Warm Winter Bread Salad Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Tossbread with oil and a pinch of salt.Spread onto a baking sheet,and bake until golden brown andcrisp, about 15 minutes.
• Combine endives, radicchio,lettuce, and frisee in a bowl. Addhazelnuts, bacon, and croutons.Drizzle with half the vinaigrette,and toss well to combine.Add remaining vinaigrette asdesired. Season with salt andpepper. Garnish with cheese.

Steps:

• Toss 5 cups torn stale bread with 2 tablespoons olive oil on a baking sheet. Bake at 450 degrees F, 5 minutes. Toss 2 cups cherry tomatoes, 3 garlic cloves, 2 halved, seeded Italian frying peppers and 2 tablespoons olive oil on another baking sheet. Bake 7 minutes; chop. Toss with the bread, 1/2 cup each chopped basil and grated parmesan, 1/4 cup chopped olives, 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar, and salt and pepper to taste.

Steps:

• Cut the top third of the bread off and set the parts aside, uncovered, for several hours or overnight. When the bread is somewhat stale, use your hands or a spoon to scrape the bread away from the crusts. Set the larger bottom crusts aside and rip the top crusts into small pieces. Place the pieces, along with the interior bread, in a large bowl and add 2 cups of the stock. Sprinkle the remaining cup of stock over the bread-crust bowls. Set aside.
• Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. In a large skillet, melt 3 tablespoons of the butter over medium heat and add the onions, carrots and celery. Cook, stirring, until the vegetables are tender (do not let them brown), 3 to 4 minutes. Add the chicken livers and continue to cook until they are just cooked through, 3 to 5 minutes.
• Add the sherry vinegar and currants to the pan with the livers and cook until the vinegar just evaporates, about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and add the soaked bread, sage, thyme, salt and pepper. Mix thoroughly.
• Dice the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter and dot inside the bottom of the bread bowls with it. Spoon the mixture into the bowls, packing it in and mounding it. Cover the bowls with foil and place them on a baking sheet. Bake for 25 minutes, or until they are warmed through. Slice into wedges and serve.

Steps:

• Sauteed radicchio, fennel and carrots are topped with chicken, walnuts and Gorgonzola in this warm and hearty main-dish salad. Serve with crusty whole-grain baguette.;
• Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add pears and cook, stirring occasionally, until they start to brown, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a bowl with a slotted spoon.
• Whisk shallots, vinegar and mustard in a small bowl; add to the pan and cook, stirring constantly, for 30 seconds. Add turkey (or chicken), radicchio, fennel, carrots and walnuts. Cook, stirring occasionally, until just wilted, about 3 minutes. Return the pears to the pan and season with salt and pepper.
• Divide lettuce leaves among 4 plates. Top with the warm salad and sprinkle with cheese. Serves 2 Variation: Halve the ingredients and prepare the recipe in a large nonstick skillet instead of a Dutch oven.
• NUTRITION INFORMATION: Per serving: 384 calories; 15 g fat (4 g sat, 6 g mono); 83 mg cholesterol; 32 g carbohydrate; 33 g protein; 9 g fiber; 548 mg sodium; 1,284 mg potassium. Nutrition bonus: Vitamin A (160% daily value), Vitamin C (45% dv), Potassium (37% dv), Folate (31% dv), Calcium & Iron (20% dv). 1 1/2 Carbohydrate Servings Exchanges: 1/2 starch, 1 fruit, 1 vegetable, 3 lean meat, 2 fat
• TIP: Tips: To poach chicken breasts, place boneless, skinless chicken breasts in a medium skillet or saucepan. Add lightly salted water to cover and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to low and simmer gently until chicken is cooked through and no longer pink in the middle, 10 to 12 minutes. Place chopped walnuts in a small dry skillet and cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until fragrant and lightly browned, 2 to 4 minutes.
• From www.eatingwell.com with permission. 2009 Eating Well Inc. Photo by Ken Burris

Steps:

• Place currants in a small dish, add red wine vinegar and 1 tablespoon warm water, and set aside. Heat broiler. Place pine nuts in small baking dish, and toast under broiler until very lightly colored. Set aside.
• Cut bread into three or four large chunks. Closely trim off most of the crust and reserve, if desired, to toast and use for bread crumbs or to float in soup. Brush bread all over with 2 tablespoons olive oil. Briefly broil bread chunks, turning until crisp and golden on surface. Remove from oven, trim off any charred tips, and tear chunks into irregular pieces, from 2-inch wads to large crumbs. You should have 4 cups. Place in wide metal, glass or ceramic salad bowl.
• Whisk 1/4 cup olive oil with 1 1/2 tablespoons Champagne vinegar. Season with salt and pepper. Drizzle 1 1/2 tablespoons of this dressing over bread and toss.
• Place one tablespoon olive oil in a small skillet. Add garlic and scallions, and cook, stirring constantly, over low heat until softened but not colored. Add to bread and fold in. Drain currants and fold in. Add pine nuts and fold in. Drizzle salad with stock or water, and fold in. Taste a couple of pieces of bread. Add a little more vinegar, salt and pepper if necessary. Toss well, and transfer to a 4-cup baking dish. Tent lightly with foil. Do not wash salad bowl. Set salad aside until about 30 minutes before serving time.
• Heat oven to 450 degrees. Place bread salad in oven, turn off heat, and leave for 15 minutes. Return salad to bowl. Add greens, remaining vinaigrette, and enough of remaining olive oil so bread is not dry. Toss again. Serve with grilled or roasted meat.