Spinach Salad With Cranberry Vinaigrette, Walnut Praline And Blue Cheese

Spinach Salad With Cranberry Vinaigrette,

Walnut Praline, And Blue Cheese

I buy an extra bag or two of cranberries when they are in season for my freezer to have on hand for use in recipes throughout the year.

Ingredients:

Spicy Walnut Praline:

1 cup lightly toasted walnuts, finely chopped 

1 tsp.. salt 
1/4 tsp.. cayenne or to taste 
1/2 cup sugar 
2 - 6 oz.. bags baby spinach 
1/2 cup dried cranberries 
1 cup Danish blue cheese, crumbled 
Cranberry Vinaigrette: 
1/2 cup fresh cranberries 
3 T.. raspberry vinegar 
1 clove garlic, peeled 
1 tsp.. minced shallots 
1/2 tsp.. Dijon mustard 
1/4 cup Cranberry juice cocktail 
3 T. walnut or olive oil 
1 T. honey 
3 leaves fresh mint 
1/3 cup vegetable oil 
Salt to taste 
Directions:

For Walnut Praline, toss together walnuts, salt and cayenne. In a dry  small heavy nonstick skillet cook sugar over medium heat , without stirring, swirling pan until golden. Add walnut mixture and stir to coat nuts with caramel. Spoon praline onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and cool. When cool, transfer to a cutting board and chop. Keeps 3 days.

For vinaigrette, place cranberries, vinegar, garlic, shallots and mustard in food processor blender and pulse several times to coarsely chop. Add the cranberry juice, walnut or olive oil, honey and mint; blend until thin and smooth. With machine running slowly all vegetable oil in a steady thin stream and blend to form a slightly thickened and emulsified dressing. Season with salt.. 

Place spinach and dried cranberries in a large salad bowl and toss with enough dressing to coat th e leaves well. Divide salad among serving plates and sprinkle with walnuts and blue cheese. Serve immediately.

Serves 8

Hazelnut Chicken Breasts With Berry Cassis Sauce

Hazelnut Chicken Breasts 

With Berry Cassis Sauce

Serves 4

Ingredients
Chicken:
4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves 
4 tsp. Dijon mustard
2 tsp. chopped fresh thyme
Salt and pepper to taste
3/4 cup flour or cornstarch
2 eggs, lighten beaten with 1 T. water
1 cup coarsely ground lightly toasted hazelnuts
Sauce:
1 cup fresh or frozen blackberries 
1 cup fresh or frozen raspberries 
1/4 cup chopped shallots
1/2 cup water
3 T. raspberry vinegar (not balsamic) 
3 T Crème de Cassis
2 T. sugar
2 T. unsalted butter
Directions:
1. Trim chicken and pound to an even 1/2 inch thickness. Spread 1 tsp. mustard over both sides of each breast and then sprinkle with thyme, salt and pepper. Set aside for 30 minutes or cover and refrigerate 1 hour.

2. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Spray a rack with nonstick spray and set over a baking sheet. Place flour or cornstarch in a shallow bowl. Whisk eggs and water in another bow and place hazelnuts in a third. Dredge chicken in flour, shaking off excess. Dip in egg and then coat well with hazelnuts. Transfer chicken to rack/baking sheet and bake for 15 to 18 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.

3. Meanwhile, for sauce, place both berries in a medium saucepan. Add the shallots, water, vinegar, Crème de Cassis and sugar. Bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Lower temperature and simmer, stirring often, until mixture thickens and reduces, 10 to 15 minutes. Pour mixture through strainer, pressing on solids. Return strained liquid to saucepan and bring to a simmer. Season sauce to taste with salt and pepper. Just before serve, reheat and then remove from heat and stir in butter. Serve sauce over chicken.