Michi’s Waldorf Salad

Salad:

• 1 head romaine lettuce
• 1 bunch local watercress (3c chopped)
• 2 fuji apples/ripe pears
• 3/4c walnuts
• 4oz. crumbled feta or gorgonzola cheese
• 1/2c dried cranberries
• Parmesan cheese (preferably block, not the prepared kind)
• 2T maple syrup (any pancake syrup works fine)
• 1T brown sugar
• Pepper to taste
• Pam/non-stick spray

Dressing:

• 1/4c balsamic vinegar
• 1/2c prepared Ranch dressing

To prepare “candied” walnuts, in a small bowl combine walnuts and maple syrup, toss in brown sugar to coat. Using a non-stick pan, spray with Pam and lightly toast walnuts over medium heat. Remove from heat and cool on a sheet
of waxed paper.

Combine two dressings and mix well, set aside. Hint: It’s important to toss your salad dressing into the salad just prior to serving to avoid soggy greens! Go light on the dressing, you can always add more.

Cut romaine into bite size pieces, chop watercress into 1” pieces and toss together in a large salad bowl. Slice apple/pear into bite size pieces (1/8” thick). Add feta/gorgonzola, candied walnuts and cranberries, then gently toss dressing into the salad. 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 founded ‘Cooking Fresh For You’. Her recipes center on healthy and flavor-packed dishes. Visit www.cookingfreshforyou.com or contact Michi at cookingfreshforyou@gmail.com or 808-286-6484. See her NEW concession take-out at Queen’s Physician’s Office Bldg.