Signature Salads for Seniors

Edited by Tara Fitzpatrick

Together with the staff of Arté, a resort-style independent living community in Scottsdale, AZ, Executive Chef Pedro Toledo offers residents four signature salads that are always available.

“Making dressings from scratch using good ingredients adds a lot of flavor to our salads,” Toledo says.

The Caesar Salad has a unique dressing: Roasted Jalapeno Pistachio, which starts with making a paste from chopped garlic and coarse citrus salt and then adding lemon juice, mayonnaise, mustard, anchovy paste and finely grated roasted pistachios and a peeled jalapeno pepper, with the seeds still in.

Honey Blossom Vinaigrette gives a salad with Boston lettuce, bacon, green apples and Feta cheese a flavor boost.

Asian Pear Pickled Ginger Vinaigrette dresses a mesclun spring mix salad. Any of the signature salads can be made into a main course for residents if they choose. The chefs just add filet mignon, salmon or grilled chicken.

A baby spinach salad gets color and zing from three colors of bell pepper, roasted red onions and Apple Cider Vinaigrette, which incorporates apple cider vinegar, apple juice, grape oil, honey, Dijon mustard and shallots.