How To Make Mixed Greens With Grapes & Fried Feta

This recipe is a delicious mix of healthy and hearty! (Let’s be honest, who doesn’t like fried cheese!) It is a perfect lunch dish for you or your friends and family, and is incredibly simple and easy to prepare. What’s more, is that once you know how to fry feta once, its an easy skill to master.

Ingredients:

• Mixed Greens: This can be your choice of arugula, spinach, cabbage, chard or a variety of lettuces.
• Seedless Grapes: A personal favorite is to use the common ‘green grape’ in the U.S., also known as the Thompson seedless grape.
• Butter: 2 oz., any variety will do, however unsalted butter offers a slightly healthier alternative – even when you are frying cheese in it
• Olive Oil: 2.5 oz., different varieties of olive oil will work, however when frying it is best to use a lower grade and save your E.V.O.O. (extra virgin olive oil) for other dishes.
• Flour Mixture: 1-2 cups of flour, a dash of salt, and a dash of pepper.
• Bowl of Ice water: (For the feta before frying)
• Feta cheese: 4-6 oz is usually plenty, but the oil and butter fry can do as much as 10 ounces. Be sure to buy whole feta and not the crumbles.
• Walnuts: Optional, but many varieties of nuts will work. The trick with nuts in any salad is to chop them before adding. If they are left un-chopped, they can be too large and difficult to eat with a fork.
• Brown Sugar: 2-4 Tbsp.

(Note about amounts: They will vary! As a rule, no more than two cups of salad per person, and only about a half-dozen grapes per person. The feta varies too, but if you want it to blend nicely and not overpower the other ingredients, chop it up layer it over the top. In my experience, pan-fried feta that doesn’t make it onto a salad usually still finds its way into someones belly.)

Preparation:

1. The preparatory work for this dish simply demands the greens be laid out, and the grapes to be cut first. You can chop the walnuts now too if you would like to skip step 4 below. Simply slice the grapes in half and rest them atop the greens for now.
2. Start by melting the butter and heating the oil in a medium pan. Meanwhile, slice the feta lengthwise into bite-size ‘fingers’. If preferred, cubes can work as well, however I have always had better luck with longer pieces. Remember too that these are best served hot and are easy to do, so plan ahead for your guests!
3. Place the feta fingers in the ice water for 30 seconds or so or until chilled. This will allow the flour mixture to stick better. Once chilled, roll in the flow mixture until thoroughly coated and then place in the pan. Gently roll the fingers frequently to fry evenly before the cheese melts too thin. Pull out with tongs and allow to cool on a paper towel.
4. Now, as an option, you can toss in the walnuts into the butter/oil mixture for a few seconds to heat and coat them. Only a few seconds are needed before they can be removed by a sifting spoon, and rolled or sprinkled in the brown sugar. This adds a sweet crunch to the dish that nicely compliments the fried feta and tart grapes.

The cheese and walnuts can now be added to the salad. If preferred, the ensemble can be tossed in a mild dressing, such as a balsamic or raspberry vinaigrette, although I am partial to a homemade ranch dressing myself!

Image: MonkeySee