January can be none too fun as the rather bleak follow-up month to weeks of social gatherings and holiday novelty. The weather, for most of the country, save for a few regions to the South and West, can be dismal and disheartening. It is a month of celebration over the start of a new year- and the clichéd opportunity for a rebirth and renewal of sorts if that appeals to you. With January and February, however, comes the inevitable readjustment to routine: school, work, exercise, cooking, tra
vel- to each his own. Some students find themselves on campus for January, others pursuing an internship or enjoying an extended break at home. Regardless of your January plans, you may find yourself searching for some new meal ideas to change things up. Check out the below salad suggestions that are easy and quick and make a nice accompaniment to any lunch or dinner- be it in your house, dorm room or apartment.
Warm Swiss chard salad: The colder weather of January and February invites a warmer meal; so try this variation on a traditional salad. Wash and cut in half Brussels sprouts and arrange facedown in a skillet on low heat with a thin coating of olive oil. Cook until golden brown on the bottom and turn the Brussels sprouts over to ensure even cooking. Make sure there is enough room in the skillet and add sliced carrots. Do not let either over-cook, or they will become too soft. When the sprouts are about halfway cooked add some thinly sliced garlic to the skillet and finish with some cherry tomatoes cut in half. In the last minute of cooking add some washed and chopped Swiss chard with salt and pepper and stir to incorporate. A truffle-flavored salt also adds a nice flavor to this salad. Remove from the heat while the Swiss chard is still somewhat crisp. As a heartier alternative, top this warm salad with an egg poached for two minutes.
Endive and Radicchio salad: Noted for their propensity towards bitterness, endive and radicchio complement each other well when paired with a light dressing. Be sure to clean a head of each, and layer the leaves vertically on top of each other to chop into ½ inch wide long strips. Combine with a light dose of oil and balsamic vinegar and chop up several leaves of fresh basil and mint. Grate some strips of fresh Parmesan cheese overtop before making sure that all of ingredients are thoroughly incorporated.
Carrots, kale and olive salad: This combination of fresh ingredients may be likened to a Greek salad, but is better suited for winter without the necessity of fresh tomatoes. Clean several large carrots and chop into quartered disk slices. Add olives of your choice- Kalamata, Gaeta or oil-cured olives work best. Heating the olives on the stove with a little olive oil will also bring their flavor out more and make this salad a little heartier. Combine the olives and carrots with crumbled feta cheese and baby kale leaves and toss with olive oil, salt and pepper.
Panzanella salad: With its notable reliance on bread, this salad can be rather dense, but can be nice in place of pasta or rice if you are looking for a starch in your meal. Cut a ½ – ¾ of a loaf of bread into cubes, depending on how much you wish to use. Italian or Tuscan bread works best for the flavors of the salad. Wash and cut several Campari tomatoes (best in the winter) into quarters, again adjusting the quantity as desired. Cube a ½ to a whole avocado along with cubed fresh Mozzarella. Make sure to use a firmer Mozzarella, as a Buffalo will be too soft with the other ingredients. Chop up fresh basil and combine all ingredients in a large bowl with olive oil, salt and pepper. Allow the salad to sit for at least 10 minutes so that the flavors can absorb. Toasting the cubed bread drizzled with olive oil on a cooking sheet in the oven beforehand can also make this salad more winter-appropriate.
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