatoes and stewed tomatoes with juice. Season with onion powder, parsley, cayenne pepper, salt and pepper. Cover, and simmer 15 minutes. Stir in tomato sauce and sugar. Simmer 15 minutes more.
Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta, and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, or until al dente; drain. Toss pasta with meat sauce until evenly coated, and serve with crumbled Gorgonzola.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 790.9 calories, Carbohydrate 84.8 g, Cholesterol 107.7 mg, Fat 35.6 g, Fiber 7 g, Protein 35.4 g, SaturatedFat 14.6 g, Sodium 1255.3 mg, Sugar 17.9 g

Ingredients

1 pound ground beef
1 onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
⅔ cup diced carrots
⅔ cup chopped green bell pepper
2 tomatoes, diced
1 (14.5 ounce) can stewed tomatoes, with juice
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon dried parsley
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
salt and pepper to taste
¾ cup tomato sauce
1 ½ tablespoons white sugar
1 (12 ounce) package farfalle (bow tie) pasta
¼ cup crumbled Gorgonzola cheese