Solo Salads: Tortilla and Pita Bowls

A tortilla or pita bowl is such a lovely way to serve a salad

- fun to eat, and, with a colourful selection of vegetables,

you get variety of textures & tastes with every bite. 

It looks like a party in a bowl!

(Pictured below:  Greek Salad Pita Bowl)

Baked Tortilla Bowls:

There are several versions of baked tortilla bowls

- this is how I do it.  It's a combination of a couple of 

methods, plus a brush of lime or lemon juice & oil and
a sprinkle of seasoning.

Tortilla Bowl (serves 1)

Preheat oven to 400 F.  Put a 10" flour or corn tortilla

into a lightly oiled ovenproof bowl of a suitable shape

(I like mine to form a broad-based bowl with sides at least

3" high). Brush with a combination of 1/2 tsp lime juice 

and 1/4 tsp olive oil.  Sprinkle with salt or *cajun spice mix.
(*recipe in next posting for Santa Fe Salad)

Bake the tortilla bowl at 400 F for 8 minutes. Remove from 

the ovenproof bowl, invert onto a baking sheet, and  bake 

for 2 more minutes. Take out of the oven and let cool on the 

baking sheet for at least 15 minutes.  Fill with salad of choice 

and serve.

Pita   Bowl (serves 1):

Cook with the same method as the Tortilla Bowl, but

brush with lemon  juice and oil and season with salt

& 1 small clove garlic, grated. The pita bowls cook a bit

faster, so check after 6 minutes.

Solo Summer Salad Combinations:

There are so many salads that go well in one of these bowls. 

In my next few postings I will be providing recipes for single-salad

servings of the following combinations and more.

The number of ingredients in each salad is an any/all sort of 

choice. I recommend trying at least 4-5 of any group: some Greens, 

2-3 Vegetables (&/or fruit), and a topping. That said, even a simple 

3-ingredient salad is elevated from the mundane when served in an 

edible bowl  & topped with fresh herbs or cheese.

These salads can be either a complete meal in themselves

or can be an excellent accompaniment to meat, fish  or tofu.

Greek Salad Pita Bowl:

Sliced peppers
Chopped Tomatoes
Sliced Cucumber
Sliced olives
Feta Cheese
Balsamic Dressing

Chicken Taco Bowl Salad:

Cajun Spice-rubbed chicken breast

Baby Greens

Red or Green Grapes

Green onions

Grated carrot

Diced red pepper

Sliced black olives

Fresh coriander, snipped

Honey-lime ranch drizzle w/sriracha hot sauce

Buffalo Chicken Salad:

Chicken rubbed w/cajun spice mix and

basted with hot sauce

Iceberg lettuce
celery
roma tomato

Blue Cheese dressing

Crumbled Pretzel Sticks

Santa Fe Salad:

Black beans & corn kernels sauteed with

red onion, zucchini & garlic, seasoned with

cajun spice mix (or paprika & cumin), drizzled
with lime juice and tossed with cilantro,

Served atop shredded Napa Cabbage, and

Topped with diced roma tomatoes,

Sliced black olives,

Grated cheese,

and Spicy Sour Cream Ranch Dressing.

Garnished with cilantro.

Pear Extraordinaire:

 

20th Century Pear, sliced

Escarole, endive or romaine lettuce

Crumbled Shropshire Blue Cheese (or Stilton)
*Toasted Walnuts or Pecans
(*or Crispy Bacon, Turkey Bacon or Veggie Bacon)