Candied Walnut Salad with Honey Red Wine Vinaigrette

 I had a few heads of romaine lettuce that were thinking about going bad soon, so I set out on a quest for a new salad recipe to use them up before they spoiled.  I found this yummy healthy salad and it did not disappoint.  I LOVE apples in salads, and candied nuts...I mean really, can you go wrong?!  The dressing for this salad was amazing, and I can see myself having it in my refrigerator ALL THE TIME to dress any salad.  I forgot to add the cheese to the pic above...forgive me!  


Candied Walnut Salad
From:  Our Best Bites


2 heads of leafy greens; 1 can be a bag of spinach 

3/4 c. Craisins

2 crisp apples

Orange juice (enough to toss apples in to prevent browning and add a little flavor)

2 oz. blue cheese or Gorgonzola (or even feta is good)

1/2 c. chopped walnuts (I used some pecans I had around)

1/4 c. sugar

Honey Red Wine Vinaigrette (recipe below)

Wash and chop lettuce. Set aside to drain.

Anyway, to candy the nuts, combine walnuts and sugar in a medium skillet over medium heat. Stir constantly. After a few minutes, the sugar will look very fine and then a few minutes after that, it will start to liquefy. This is when you have to be absolutely vigilant about scraping the bottom of the skillet and making sure everything gets stirred around. The syrup will begin to darken and will coat the nuts. When they reach a golden brown color, remove from heat. Stir occasionally as the nuts begin to cool. After a few minutes, spread candied nuts onto a greased piece of parchment or wax paper or a greased cookie sheet and allow to cool completely. Set aside.

Chop blue cheese or Gorgonzola very finely. You want crumbles, not chunks.

Chop apples and toss in orange juice.

When ready to serve, toss lettuce, cranberries, walnuts, apples, and blue cheese in a large bowl. Add dressing if desired; it really is better all mixed together rather than on top, but the dressing will wilt any leftovers.

Honey Red Wine Vinaigrette
From:  Our Best Bites


1/2 c. red wine vinegar
1/2 c. honey
1-2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped (really, that’s pretty optional; it all goes in the blender)
1 tsp. Kosher salt
1 tsp. coarsely ground black pepper
1/2 c. canola oil


In a blender, combine vinegar, honey, garlic, salt, and pepper. Place lid on blender and blend on high. While blender is running, add oil in a steady stream. Store in refrigerator for about 2-3 weeks. Shake well before serving.

Spinach Mandarin Poppyseed Salad

This salad reminds me of Spring.  It is light enough to be a side dish, but add some grilled chicken strips and you have a phenomenal meal!


I first had this at a friend's house, and loved it...knew I would be making it again.  The dressing is super yummy, would be great on any salad!


Spinach Mandarin Poppyseed Salad
From:  Our Best Bites

8 oz. (1/2 bag) of baby spinach

1/2-1 head Romaine lettuce, chopped

1/2 thinly sliced medium red onion

1 large avocado, cubed

8 oz. mozzarella or Swiss cheese, shredded

1 12-oz. package bacon, cooked and crumbled

1 large can Mandarin oranges, drained

Poppy Seed Dressing, to taste (recipe below)

Combine all ingredients except dressing in a large bowl. When ready to serve, toss with desired amount of salad dressing and serve immediately. If you anticipate leftovers, just let your eaters dress their own salads because the dressing will make the greens wilt.

Poppyseed Dressing

1/3 c. white vinegar
1 tsp. Kosher salt
A few turns of freshly ground black pepper
3/4 c. sugar
1 tsp. mustard
1 green onion, ends removed (both the “hairy” end and where the green part starts to get floppy)
1/2 c. vegetable oil
1 tsp. poppy seeds

In a blender, combine vinegar, salt, pepper, sugar, and mustard. While the blender is running, add the green onion. Continue running the blender and add the oil in a steady stream and is fully incorporated into the dressing.

Pour the dressing into a serving or storage container and whisk in poppy seeds. Serve over leafy greens.

Winter Salad with Lemon Poppyseed Dressing

I'm not sure why this is called winter salad....the apples remind me of FALL, and the dressing is nice and refreshing, which screams SUMMER.  In any case, this salad was tasty!  I found this while scoping out See Jane in the Kitchen.  You must try :)  It reminds me of Panera's Summer Salad, just with different fruit.

1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup lemon juice
2 tsp diced green onion (or just onion)
1 tsp Dijon-style mustard
1/2 tsp salt
2/3 cup veg oil
1 Tbs poppy seeds
1 head Romain lettuce or a mixture of different kinds of lettuce (I used more lettuce, 1 didn't look like near enough, I used 2)
4 oz shredded Swiss cheese (I cut up some swiss cheese slices instead)
1 cup slivered almonds. (or you can use cashews if you want)
1/4 cup dried cranberries (Craisins)
1 apple-peeled, cored and diced
1 pear-peeled, cored and diced

1. In a blender or food processor, combine sugar, lemon juice, onion, mustard and salt. Process until well blended. Add oil in slow steady stream until mixture is thick and smooth. Add poppy seeds and process just a few seconds more to mix.

2. In a large serving bowl combine the lettuce, shredded Swiss cheese, almonds, dried cranberries, cubed apple and cubed pear. Toss to mix then pour dressing over salad just before serving and toss to coat.

Mandarin Chicken Bowtie Salad

This is a large recipe great for parties or showers.  So if you're not feeding a large crowd, I'd definitely halve this one!  I first had it at a baby shower for someone in the ward, and it was mighty tasty!  The recipe comes from a blog a bunch of girls in the ward contribute to, I Love to Cook.  It's definitely worth making and sharing!

16 oz bowtie pasta

Dressing:
1 cup oil *veggie or canola*
2/3 cup teriyaki sauce
2/3 cup white wine vinegar
6 Tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper

Salad:
10 oz fresh spinach
6 oz craisins
3- 11oz cans mandarin oranges (drained)
2- 8 oz cans water chesnuts (drained)
1/2 cup fresh parsley- chopped
1/4 cup toasted sesame seeds
1 bunch green onions- chopped
6 oz honey roasted peanuts
2 cups cooked chicken cut to sm. pieces
Cook pasta according to directions, then chill. Mix dressing and add to pasta and marinate for atleast 2 hours. Mix remaining ingredients in a large bowl. Toss with pasta and dressing right before serving.

Cilantro Ranch Dressing, Version 2

1 packet TRADITIONAL Hidden Valley Ranch mix (not BUTTERMILK)

1 c. mayonnaise
1 c. buttermilk
2 tomatillos, remove husk, diced
1/2 bunch of fresh cilantro
1 clove garlic
juice of 1 lime
1 jalepeno (we like it SPICY so we kept the seeds in it, if you like it mild, just remove the seeds)

Mix all ingredients together in the blender.

Cilantro Lime Vinegarette

I think I have been converted.  I used to be a strict tomatillo ranch girl, but this stuff now has me addicted!  I have found a few different recipes for this, and this is the first one I tried.  I think it is spot-on and I don't need to try the others!  Thanks to Favorite Family Recipes for coming up with this yummy dressing!

2 tomatillos

1/2 bunch cilantro
2 cloves garlic
1 Tbsp. diced jalepeno (canned) --you can use less if you don't like it spicy at all. I like a little kick.
Juice of 2 limes
1 Tbsp. sugar
1 c. balsamic vinaigrette

In a food processor or blender, combine tamatillos, cilantro, garlic, jalapeno, lime juice, and sugar. After it is all blended up well combine with balsamic vinaigrette in an airtight container and refrigerate for at least 2 hours (overnight is best).

Cafe Rio Tomatillo Ranch Dressing

1 packet Hidden Valley Ranch Buttermilk Dressing dry mix
1 cup buttermilk
1 cup mayonnaise
3 tomatillos (they look like green tomatoes)
2 cloves garlic
3/4 c. fresh cilantro
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper

Blend all ingredients in the blender. Refrigerate.

Chicken Wonton Salad

iceberg lettuce
1/2 c. green onions, chopped
3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked and cubed
8 fried won tons
1 can water chestnuts (optional)
sesame seeds (optional)
1 small can mandarin oranges (optional)
4 stalks celery sliced thin (optional)

Dressing:

3/4 c. vegetable oil
4 Tbsp. rice vinegar
4 Tbsp. sugar
1/8 tsp. pepper
1/2 tsp. salt

Mix all dressing ingredients and set aside. Combine lettuce, green onions, cooked chicken, water chestnuts, and sesame seeds. Fry won tons in oil until golden brown. Crush won tons into smaller pieces and add to salad mixture. Add dressing. (do not add won tons and dressing until just before serving)