Candied Walnut Salad

Candied Walnut Salad

1 Bag of Spinach

¾ C. Craisins

2 Apples (cored and chopped, don’t peel)

Orange Juice (enough to toss apples in)

½ C. Caramelized Walnuts*

Honey Red Wine Vinaigrette Dressing**

Wash spinach.  Set aside to drain.  Caramelize walnuts.  Chop apples and toss in orange juice.  When ready to serve, toss lettuce, craisins, walnuts, and apples (drain off orange juice first) in large bowl.  Serve with vinaigrette dressing.

*Caramelized Walnuts:  2 T. brown sugar, ½ T. light corn syrup, 1/8 t. cinnamon, ½ T. butter, ½ C. walnuts

Place brown sugar, corn syrup, butter, and cinnamon in a non-stick skillet. Cook on medium to medium-high heat until it bubbles.  Add nuts and stir to coat.  Continue cooking for 5-7 minutes, stirring constantly until nuts turn golden brown in color and smell toasted.  Transfer to foil or waxed paper and cool completely.  Break apart with your fingers.

**Honey Red Wine Vinaigrette Dressing:  ½ C. red wine vinegar, ½ C. honey, 1-2 cloves garlic, 1 tsp. kosher salt,

                                       ½ tsp. coarsely ground black pepper, ½ 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 2-3 weeks.  Shake well before using.

(I make the walnuts and the dressing the night before I am serving the salad.  To keep the salad ingredients crisper,  don’t add the walnuts and the dressing until ready to serve.  The dressing recipe makes more than is needed for the salad, so make sure you don’t dump it all on.  You will have a very soggy salad!  Use maybe about half.  Then you have some left over for another salad!!)