Insalata di Mario

This salad is our attempt at recreating part of one of our favourite meals from Switzerland. Both summers that we went, we spent a night at Matterhorn Golf Hotel in Randa with Chef Mario. On our first stay, we almost decided to go down the road for dinner at a different restaurant before deciding to add half-pension (dinner and breakfast) to our stay. The meal that Chef served that night was unbelievable. It started off with the very creative salad that inspired this post before progressing to a huge bowl of handmade pasta with a spicy tomato sauce and finishing with a generous helping of tiramisu. After the meal, my wife and I looked at each other (our eyes pretty much glazed over in a state of completely fullness) and said, “I can’t believe we thought about going somewhere else instead…I’m SO glad we didn’t!”

Fast forward to the next summer, and we added a stay in Randa to our itinerary for the sole purpose of going back for another one of Chef Mario’s genius creations. Again, the meal did not disappoint. It started with the same style salad, continued with a combination of a Swiss Chard Lasagna and Vegetable Manicotti as the entree, and finished with a homemade Apple Strudel for dessert. Needless to say, we can’t wait to go back for a third time!

While the food (for me) was the most memorable part of our time in Randa, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention my wife’s strongest memory. I am of course talking about the Charles Kuonen Suspension Bridge. She had a blast on the bridge. I…well, I had to be lured across it with the promise of a few deciliters of Dôle du Valais on the other side (which would have been a fair compensation for my “bravery” had there not been a kid in front of me jumping and bouncing the bridge the whole time).

Anyway, back to the salad. Our version is not nearly as beautiful or deluxe as his…but it is tasty in a pinch! You can also make it as an entree or as a side dish depending on your choice of tortilla size.

Time: 10 Minutes

Ingredients:

  • 2 Tortillas (taco sized if making as a side, burrito sized if making as an entree)
  • Field Greens of your choice
  • Additional vegetables and toppings of your choice
  • Salad Dressing of your choice (Vinaigrettes work really well)

Method:

  • Add all of your salad ingredients into a large bowl, and drizzle a little of your dressing on top (a little dressing goes a long way here).
  • Put your tortillas on a plate, cover with a damp paper towel, and heat in the microwave for 20-25 seconds so they become warm and pliable.
  • Arrange your warm tortillas like a Venn Diagram.
  • Place your salad atop your bottom tortilla in a way that it also covers the overlappy part of the other tortilla.
  • Fold the top tortilla over the salad, and then wrap in the edges.
  • Plate, devour, and enjoy!

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