Best Ever Strawberry Spinach Salad from theslowroasteditalian.com

Candied Pecan Ingredients
1 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup pecan halves
pinch salt

Dressing Ingredients
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/4 cup extra light tasting olive oil
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon paprika

Salad Ingredients
10 ounces fresh baby spinach – rinsed, dried and torn into bite-size pieces
1/4 small red onion sliced
1 quart fresh strawberries, hulled and quartered
1/2 cup fresh blueberries
1/2 avocado, cut into bite sized pieces
1/2 (5 ounce) package blue cheese crumbles

Place a silpat mat or a sheet of parchment paper on the counter top to dry the pecans.

In a small skillet over medium heat melt butter. Add pecans, sugar and salt. Stir until pecans are well coated. Stir until the sugar caramelizes, about 3-5 minutes.

Spread onto silpat or parchment paper. Separate pecans. Allow to cool.

Meanwhile: in a pint size mason jar combine dressing ingredients. Seal and shake until well combined. Set aside on the counter.

In a large bowl combine the spinach, onions, strawberries and blueberries. Pour about 1/2 of dressing over salad, and toss. Top with avocado, cheese and candied nuts. Serve remaining dressing on the side.

Refrigerate for 15 minutes before serving (or serve immediately).

Serve with the remaining dressing on the side. Enjoy!

Shaved Radish Salad with Tarragon and Blue Cheese

2 cups radishes (thinly shaved)
1/2 cup parsley leaves
1/4 cup tarragon leaves
1/4 cup blue cheese (crumbled)

dijion mustard vinaigrette:
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 lemon (juiced)
1 shallot (peeled, finely diced)
1/2 cup olive oil
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper (to taste)

In a large bowl, add the radishes, parsley leaves, tarragon leaves and toss to combine.

For the Vinaigrette: In a small bowl, add the Dijon mustard, lemon juice, shallot and olive oil and whisk to combine. Season with salt and pepper.

Drizzle the dressing around the outer rim of the bowl, add the cheese to the salad and toss to combine until the salad is lightly coated.

Tip: Make your vinaigrette in a mason jar for easy mixing and storing!

Focaccia with Caramelized Onions, Pear and Blue Cheese

  • 1 cup warm water201101-r-focaccia
  • 1 package active dry yeast
  • 1/2 teaspoon honey
  • 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 large onion, thinly sliced
  • 1 teaspoon light brown sugar
  • 1 large Bosc pear, cored and sliced
  • 1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese
  1. In a large bowl, combine the water, yeast and honey and let stand for 5 minutes. Stir in 1 cup of the flour and 1/4 cup of the oil; let stand for 5 minutes. Stir in the remaining flour and the salt and knead until smooth. Transfer to an oiled bowl, cover with plastic and let stand for 1 hour.
  2. Meanwhile, in a skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil. Add the onion, cover and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes. Add the sugar, cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned, 10 minutes.
  3. Preheat the oven to 450°. Oil a 9-by-13 inch rimmed baking sheet. Transfer the dough to the sheet and press it down to fit. Dimple the dough all over with your fingers and drizzle with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Let the dough rise until puffed, about 20 minutes.
  4. Scatter the onions over the dough. Arrange the pear over the onions and sprinkle with the blue cheese. Drizzle the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil over the focaccia and bake for 20 minutes, until golden. Transfer to a rack to cool. Serve.

 

Red Raspberry Spinach Salad, Phyllis Keating

Red-Raspberry-Spinach-Salad-recipe-Taste-and-Tell
Dressing
1/2 cup raspberry jam
1/2 cup seasoned rice vinegar
2 tablespoons vegetable oil

Salad
5 oz baby spinach, chopped
1 romaine heart, chopped
1 cup red grapes, halved
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1 pear, sliced
4 oz fresh raspberries
2.5 oz crumbled blue cheese
1/4 cup shelled pistachios, chopped
Instructions

Make the Dressing:
Combine the jam and the vinegar in a blender and pulse until combined. With the blender running, stream in the vegetable oil. Alternately, combine all ingredients in a jar with a tight fitting lid and shake until completely combined.

Make the Salad:
Combine the spinach, romaine, grapes, cranberries, pear and raspberries in a large bowl and toss to combine. Sprinkle the blue cheese and pistachios on top. Serve with the raspberry vinaigrette.

ONION TART BY: JOSH AND BRENT

Even when I was a little boy I was a champion of diversity.   I didn’t care if the onion was white, yellow or red.  I liked them all.

My favorite meal at grandma’s house was the onion sandwich… thin slices of onion, two slices of bread, and a generous layer of Duke’s mayonnaise.

Fortunately for all of you, my tastes are a little more sophisticated now, but sophisticated and simple are not mutually exclusive when it comes to good recipes.

Have you ever thought about combining savory caramelized onions, tangy bleu cheese and sweet, juicy slices of apple?   I hadn’t either until Sandy Gluck made the suggestion.

The result was a delicious and decadent onion tart that will impress every single person at your table.

6 tablespoons  olive oil

21/2 pounds yellow  onions, halved and thinly sliced

1 large sweet apple, peeled and cut into thin wedges

Coarse salt

All-purpose flour

3/4 pound storebought or homemade pizza dough

8 ounces blue cheese, crumbled

1/3  cup walnuts, coarsely chopped

In a large skillet, heat 4 tablespoons of  the oil over low heat. Add the onions, cover the skillet and cook,  stirring occasionally until the onions are tender, about 25 minutes. Uncover and continue cooking, stirring frequently until the onions are golden brown, about 20 minutes more. Stir in the apple, season with salt and cook until crisp-tender, about 5 minutes longer.

Preheat the oven to 500. On a lightly floured work surface, roll the dough out to a 14 inch round. Transfer the dough to a large baking sheet and brush the top with the remaining  2 tablespoons oil. Scatter the caramelized onion-apple mixture over the top, leaving a 1-inch border all around. Scatter the cheese and nuts on top. Bake on the lowest rack in the oven until the crust is crisp and the cheese has melted, 12 to  15 minutes.

Shaved Celery and Sardines on Blue Cheese Toast – Washington Post

This dish, based on an appetizer at Prune restaurant in New York City, plays with the classic pairing of blue cheese and celery, and adds sardines to make it a meal.

3 ribs celery
1 clove garlic, minced
Freshly squeezed juice of 1/2 lemon (2 tablespoons)
1 teaspoon best-quality extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher or sea salt
1 ounce Cambozola or other mild blue cheese, at room temperature (see headnote)
4 diagonally cut baguette slices, toasted (may substitute 2 larger slices of a bread of your choice)
2 ounces olive-oil-packed sardines, drained

Trim the celery by shaving off the thick skin and strings with a vegetable peeler. Cut crosswise into very thin slices, preferably using a small mandoline.

Combine the celery, garlic, lemon juice, oil and salt to taste in a small bowl, making sure the celery is well coated.

Divide the cheese into four equal pieces and spread on the baguette slices. Top with the dressed celery. Place equal portions of the sardines on each baguette slice, and eat.

Waldorf Salad- fanny farmer & moosewood

IMG_2084_2
3 ripe apples
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 cup sliced celery
1/2 c. coarsly chopped toasted walnuts
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 1/2 teaspoon tsp honey
1/4 c. crumbled blue cheese

Core and quarter apples, leave skin on, may chopped if preferred. Put in a bowl and toss with the lemon juice to coat. Add the celery and walnuts. Mix the mayonnaise and honey until smooth, add to apple mixture along with blue cheese and toss gently.

Blue Cheese Crisps – Jennifer Kosco

8 ounces blue cheese, crumbled
1/2 c. butter, softened
1 1/3 c. flour
1/3 c. poppy seeds
1/4 tsp. cayenne

With an electric mixer at medium speed, beat cheese and butter until creamy. Add flour, poppy seeds and pepper, beat until blended.

Chill dough for about an hour. Divide dough in half; shape each portion into a 9-inch log. Cover and chill until firm, a couple of hours.

Cut each log into quarter-inch rounds and place on ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 350 degrees for 13-15 minutes or until goldern. Transfer to wire racks to cool completely.

Makes 6 dozen.

beet and goat cheese dip/spread

1/2 jar of beets (15 oz jar), drained
4 ounces goat cheese — soft and creamy
juice of 1/2 lemon
1 large shallot — minced
2 teaspoons thyme leaves — chopped
salt

Place about half a jar of beets, drained into the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until chopped well. Add in the remaining ingredients and pulse until well mixed and season to taste with salt..