a couple of weeks ago i came across this post the very same day that chris was coming by with his duck confit. as soon as my eyes locked in on the recipe, i knew this was to be my promised companion salad, a guaranteed sure-fire marriage made in heaven. the richness of the crispy duck atop some perfectly cooked lemon butter asparagus - and then this salad beside it. beautiful.
arugula and mango salad with a white chocolate and sriracha vinaigrette
shamelessly stolen from the culinary sherpas
all i can say is that this salad had me at hello…
1 package baby arugula leaves
1 mango - sliced
1/4 cup cilantro leaves
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
1/2 tablespoon sriracha
1/3 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
2 tablespoons sugar
1/4 cup grated best quality white chocolate
3 tablespoons olive oil
salt and freshly ground pepper
in a sauce pan over medium heat, combine the sugar, orange juice, sriracha, and white wine vinegar.
stir and bring to a simmer to dissolve the sugar.
remove from heat and add the white chocolate, stirring well to melt and incorporate it into the dressing.
set aside and let cool, but do not refrigerate or the chocolate will set and become hard.
combine the arugula, cilantro, and mango in a salad bowl
whisk the olive oil into the white chocolate mixture to incorporate, season with salt and pepper, and toss well.
i highly recommend that you run-not-walk and make this salad. it was impressive in every way. the white chocolate is very subtle and the acidity of the vinegar breaks the cocoa butter perfectly.
today ceF is officially 1 year old.
thanks for all your well wishes. i would have baked you a cake, but in the name of zipping my jeans and continuing on with my plan, instead i put up a few updated pictures of myself taken last week (the very night i -ahem- had dinner with joe bastianich) and took down the younger thinner versions from last year. after all, this ain’t match.com - if you get my drift.
i’m just keeping it real…
so, i lift my glass of filtered water to all of you. here’s to another 171 posts. fyi, that’s 1,197 in dog posts.
hey, thanks for reading…
36 responses so far ↓
1 Chris // Jun 11, 2008 at 9:42 am
HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!
Oh wait…
HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!!!
Wait…
HAPPY BLOGDAY!?!?!
2 dan // Jun 11, 2008 at 9:43 am
happy blogiversary CEF!!!
and super yum on the salad. i love sriracha for heat, for flava, and for never going bad. ever.
3 kitt // Jun 11, 2008 at 9:54 am
Happy blogiversary! Remember, it’s about the quality, not the quantity!
4 Becky And The Beanstock // Jun 11, 2008 at 10:34 am
Oh, wow. This salad punched me in the eyeball — in the good way. I want some!!! I covet the culinary daredevilry required to think of putting white chocolate in your salad. Thanks for posting this!
And yes, a great big high-five for turning one. I’m glad you’re in the blogosphere!
5 Ginger // Jun 11, 2008 at 10:47 am
Happy Blogaversary to one of my favorites!!!!
6 alisa // Jun 11, 2008 at 11:54 am
thank you for the comment, too! my blog is silly right now, but once I finally move and get everything in order, the content quality will most definitely be upped!
I think maybe ten days really isn’t so long to wait for a beautiful new couch and chair;0) maybe we’ll order it tonight after all.
thanks again!
7 jim voorhies // Jun 11, 2008 at 11:59 am
Happy blogaversary to you!
8 Diana // Jun 11, 2008 at 12:04 pm
Here’s to having another wonderful year!
9 The Culinary Sherpas // Jun 11, 2008 at 1:07 pm
Aaaa, shucks Claudia. You makin’ us blush. It was that good learning from the In-ti-si-tute. ; )
Greg does have a way with vinaigrettes.
Happy Blogiversary!!!!!!! Don’t get too crazy with the Pelligrino!
10 Michelle @ What Does Your Body Good? // Jun 11, 2008 at 1:54 pm
Happy happy day. And a vinaigrette with white chocolate? This I have to try. I thought I was inventive for using mint…
11 Peter // Jun 11, 2008 at 3:09 pm
WTF? White chocolate & Sriracha in a salad dressing? I have to try this!
Happy B-Day…as in Blog Day.
12 melissa // Jun 11, 2008 at 4:09 pm
Pffft. You’re beautiful Claudia, without a doubt.
You turned 1! Congratulations. 171 is quite the accomplishment.
A white chocolate and sriracha vinaigrette? Hmmmm. That sounds like something I really need to try.
13 zenchef // Jun 11, 2008 at 7:31 pm
Happy bloganniversary! Here’s a flute of cyber-champagne in your honor… ¥. Okay with a little imagination.
Hey, this salad dressing sounds incredible. So unusual! I gotta try it SOON! Awesome!
14 lucy // Jun 11, 2008 at 7:38 pm
happy one year Claudia!!!
*hugs*
15 NOBLE PIG // Jun 11, 2008 at 8:42 pm
Oh mama-mia that sounds so interesting and yummy…white chocolate huh? Very cool.
Happy Bloggy-blog birthday!
16 Marc @ No Recipes // Jun 11, 2008 at 9:11 pm
Congrats on reaching a year! This is certainly a unique dressing. I can see how the white chocolate and mango would go together.
17 Brittany // Jun 11, 2008 at 9:12 pm
Girl- keep on keepin it real. Happy birthday to your kickass blog, which I love and am so happy to have stumbled upon a few months ago.
And oh my f’ing god, I have to have that vinaigrette. White chocolate in a savory way- YES!
My mind is blown.
It felt good.
18 MichaelG // Jun 12, 2008 at 8:22 am
Sounds good. I gotta try it. Happy …versary!!
19 TaratheFoodie // Jun 12, 2008 at 8:27 am
Happy one year, Claudia!!!!
About the salad… I had the same reaction Peter did… WTF?? WHITE CHOCOLATE? Ok, I may have to make the dressing just to see what the hell that might taste like.
And about your new “about” photos… pretty! I am loving your hair in those pictures!
Take care and here’s to another great year of cooking, eating, and fretting!
20 Catherine // Jun 12, 2008 at 10:16 am
Now that’s some serious, insane combo in that salad….but I’ll take it.
Happy BloggyDay…go get yourself a widget or something!
21 _ts of [eatingclub] vancouver // Jun 12, 2008 at 1:39 pm
Really?! White chocolate, eh?
22 Lesley // Jun 12, 2008 at 3:45 pm
I’m glad I clicked over today out of curiosity as to what’s going on…turns out, my feed’s messed up. Anyhoo, happy blogiversary and wow, that salad sounds yummy!
23 Kevin // Jun 12, 2008 at 7:58 pm
Congrats on one year of ceF! I recently came across that post and bookmarked it as well. It sounds like such an interesting combo!
24 Rosemary // Jun 13, 2008 at 1:36 am
Great combinations, I am so hungry now. congratulations on your 1st year!
25 Donald // Jun 13, 2008 at 3:59 am
Congratulations on one year Claudia! Really, your blog has been my inspiration.
Oh…and this dressing will be prepped and used this weekend with some smoked ribs!
By all means, keep blogging!!!!
26 diva // Jun 13, 2008 at 8:04 am
a vinaigrette that uses grated chocolate?? erm yes. i’m in love!!!
27 Hillary // Jun 13, 2008 at 12:08 pm
Aww! Happy blogiversary! Way to make that the smallest deal possible….you should celebrate! Congrats on one year!
28 Maffy // Jun 13, 2008 at 12:59 pm
Happy blogiversary!
BTW, I think you are STUNNING. Do not fret. There are few around who could compare to your beauty - seriously. Stop fretting. Right now. I mean it.
29 Laura @ Hungry and Frozen // Jun 13, 2008 at 6:02 pm
White chocolate in dressing? I’m so confused. But intrigued.
Gorgeous face
30 maybelles mom (feeding maybelle) // Jun 13, 2008 at 7:03 pm
congrats on the 1 year–and i love the idea of mango and arugula, but the chocolate?
31 Ann // Jun 13, 2008 at 7:15 pm
Congrats!! ONE year, wow!
J’adore mango and arugula - so this little number looks divine.
32 lifeinrecipes // Jun 14, 2008 at 8:23 am
Fantastic. I’m going to try this on fish. I adore vanilla-tinged sauces on lobster. The new pics are fab - you’re gorgeous!
33 Peter // Jun 14, 2008 at 10:05 pm
Mazel tov.
34 cookinpanda // Jun 15, 2008 at 10:59 am
You got me with this vinaigrette. It sounds divine.
35 RecipeGirl // Jun 16, 2008 at 10:54 pm
Happy 1 year. What an accomplishment!
White chocolate in a vinaigrette? Really? I’m so amazed. And intrigued. I may just have to try this one!!
36 Mari // Jun 23, 2008 at 5:17 am
Gefeliciteerd!
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