Friday, September 5, 2008

Lettuce and orange salad with walnuts and cinnamon

A simple salad that goes beautifully with a rich Moroccan dish, lightening it a bit but still echoing
the spices. Certainly one of our favorite winners, this could lighten a number of dishes, and was
very refreshing on a hot summer night.

Lettuce and orange salad with walnuts and cinnamon

Yield: 6 servings

1 head romaine lettuce
3 navel or temple oranges
2 Tbl fresh lemon juice
2 Tbl sugar
1 pinch salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tb orange flower water
3/4 c toasted walnuts; chopped

Wash lettuce and section into leaves, discarding the tough outer ones.
Drain; wrap in paper towels to dry. Store in refrigerator until
needed.

Cut off peel and white membrane from oranges using a small sharp knife.
Section the oranges by cutting away all the membranes from the orange flesh.
As you work, lift out each section and place in a small mixing bowl. Squeeze the
juice from the remainder of the orange over the sections to keep them moist.
Cover; keep chilled.

Make a dressing by mixing the lemon juice, sugar, salt, cinnamon,
orange flower water and 2 tb. of the orange juice. Blend well, then
taste. The dressing should be sweet.

Just before serving, shred the lettuce and arrange in a glass serving
dish. Pour the dressing over it; toss. Make a design around the
edges with overlapping sections of orange, then sprinkle the salad
with the chopped walnuts and dust with more cinnamon. Serve
immediately.

Variation: Prepare as above, using 3/4 cup chopped dates and almonds
in place of the chopped walnuts.

Modified from Couscous and Other Good Food from Morocco by Paula Wolfert

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