September 14, 2011: Pear and Greens Salad Recipe

Most recipes for a green salad with pears calls for Bleu or Roquefort cheese and that is a good foil to the sweetness of the fruit. However, I didn’t have that kind of cheese so I took a look through my fridge to find alternative ingredients. Here’s what I came up with.

Pear and Greens Salad

1 cup Romaine lettuce

1 cup green leaf lettuce

1/3 cup Garlic and Shallot Vinaigrette

1 ripe Bartlett pear, thinly sliced

¼ cup toasted pecan pieces

1 ounce shaved Parmesan cheese

Freshly grated black pepper

Toss lettuces with vinaigrette. Place half of it on a salad plate. Arrange half the pear slices over the top. Sprinkle with pecans and cheese; top with freshly grated black pepper to taste. Repeat with remaining ingredients.

To toast pecans: put in a dry skillet over medium low heat and cook for several minutes, until you can start to smell the fragrance of the nuts. Pressed for time? Microwave them on a small dish for about 2 minutes (check after 1 minute).

Serves two.

Tip: You can also use mixed baby greens or your choice of lettuce as the bed for the pears, nuts, and cheese.

May 16, 2011: A Manly Salad and Honey Mustard Dressing Recipe

My husband had to go to the doctor last week. He’s really been trying to get healthier by quitting smoking and drinking (he only drinks a beer every now and then) but one thing he hasn’t done is eat better. I try my best to force veggies down his throat when he’s home for dinner but there’s not much I can do about the fact that he stops at Circle K on the way to work and buys a pastry for breakfast or a greasy fast food hamburger for lunch.

Well, at this last doctor’s visit, he was horrified to find out he’d gained another five pounds in the last month or so when he’d already started out heavier than normal. I guess this was his wakeup call, at least for a day or two (we’ll see how long his healthy eating habit lasts)…

So the other night he insisted we just eat salad. Although I’d had a veggie wrap for lunch, which is basically salad in a tortilla, I acquiesced. Although this salad isn’t exactly real low in calories, it’s not too bad since I made the salad dressing. Here’s what we put in our salads (I’m not including measurements here because that’s really up to you and the size of your bowl):

Manly Salad

Romaine lettuce
Green leaf lettuce
Shredded carrot
Heirloom tomatoes, thinly sliced
Black olives
Deli ham slices, cubed
Broccoli sprouts
Hard boiled eggs
Sharp white cheddar cheese, grated
Freshly ground black pepper

Honey Mustard Salad Dressing

¼ cup honey
¼ cup olive oil
1 t. minced garlic
¼ cup Dijon mustard
¼ cup whole grain mustard

Mix all ingredients well. Makes enough for 2 large salads.