A salad to accompany enchiladas? Suggestions for Tuesday night.

[rln]

I'm hosting my bookclub tomorrow night and think I will serve cheese enchiladas.

I'd like to serve a salad too -- any suggestions / recipes/ key ingredients? I'm pulling this together last minute and can't think through. I would like to use herbs if possible. I live in San Francisco so can get hands on herbs. Thanks for any ideas!

[jcattles]

I'd suggest a salad of sliced avacado, tomato, & red onion. Toss with a simple vinegarette of oil, lemon/lime juice, s&p, & cumin.

[c oliver]

I steer away from fresh tomatoes in the winter. Beyond blah.

[kchurchill5]

FL girl so right now I get fresh from a friends garden and from our local market. Delicious. That is a concern with any fresh produce. Buy what is in season.

[swamp]

I go along with those suggesting a jicama salad or slaw.

[PattiCakes]

Emeril had a very good spicy slaw on the food network website. He has it as an accompaniment to fried catfish, so do a search for that. It uses red & green cabbage, onion, a bit of honey, not a lot of mayo, a squirt of lime and diced chilis in adobo. It is very good. Nice crunch factor, great color, and a pleasant kick from the chilies.

[PattiCakes]

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/em...

[janniecooks]

All thee other salad suggestions sound great, but here's another one to consider. Make a lime-cumin vinaigrette with a mild tasting olive oil, lime juice, cumin to taste and a bit of sugar or other sweetener, and toss it into a salad made of boston (butter) lettuce and cubed ripe avocado.

Another nice avocado salad I often make is: slice avocado halves and fan them out, one half per person. Sprinkle diced, seeded tomato over the avocado halves, then sprinkle with a bit of olive oil and red wine vinegar (or sherry vinegar, or white balsamic, whatever you have). A simple vinaigrette of oil, wine vinegar and finely minced shallots is also nice over the avocado and tomato.

[alanbarnes]

Enchiladas are so rich and soft - I think they need some seriously crunchy texture for counterpoint. I'm not sure herbs or even most lettuces are going to do the trick here.

My favorite is shredded cabbage (substitute iceberg lettuce if you must), paper-thin slices of radish, and cilantro leaves, with a dressing of vegetable oil and fresh-squeezed Mexican lime juice. Add other crunchy veggies if you like (jicama is a good suggestion) and spike the dressing with crushed red chiles, Mexican oregano, and/or cumin to taste. Slices of onion over the top look good and add more bite.

[Amuse Bouches]

I like to make a cabbage salad with enchiladas -- just add slivered scallions, some cilantro, and a dressing made from mayo mixed with lime juice and cumin.

http://www.savour-fare.com

[cyberroo]

That's almost exactly what I was going to suggest, but I don't use mayo and I salt and rinse the cabbage to keep it from getting soggy later on. Super easy, though.

[smtucker]

cabbage is great with all mexican foods..... add whatever is in the fridge. I don't use mayo, cause the DH doesn't like mayo much. We prefer lime juice as the basis of our dressing.

[Emme]

I agree something simple and refreshing. I wouldn't personally include beans, but that's just me.

I'd do some fire-roasted corn, onions, tomatoes, cilantro, jicama, a little lettuce or cabbage, a sprinkle of queso fundido and a lime vinegarette...

[kchurchill5]

I've done corn too, I love fire roasted, but not good corn now for me but yes. Some of my friends like the beans, depends what the enchiladas are, what is in them and what condiments to me. That sort of sets the tone for the salad. But either or works just fine.

[Val]

kchurchill's got it nailed I think...a non-mayo Yucatan slaw might also work. Lots of good ideas here!

[kchurchill5]

I like the slaw too.

[Sam Fujisaka]

If you want herbs, then a simple multi-green (different lettuces, torn arugula, bit of coriander, bit of torn mint, sprinkle of tiny leaf basil, and either grapefruit supremes or the Roma tomato equivalent, and maybe a bit of feather cut red onion - all lightly dressed. Clean light flavors to pair with the enchiladas. And the salads must be plated. Dressing of olive oil, red wine vinegar, salt, pepper, dash of sugar (especially if using the touch of red onion), ...

[alwayscooking]

Great idea.

A nice balance for the heaviness of the cheese and sauce. Great flavors that complement without competing. Other salads here are great but there is a need for a fresh foil for the cooked spice and texture.

[kchurchill5]

I have to be catering, not everyone likes different lettuces. I do, I love them. Most DON"T. Don't take it wrong I wouldn't add the citrus, just me, don't like the combo, but do like the mixed greens.

I'm just always careful because many clients don't like all the greens, we as foodies might, but not all my friends and clients do. I still like the salad.

[Sam Fujisaka]

That is the idea underlying tomato "supremes" as an alternative to grapefruit. As to greens, the OP asked about a salad to go with the rest.

[c oliver]

What (not who) are the Supremes? Not familiar with that.

[Sam Fujisaka]

Boring knifework. Cutting out 16ths of tomato - first removing seed and pulp when cut into 4ths and then removing skin at 8ths.

[PAO]

Enchiladas tend to be rich and/or heavy. I like to serve a refreshing salad composed of watercress, orange slices, and jicama with a vinagrette dressing made with lime juice and including a little bit of hot green chile. YOu can add avocado to the salad.

[c oliver]

That would be my way to go. Some crunch and some citrus.

[piccola]

Ditto, except I'd use fennel instead of the jicama, since it's easier for me to find.

[c oliver]

Ah, fennel. Love it. How 'bout fennel AND jicama???

[kchurchill5]

We have it both easily, fennel is a whole different taste ... I like the jicama, because it is crunchy with the coleslaw, almost "apple" like in a sense. Just a nice texture. But never tried fennel

[kchurchill5]

I make a great simple salad with a Mexican flare. Some dice tomatoes, black beans drained and rinsed, I add a small onion thin sliced and fresh avacado. It is pretty, colorful, you can also add a few chilis, but I rather put them in the dressing. I use olive oil, red wine vinegar, a splash and some fresh lime juice, fresh garlic minced and fresh cilantro. I is very fresh but great with enchiladas. Jicama is also great added. Add wants compliments what you aren't serving as a condiment for the enchiladas. The beans and avacado is so good. My base is Romaine hearts.

I also make a dressing with lime, salsa and olive oil which is also simple and great with romaine, avacado and onion. I try to keep the salad simple.
Black olives also is great keeping with the mexican theme in this.

[rln]

What kind of chilis do you use? Thanks-- this is just the kind of thinking I need!

[kchurchill5]

I hate to say, pretty much what your heat level is. I grow fresh red jalapenos (a bit sweeter), no seeds or ribs. I use only as taste permits. I start out with a few simple dices and then go from there. A roasted cubanella is great 10 minutes in the oven, put in a bowl with saran wrap and peel and dice. (I'm sure you knew that technique, sorry to repeat, habit) Cubanella is much milder but still a bit of spice.

One more, grill romaine, just olive oil, salt and pepper and a dash of chili powder, put on a grill pan, outside of the heart first first then inside, just a couple minutes per side it all. It doesn't have to be piping hot, don't worry. These are great also topped with a mix of roasted peppers sliced some black beans and avacado (salsa in a way) but more slices is all, then the lime vinaigrette. Also another simple salad. I use 1/2 of a romaine heart sliced lengthwise. I love them all.

[janehathaway]

I make a very similar salad and top it with some crumbled queso cotija and toasted pepitos.