Simply Salad Cookbook

If you enjoy a creative, gourmet-fresh salad and don’t feel like paying premium prices, take heart- Chef Jennifer Chandler’s latest book, Simply Salads, will have you crafting your own edible works of art in no time. In the book, Jennifer offers over 100 wonderful and delectable salad recipes as well as dressing suggestions sure to satisfy even the most discerning gourmet in the family.

From a Butter Lettuce Salad tossed with smoked salmon, capers and dill, to a Warm Fingerling Potato Salad, this little gem of a book has your veggie side dish or luncheon quandaries solved in no time. The introduction starts off by offering cooks at home this brilliant piece of advice: “Rule #1 (and the only rule): Experiment!” That’s part of the beauty of this book. While Jennifer’s recipes are solid in their own right, they also serve as spring boards to unlock your own culinary prowess. Make your own substitutions, additions and create your own bowl or plateful of leafy glory. The only limits are your imagination (and your taste preferences).

The book also offers readers:

• A handy Salad Blends 101 section (pictures included) to get the less adventurous ice berg lettuce die-hards out there to try something new. From Asian Blends to Spring Mix, you'll unlock the culinary potentials behind the myriad prepackaged bags of greens available at most any grocery store. If you'd rather stick to the tried and true heads of lettuces and cabbages, that works just as well of course; Jennifer's goal is to make eating some tasty greens as excuse-free and hassle-free as possible.
• Tips on how to select salad blends- what to look for and avoid.
• Storage and kitchen equipment suggestions- to make preparation easy and enjoyable.

From there, you can browse through the various chapters: Greens (purely veggie based salads), Poultry, Meat, Seafood, Vegetables (of the grilled, sautéed and mezze platter variety), Fruit, Beans/Grains/Pasta, Slaws and my favourite, Vinaigrettes and Dressings (Buttermilk Ranch Dressing anyone?). Cordon Bleu trained Jennifer correctly concludes that making your own dressing is easy, healthier and tastier than most any store bought variety out there. And with the omission of stabilizers and preservatives, you’ll know exactly what’s going into your mouth bite after glorious bite.

The book is bright, fresh, easy to use, accessible and attractively laid out for your ease and comfort. And best of all, it makes throwing a satisfying meal together in mere moments a tasty and do-able prospect.

Catch my next instalment to grab a recipe or two from Jennifer Chandler’s Simply Salads cookbook. The perfect spring and summertime menu addition!

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