One of my husband’s favorite restaurants is Pappadeaux Seafood Kitchen. Russ first discovered this delightful chain when he was in Dallas, Texas, on business. We love eating at their Greenwood Village restaurant, which is their only Colorado location.
We recently went to Phoenix for the funeral of a very dear friend and learned Pappadeaux has a Phoenix location. We had to drop in for dinner. We ordered my favorite salad—Pappas Greek Salad. I re-created their recipe years ago, but eating it again last week reminded me of just how delicious it is, so my version of that salad follows.
Our memories are often faulty, but I remember distinctly that Pappadeaux used to include artichoke hearts in their Greek salad. With rising food prices, they may be pinching a few pennies and eliminated this pricier ingredient. I say this because the Phoenix version didn’t include artichoke hearts, although it did have sliced cucumbers and chopped celery. If you are trying to eat more veggies, you can, of course, add cucumbers and celery. Cucumbers are Greek to me, celery not so much. Pappadeaux’s also gives each patron one shrimp. I didn’t include that in my recipe, but to be an authentic Pappadeaux recipe, top each salad with one shrimp (shell and tail removed).
Besides being delicious—this is my granddaughter’s favorite salad—you can make this recipe ahead of time. It keeps nicely in the fridge for several hours.
Toss it Greek Style
Serves 6
For the dressing:
¼ cup red wine vinegar
¼ teaspoon dried oregano
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon large grind black pepper
¼ cup plus 1 tablespoon olive oil
In a small bowl, combine red wine vinegar, oregano, salt, and pepper and whisk to blend. While continuing to whisk, slowly add olive oil. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
For the salad:
24 cherry tomatoes, halved
½ cup red onion, chopped
1 can (14-ounces) water-packed artichoke hearts, drained and quartered
2 tablespoons capers
24 kalamata olive, pitted
6 to 12 pepperoncini, whole or cut into bite-size pieces, depending on size
2 heads romaine lettuce, washed, dried, and torn into bite-size pieces
In a large salad bowl, layer cherry tomatoes, red onion, artichoke hearts, capers, kalamata olives, and pepperoncini. Place romaine lettuce on top of the other ingredients and cover with a damp paper towel. Refrigerate until ready to serve. (This recipe keeps nicely in the fridge for several hours.)
4 ounces crumbled feta cheese
Just before serving, add feta cheese to the salad. Pour dressing over the salad and toss.
Tips on shopping for romaine: Romaine with rust, oversized butts, or large, milky ribs is not good quality. Select romaine that is cut close to the leaf stems and is free of browning. Good romaine will have deep green leaves all the way down to its center.
Tips on prepping lettuce: I think lettuce should always be torn by hand. I have found that cutting it with a knife turns the edges brown faster.
Carol Ann
Carol Ann Kates is the award-winning author of cookbook, Secret Recipes from the Corner Market and Grocery Shopping Secrets. She’s an expert in how to shop, select, and store produce for maximizing home cooking outcomes and minimizing time and money spent. As a former supermarket and deli operator, Carol Ann shares grocery-insider wisdom—the same expertise you used to receive when patronizing a mom-and-pop establishment. Contact her at CarolAnn@CarolAnnKates.com and explore her website, www.CarolAnnKates.com.
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