Belgian Endive And Watercress Salad With Apples, Walmuts And Blue Cheese

BELGIAN ENDIVE AND WATERCRESS SALAD 
WITH APPLES, WALNUTS AND BLUE CHEESE

Ingredients:
Vinaigrette:
1/4 cup white wine vinegar 
2 T. balsamic vinegar
4 tsp. honey
2 tsp. Dijon mustard
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 T. minced shallots
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. freshly ground pepper
Salad:

Serves 8.

1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts
2 large head purple Belgian endive (12 to 16 nice leaves) 
    4 large or 8 small heads Belgian endive
2 bunches watercress
4 Granny Smith apples, peeled and cut in julienne strips 
4 oz. blue cheese, crumbled (1 cup)

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Directions:

1. To prepare the vinaigrette, whisk both vinegars, honey and mustard together in a small bowl. Slowly whisk in the olive oil. Stir in the shallots, salt and pepper. Taste and correct the seasonings. Cover and refrigerate at least 30 minutes and up to 24 hours.

2. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place the walnuts on a baking sheet and bake for 6 to 7 minutes or until lightly browned. Set aside to cool.

3. Peel the leaves off the purple endive and arrange 3 to 4 spears each on four salad plates with the points to the outside edge.

4. Cut the remaining endive crosswise into 3⁄4 inch strips and place in a medium bowl. Trim coarse stems from the watercress and tear into small pieces. Toss with the endive strips and half the vinaigrette.

5. Mound the endive and watercress salad on the endive spears, allowing the purple tips to show around the edge. Top with julienned apples, blue cheese and a sprinkling of walnuts. Drizzle with remaining dressing and serve immediately.

Grapefruit And Avocado Salad With Poppyseed Dressing

GRAPEFRUIT AND AVOCADO SALAD 

WITH POPPY SEED DRESSING

Ingredients:
Dressing:
1/4 cup white wine or champagne vinegar 
1/4 cup sugar
2 T. minced shallots
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. dry mustard
2 tsp. mayonnaise
1/2 cup grapeseed or other vegetable oil 
1 T. poppy seeds
Salad:

Serves 8.

1 large head or 2 small heads Bibb lettuce, torn into bite size pieces 
4 ruby red grapefruit, peeled and cut into segments, well drained
1 bunch green onions, thinly sliced
3 avocados, peeled, sliced and rinsed in cold water
8 oz. coarsely shredded Emmentaler cheese (optional)

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Directions:

1. For the dressing, whisk the vinegar and sugar together in a medium bowl. Whisk in the shallots, salt, dry mustard and mayonnaise. Slowly whisk in the oil; stir in the poppy seeds. Cover and refrigerate up to a week; whisk well before using.

2. For salad, place greens in a large bowl. Add the grapefruit segments, green onions, avocados and cheese. Just before serving, add enough dressing to coat the salad well. Divide among serving plates to serve.

Roasted Pear, Dried Cranberry And Spinach Salad With Cranberry Mustard Dressing

ROASTED PEAR, DRIED CRANBERRY 

AND SPINACH SALAD WITH 

CRANBERRY MUSTARD DRESSING 

Serves 6.
Ingredients:
Salad:
2 firm-ripe Anjou pears, peeled and 
   cut into 6 wedges each 
2 T. raw (coarse) sugar
1/2 cup sliced almonds, toasted
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1-6 oz. bag baby spinach
Dressing:
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/3 cup cider vinegar
2 T. pomegranate molasses or honey 
1 T. Dijon mustard
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

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Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Toss pear wedges with sugar and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet, cut sides down. Bake for 15 minutes or until soft and browned on undersides. Slide paper onto a rack and cool. Toss sliced almonds and dried cranberries together in a small bowl; set aside.
2. To make dressing place dried cranberries, vinegar, pomegranate molasses or honey and mustard in the blender. Blend until smooth. Add the olive oil and blend; season to taste with salt and pepper.
3. Place spinach in a salad bowl and toss with half the almond mixture and enough vinaigrette to coat the leaves well. Plate the salad and top with roasted pears and the remaining almond mixture. 
Salad recipe and photo property of Phillis Carey.

Spinach, Jicama, Red Onion And Orange Salad With Pomegranate Vinaigrette And Candied Pecans

SPINACH, JICAMA, RED ONION AND ORANGE SALAD WITH POMEGRANATE VINAIGRETTE AND CANDIED PECANS

Ingredients:

Vinaigrette:
2 cups pomegranate juice 
2/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil 
2 T. honey
1 T. balsamic vinegar
1 T. white wine vinegar 
2 tsp. Dijon mustard 
Salt and pepper to taste
Pecans:
1/4 cup golden brown sugar
1 T. olive oil
1 T. balsamic vinegar
1 cup lightly toasted pecan halves
Salad:

Serves 8.

16 oz. spinach leaves
1 cup julienned jicama
1 red onion, sliced and soaked in vinegar water for 1 hour, drained
4 navel oranges, peeled and segments removed or use 2 cans mandarin oranges 
1/4 cup pomegranate seeds

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Directions:

1. For vinaigrette, bring pomegranate juice to a boil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat; reduce heat to medium, and cook, stirring occasionally, 15 minutes or until reduced to 1/3 cup—or use 1/3 cup pomegranate molasses. Transfer to a small bowl. Cool completely (about 30 minutes). Whisk in olive oil, honey, vinegar, mustard, pepper and salt. Dressing keeps 3 days.

2. For Pecans, line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Stir sugar, oil and vinegar in a heavy medium saucepan over medium heat until sugar melts and syrup bubbles, about 3 minutes. Mix in pecans. Stir until nuts are warmed through and syrup coats nuts evenly, about 3 minutes. Turn nuts out onto parchment and using a fork, separate nuts and cool completely. (These store for 2 days in an airtight container.)

3. For Salad, when ready to serve toss spinach with jicama, drained red onion, oranges and enough of the vinaigrette to coat well. Plate the salad and top with pomegranate seeds and pecans.