Elle's Kitchen: Spinach, Pear and Pomegranate Salad

It is Day 3 of A Week of Salads.

Tonight we will have a delicious

Spinach, Pear & Pom Salad.

 

 

Ingredients:

 

1/3 cup pecan pieces

3 tabl. cider vinegar

2 tabl. extra virgin olive oil

1 tabl. honey

1 tsp. Dijon mustard

1/4 tsp. salt

1/8 tsp. pepper

8 oz. baby spinach

2 ripe pears, peeled & sliced

1/2 cup pomegranate seeds

1/4 cup crumbled blue cheese

 

Preheat oven to 350 F.  Spread pecans on

a baking sheet and toast for 7 to 10 minutes

or until lightly browned. Cool.

 

 

Make the dressing:

Whisk together the vinegar, olive oil,

honey, mustard, salt & pepper in a large

bowl.

 

In a large bowl, add the dressing to the spinach

and toss well.  Add the pears, pomegranate seeds

and pecans and toss well.  Sprinkle blue cheese on

top and serve.

Elle's Kitchen: Orzo Salad

 

It is day 4 of A Week of Salads.

The selection tonight was Orzo Salad.

It is a cold salad that we think would

be better as a side, in the summer,

rather than the entrée on a snowy night.

 

We think we'll have a week of soups

next week...

 

 

Ingredients:

 

sea salt

1 1/2 cups orzo

a head of broccoli, cut into florets

2 cloves garlic, peeled

2/3 cup pine nuts, toasted

1/3 cup freshly grated parmesan

juice of 1 lemon

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/4 cup crème fraeche

grated zest of 1 lemon

1 small avocado, peeled and sliced

 

Cook orzo according to package directions,

rinse with cold water, drain.

 

Steam broccoli until bright green, set aside.

 

 

To make the pesto, combine half the broccoli,

the garlic, 3/4 of the pine nuts, the Parmesan,

1/4 teas. salt and 2 tabl. of the lemon juice and

pulse to combine.  Then drizzle in the olive oil

and crème fraeche, pulse until smooth.

 

 

In a large bowl, combine the orzo,

broccoli, the pesto and the lemon zest.

Fold in the avocado, top with remaining

pine nuts.