Hearty fall salads: why ditch this summer staple just because the temperature's dropped? We asked four foodies how to make their favorite flavorful, filling—and healthy—cold weather salad

Men's Fitness, Nov, 2008 by Sunny Sea Gold

BY SERGEI BOUTENKO

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Outdoor enthusiast, raw-foodist, and corn author of Fresh: The Ultimate Live-Food Cookbook.

The 23-year-old health nut named his creation after the jungle animal because, according to ape expert Jane Goodall, chimps like to roll pieces of fruit into green leaves and eat them as a treat. That might not sound so appetizing, but Boutenko's salad looks delicious. "I like it because it's easy to make and doesn't require any special appliances or utensils, not even a kitchen," says Boutenko. "If you own a knife and a bowl, you can make this salad on the trail while hiking--virtually anywhere. And for guys who don't like green vegetables, mixing greens with fruit hides any bitter taste." Plus, this one dish will give you roughly one-third of your 30-grams-a-day fiber quota.

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CHIMP SALAD

WHAT YOU'LL NEED
  1 ripe papaya or mango
  1 ripe banana
1/2 Fuji or Gala apple
  1 ripe pear
  1 tangerine
1/2 avocado
  6 cups organic baby green
    salad mix
1/2 lime

HOW TO MAKE IT

[1] Chop or slice each fruit into
different sizes so you have a
variety of volumes and textures.
[2] Mix with baby greens. [3]
Squeeze lime juice over the
salad, and eat! Serves 2.

Per serving: 294 calories, 3 g
protein, 64 g carbs, 7 g fat

BY SCOTT LEIBFRIED

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Sous-chef on FOX Network's Hell's Kitchen and executive chef of the new Soleil@k restaurant in downtown San Diego.

Why does Leibfried say this salad is the perfect impress-a-date dinner? "It shows some degree of difficulty," he says. But it actually isn't hard to make at all. "And it's exciting" This one has many flavors--bitter, sweet, and spicy. And the huge variety of textures (crunchy almonds, squishy squash, crispy lettuce, soft raisins, and chewy chicken) makes it incredibly satisfying. Eat a big bowl at 8 p.m., and you'll have the energy to be "up" all night.

BUTTERNUT SQUASH
SALAD

WHAT YOU'LL NEED

  2 cups cubed butternut squash
  2 tsp olive oil
    Sprinkle of salt
  2 tsp Chinese five-spice powder
    (available in most big grocery stores)
1/4 cup raisins
  2 chicken breasts cooked
  6 cups prewashed mixed greens
    (or two bunches of watercress with thick stems removed,
    and two heads of radicchio, torn into pieces)
1/2 cup sliced almonds
    salt and pepper, if needed

DRESSING Try any store-bought noncreamy poppy seed or balsamic
vinaigrette dressing, or make your own. Whisk (or vigorously mix
with a fork) together 3 tbsp golden balsamic vinegar, 4 tbsp canola
oil, 1/2 tsp maple syrup, a squeeze of lemon juice, 1 medium
shallot (sliced), and 1 tsp chopped chives. HOW TO MAKE IT [1]
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. [2] Mix the cubed squash (no rind or
seeds) with olive oil, salt, and Chinese five-spice powder. [3]
Place on a cookie sheet and bake for 10 minutes until soft. Let
cool. [4] Soak raisins in hot water until they plump up, then pat
dry with a paper towel. [5] Cut chicken into pieces. [6] Combine
lettuce, raisins, half the almonds, and 4 tbsp of dressing in a
bowl. Transfer to two plates or large salad bowls, then top with
squash, chicken, and the remaining almonds. Serves 2.

Per serving: 647 calories, 43 g protein, 46 g carbs, 34 g fat

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PHOTOGRAPHY BY JEFF HARRIS

BY MAGGIE O'DELL

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A private chef and food stylist in New York City and a culinary instructor at Cooking by the Book, one of NYC's top private cooking schools.

"If you've never made quinoa, you should definitely try it," says O'Dell. "The grain is so much easier to cook than it is to pronounce!" (For the record, it's KEE-nwah.) Just set a timer and there's no way you can screw it up. "My clients can't get enough of this dish," she says. No wonder. This salad is good for your heart, your brain--and your abs. It's also packed with omega-3s but has a surprisingly low number of fat grams. "It's also a seriously gourmet, healthy meal that even the inexperienced cook can whip up in less than 20 minutes," say O'Dell.

SALMON & QUINOA SALAD

WHAT YOU'LL NEED

    2 (4- to 6-oz) salmon fillets
    1 tbsp Dijon mustard
    1 tbsp real maple syrup
  3/4 cup quinoa (look for it in the
      pasta aisle)
1 1/2 cups low-sodium canned or boxed
      chicken stock
  1/2 small cucumber, diced
  1/2 cup baby spinach, torn or shredded
    2 green onion stalks, thinly sliced
1 1/2 tbsp fresh dill, chopped (or 1 tsp
      dried dill, if you can't find fresh)
    1 tbsp capers, rinsed

DRESSING Mix 1/4 cup plain fat-free yogurt with 1 1/2 tsp red wine
vinegar and a pinch of salt and pepper.

HOW TO MAKE IT [1] Preheat oven to 375 degrees. [2] Put salmon,
skin-side down, on a cookie sheet lined with foil. [3] Mix mustard
and maple syrup well, then spread over salmon. [4] Bake 10 to 12
minutes, until it flakes easily with a fork. [5] Put dry quinoa and
chicken stock in a saucepan over high heat until it boils, then
turn heat down to low and cover for about 10 minutes, until liquid
is absorbed and the quinoa is slightly chewy. [6] Toss quinoa,
cucumber, spinach, green onion, dill, and capers with yogurt
dressing. [7] To prepare the salad, serve a big scoop of quinoa
with a salmon fillet on top. Serves 2.

Per serving; 490 calories, 43 g protein, 58 g carbs, 9 g fat