Salad:
- 1 head romaine lettuce
- 1 bunch local watercress (3 cups chopped)
- 2 whole Fuji apples or ripe pears
- ¾ cup walnuts
- 4 oz. crumbled feta or Gorgonzola cheese
- ½ cup dried cranberries
- 2 Tbs. honey or pancake syrup
- 1 Tbs. brown sugar
- Parmesan cheese
- Fresh ground black pepper, to taste
- Non-stick spray
Dressing:
- ¼ cup balsamic vinegar
- 1 cup prepared light ranch style dressing
To prepare “candied” walnuts, pre-heat oven to 325 °F degrees. In a small bowl, combine walnuts and syrup, toss in brown sugar to coat. Line a baking sheet with foil, spray with a nonstick spray and layer the prepared walnuts in a single layer. Bake for about 12-15 minutes, or until golden brown. Set aside to cool.
Cut romaine into bite-size pieces, chop watercress into 1-inch pieces and toss together in a large salad bowl. Slice apples and/or pears into bite-size pieces, and add to salad. Add feta or Gorgonzola, candied walnuts and cranberries.
For the dressing, combine ingredients to make the creamy balsamic vinaigrette. Take care to lightly dress the salad and toss gently. Season with fresh ground pepper and sprinkle generously with Parmesan cheese. For an attractive presentation, use a vegetable peeler to scrape wide curls of Parmesan and place on top of tossed salad.
Chef Michi has more than 12 years of experience as a “casual gourmet,” cooking for family and businesses. Her catering company, Michi’s Fresh Cooking For You, was founded three years ago. Since then, Chef Michi has become a recipe developer for KTA Superstores on the Big Island. All recipes center on healthy yet easy to prepare dishes that are packed with flavor. Visit www.cookingfreshforyou.com or contact Michi at cookingfreshforyou@gmail.com or (808) 286-6484
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