Chiffonade of Mixed Lettuces

Printable Recipe

Cutting lettuce into delicate strips for this chiffonade salad creates an elegant design worthy of the footed trifle dish, if you happen to have one. Any straight sided bowl will do, of course - it's the colorful mix of lettuce and veg that makes it pretty. Two different dressings make it unexpectedly good.

So, let's start by putting together the interior dressing, drizzled on about half way through the layering. Use 1/3 c good flavored olive oil and 1-1/2  TBS fresh lemon juice with 1/2 tsp Honey Mustard. No substitutes.

This is a dressing of few ingredients which must each taste delicious individually. Bottled lemon juice or hot dog mustard or cheap oil will RUIN it.

I know, I'm strict about ingredients. Add a pinch of salt and pepper and shake it, baby.

 A Lettuce Note:
Any mix of colorful lettuces will do, some red, some light green, some dark. I happened upon this 4 pack at my grocery that was ideal. For a crunchier and brighter addition, I also bought romaine.

A Chiffonade Note:
Remove any damaged outer leaves and simply cut the entire head crossways into thin ribbons. Keep the various colors separate. I washed and dried everything one bunch at a time after cutting.

Even though these had already been spun in the salad spinner, I wrapped them in an absorbent towel to dry further. Residual water will only thin out the dressing.


Layer all the heads of the softer lettuce first, red and then green. Clip a handful of fresh dill evenly over the top with kitchen shears.











For extra flavor and color, thin slice a red onion, red pepper, green bell pepper, and several radishes.
Line the edges of the bowl with first one layer of vegetables slices and then another until all are used, scattering a mixture in the center of the bowl.  Drizzle the dressing over all evenly.




Top this layer with all the strips of romaine and add several generous spoonfuls of Miracle Whip Light.

Smooth it out with the back of the spoon.

The trick is in not lifting the spoon, just pressing it down and turning the bowl with the other hand.

Now clean up the edges of that bowl and serve proudly. Delicious and beautiful too.

THE SHOPPING LIST
4 colorful lettuces
1 romaine lettuce
Honey Mustard
Olive Oil
1 Lemon
Miracle Whip Lite
1 Small Red Onion
1 Red Bell Pepper
1 Green Bell Pepper
3-4 Radishes
1 bunch of Dill

TSFL note - one cup of this salad counts as one vegetable serving and one to two healthy fat servings.
Summer has given way to Fall Fest at the Food Network website where you'll find my foodie blogs along with other great food lovin' bloggers, offering up our best ideas all the way through the holidays! Each week we'll be blogging together with the FN Dish to produce fabulous ways to enjoy your produce!  This week, it's Mixed Lettuce, next week come on back for perfect ways with Pumpkins. Check out these other delicious ideas:
Jeanette's Healthy Living: Quinoa and Black Lentil Salad With Mixed Salad Greens
Cooking With Books: "Chopped" Salads
Haute Apple Pie: Roasted Butternut Squash Salad With Warm Bacon Dressing
Dishin & Dishes: Beet Salad With Garlic Vinaigrette
Thursday Night Dinner: Mixed Lettuce, Caramelized Onion and Goat Cheese Pita Pizza
And Love It Too: Rainbow Salad
Made By Michelle: Bacon, Lettuce and Tomato Sandwiches
Feed Me Phoebe: Hearts of Romaine With Beets, Pistachios and Roasted Garlic Vinaigrette
HGTV Gardens: Garden-to-Table: Mixed Lettuce
Virtually Homemade: Mixed Fall Greens With Dijon Chive Vinaigrette
Devour: Lettuce (Hold the Salad)
Daily*Dishin: Almond Chutney Chicken Lettuce Wraps
FN Dish: Top 12 Lettuce Wraps