Q: My husband and I frequent Ted's Montana Grill and recently had their kale salad. Absolutely yummy! I would like to have the recipe to make at home. — Pam Dimaio, Buford
Q: My husband and I just enjoyed a great steak dinner at Ted's Montana Grill which included their kale salad. I am always looking for ways to incorporate more kale into my diet and this salad is delicious! I'd love to be able to make it at home. Thank you. — Gail Sot, Flowery Branch
Q: I have enjoyed the fresh kale salad from the "Skinny Dip" selection of Ted's Montana Grill for some time. I have tried to duplicate it with no luck. I am sure that the secret is in the dressing, I would love to have this recipe. — Sandra DeRose, Marietta
Q: I love the Big Sky Grilled Salad with salmon at Ted's. The recommended dressing is their (house-) made basil vinaigrette, which is creamy and makes the salad delicious. I would love to make it in small portions at home. Can you help? Thanks in advance. — DeDe Blackston, Fayetteville
A: It's not often we can answer four reader requests in one column, but the chefs at Ted's Montana Grill have made it possible. This recipe has three components, all of which can be prepped an hour to a few hours ahead of time. Then the salad is assembled just before serving.
At the restaurants, the vinaigrette is made in at least half gallon batches. We’ve cut down their smallest recipe to one quarter of the restaurant size. Olive oil blend can be difficult to find at a grocery store. Use the very lightest olive oil you can buy, or make your own blend by combining 1/2 olive oil with 1/2 vegetable oil of your choice.
Ted’s Montana Grill Kale Salad
1 pound kale, stems removed, leaves cut into 1/4-inch slices (will make approximately 14 lightly packed cups)
1/4 pound purple cabbage, shredded (about 1 1/2 cups)
1/4 pound shredded carrots (about 1/2 cup)
Roasted Corn and Tomato Salsa (see recipe)
Creamy Vinaigrette (see recipe)
In a large bowl, combine kale, cabbage and carrots and toss together. May be combined ahead and refrigerated for up to 2 hours.
To assemble each individual salad: in a medium bowl, toss 2 cups kale mix with 2 tablespoons salsa and 1 tablespoon vinaigrette. Arrange on plate and serve immediately. Serves: 8
Per serving: 233 calories (percent of calories from fat, 62), 4 grams protein, 20 grams carbohydrates, 5 grams fiber, 17 grams fat (2 grams saturated), no cholesterol, 325 milligrams sodium.
Ted’s Montana Grill Roasted Corn and Tomato Salsa
2 large cobs fresh corn
1 Anaheim pepper
1 cup 3/8-inch diced tomato (about 2 medium tomatoes)
1/4 cup 1/4-inch diced red onion
1 teaspoon chopped garlic
1 teaspoon 1/4-inch diced jalapeno pepper
3 tablespoons lime juice
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 cup olive oil blend
Preheat grill to 350 degrees. When grill is hot, roast corn and pepper until charred on all sides. Remove from grill. Put pepper in a small bowl and cover. Cut kernels off corn cobs. You should have about 1 1/2 cups kernels. Remove pepper from bowl. Rub off skin and remove stem and seeds. Cut pepper into 1/4-inch dice. You should have about 2 tablespoons.
In a large bowl, combine corn kernels, Anaheim pepper pieces, tomato, onion, garlic and jalapeno.
In a medium bowl, whisk together lime juice, vinegar, salt, sugar and pepper. Slowly whisk in olive oil blend. Pour over corn mixture and toss gently. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. Salsa should be made no more than 2 hours ahead of time. Makes: 2 1/2 cups
Per 1/4-cup serving: 86 calories (percent of calories from fat, 61), 1 gram protein, 7 grams carbohydrates, 1 gram fiber, 6 grams fat (1 gram saturated), no cholesterol, 285 milligrams sodium.
Ted’s Montana Grill’s Creamy Vinaigrette
7 tablespoons red wine vinegar
4 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon 3/8-inch diced onion
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 clove garlic
1 1/2 teaspoons cold water
1 teaspoon Coleman’s dry mustard
1 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 teaspoon white pepper
1/4 teaspoon granulated garlic
1 1/4 cups olive oil blend
1 1/2 teaspoons finely chopped parsley leaves
1 1/2 teaspoons finely chopped basil leaves
In the jar of a blender, combine vinegar, Dijon mustard, onion, sugar, garlic, water, dry mustard, salt, white pepper and granulated garlic. With blender running, add oil. When mixture is emulsified, add parsley and basil and process until mixture is pureed. Put vinaigrette in a container, cover and refrigerate. May be made up to 8 hours ahead. Makes: 1 1/2 cups
Per 1-tablespoon serving: 104 calories (percent of calories from fat, 96), trace protein, 1 gram carbohydrates, trace fiber, 11 grams fat (2 grams saturated), no cholesterol, 89 milligrams sodium.
