My Wife's Favorite Salad

45 mins
Serves 1
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Directions

  1. 1Place six Yukon gold B-size potatoes into a pot.
  2. 2Add a handful of peeled garlic cloves to the pot.
  3. 3Add a good handful of kosher salt.
  4. 4Cover the potatoes with equal parts water and vinegar.
  5. 5Place the pot over medium to high heat and simmer until the potatoes are fully cooked (about 15-20 minutes).
  6. 6Once the potatoes are fully cooked, strain them and add them back to the pot.
  7. 7Give the potatoes a splash of olive oil, a pinch of onion powder, and a pinch of garlic powder.
  8. 8Shake the pot to coat the potatoes.
  9. 9Working on a half sheet tray or cookie sheet, press the potatoes down onto the tray. If they're too hot to handle, use the bottom of a coffee cup.
  10. 10Remove most of the stem from the cauliflower.
  11. 11Cut the whole head of cauliflower in half from the core end.
  12. 12Lay the cauliflower flat on your cutting board and cut it through the core one more time.
  13. 13Hold each quarter upside down by the core, rest it on your cutting board, and follow the core to remove the florets.
  14. 14For florets that are stuck together, pry them apart with your fingers.
  15. 15For larger florets, cut them into uniform bite-sized pieces through the core.
  16. 16Get all the cauliflower florets onto the same half sheet tray as your potatoes.
  17. 17Add about a cup of diced cabbage to the cauliflower on the tray.
  18. 18Drizzle olive oil over the cauliflower and cabbage.
  19. 19Add a pinch of onion powder and a pinch of garlic powder to the vegetables.
  20. 20Mix the vegetables together on the tray, making sure everything is coated.
  21. 21Season the whole tray with kosher salt.
  22. 22Place the tray into a 425 to 450-degree oven for about 15 to 20 minutes, or until everything is cooked and has a little caramelization.
  23. 23While the vegetables are roasting, grate two garlic cloves into a plastic container for the salad dressing.
  24. 24Add about a tablespoon of Dijon mustard to the container.
  25. 25Add three tablespoons of balsamic vinegar.
  26. 26Add two pinches of kosher salt, a little pinch of onion powder, and a pinch of black pepper.
  27. 27Add about a half a cup of olive oil to the dressing.
  28. 28Place the lid on the container and shake to mix the dressing.
  29. 29For the lettuce, hold the head by the core, lay it on your cutting board, and split it in half, leaving the core intact.
  30. 30Rotate the lettuce 90 degrees and split it again, leaving the core intact.
  31. 31Chop the red leaf lettuce into bite-sized pieces.
  32. 32Cut the romaine lettuce the exact same way as the red leaf lettuce.
  33. 33Pour some of the easy dressing into a large mixing bowl.
  34. 34Add plenty of the chopped lettuce to the bowl.
  35. 35Add the caramelized and toasted vegetables, including the potatoes with their crispy and chewy sides, to the bowl.
  36. 36Squeeze fresh lemon juice over the salad.
  37. 37Toss the salad to combine all ingredients and dressing.
  38. 38Sprinkle some Parmesan cheese into the salad.

Ingredients

  • 6 Yukon gold B-size potatoes
  • 1 handful Peeled garlic cloves
  • 1 handful Kosher salt
  • Water
  • Cider vinegar
  • Olive oil
  • 1 pinch Onion powder
  • 1 pinch Garlic powder
  • 1 head Cauliflower
  • 1 cup Diced cabbage
  • 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
  • 3 tablespoons Balsamic vinegar
  • 2 pinches Kosher salt
  • 1 pinch Onion powder
  • 1 pinch Black pepper
  • 0.5 cup Olive oil
  • 1 head Red leaf lettuce
  • 1 head Romaine lettuce
  • 1 Lemon
  • Parmesan

Equipment

PotStrainerSheet trayMicroplanePlastic containerTongsMixing bowl

Tips

  • Boil a whole bunch of potatoes at the same time and keep them in the refrigerator. When you want to eat them, just pull them out of the refrigerator and smash them onto your tray.
  • Always dress the bowl and not the lettuce to prevent wilting.
  • If there's physical dirt, bugs, or whatever on your lettuce, wash it.