Spinach & Pear Salad with Gorgonzola Cheese & Caramelized Walnuts
Brian Derby (originally from Harriet Roth's Cholesterol Control Cookbook)
Yield: 4 servings
4 cups spinach leaves, washed thoroughly, dried and torn
2 cups red leaf lettuce, washed thoroughly, dried and torn
3 Tbsp low-calorie vinaigrette dressing (I use Girard's Balsamic Basil)
1 Tbsp lemon juice
2 Tbsp orange juice
1/2 tsp Dijon or spicy brown mustard
Fresh ground pepper
2 small ripe pears, halved, cored and sliced
Caramelized walnuts (optional, recipe below)
Crumbled Gorgonzola cheese (optional)
Salad: Toss spinach and lettuce in large bowl. Divide evenly among four plates. Combine vinaigrette dressing, lemon and orange juices, mustard and pepper. Beat with fork or whisk to blend. Sprinkle optional walnuts and cheese over greens. Arrange a quarter of the pear slices in a fan shape around the greens on each plate. Sprinkle with dressing and serve.
Walnuts: Place shelled walnut halves in bowl and drench with honey, stirring until evenly covered. Spread walnuts out on baking sheet covered with foil. Cook slowly in oven at 250-300˚F, turning occasionally with spatula to prevent burning nuts, until honey is quite dense and nearly dehydrated. Takes about an hour. Remove from oven, separate clumps of nuts, then cool. Great snack or addition to salads.
Yield: 4 servings
The dressing for this salad, in particular, was a real hit with Mom, Cheri, Terry and I. The slightly modified recipe is a take-off from Harriet Roth’s Cholesterol Control Cookbook, featuring lots of great low/no cholesterol low-fat recipes. (Jan 2003)
4 cups spinach leaves, washed thoroughly, dried and torn
2 cups red leaf lettuce, washed thoroughly, dried and torn
3 Tbsp low-calorie vinaigrette dressing (I use Girard's Balsamic Basil)
1 Tbsp lemon juice
2 Tbsp orange juice
1/2 tsp Dijon or spicy brown mustard
Fresh ground pepper
2 small ripe pears, halved, cored and sliced
Caramelized walnuts (optional, recipe below)
Crumbled Gorgonzola cheese (optional)
Salad: Toss spinach and lettuce in large bowl. Divide evenly among four plates. Combine vinaigrette dressing, lemon and orange juices, mustard and pepper. Beat with fork or whisk to blend. Sprinkle optional walnuts and cheese over greens. Arrange a quarter of the pear slices in a fan shape around the greens on each plate. Sprinkle with dressing and serve.
Walnuts: Place shelled walnut halves in bowl and drench with honey, stirring until evenly covered. Spread walnuts out on baking sheet covered with foil. Cook slowly in oven at 250-300˚F, turning occasionally with spatula to prevent burning nuts, until honey is quite dense and nearly dehydrated. Takes about an hour. Remove from oven, separate clumps of nuts, then cool. Great snack or addition to salads.