Spinach Salad with Candied Pecans, Pears and Brie
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes
This is the number-one salad in my catering company. The sweet and savory combination of cinnamon-sugared pecans, ripe pears and small morsels of brie is sensational. There is very little oil in this, but you won’t miss it. You can easily make this a main meal salad by adding some grilled chicken or shrimp.
Serves 8
Ingredients
• ¹/³ cup pecan halves
• 3 Tbsp icing sugar
• ¼ tsp cinnamon
• ¹/8 tsp allspice
• ¹/8 tsp nutmeg
• 8 cups baby spinach leaves
• 1 cup diced radicchio
• 1 large ripe pear, peeled, cored and diced
• 2 oz brie, diced
• 2 Tbsp orange juice concentrate, thawed
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 1 tsp minced garlic
• ½ tsp liquid honey
• ½ tsp Dijon mustard
Method
- 1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray a baking sheet with cooking oil.
- 2. Rinse the pecans with cold water. Drain, but do not let them dry. Combine the icing sugar, cinnamon, allspice and nutmeg in a small bowl. Dip the pecans in the sugar mixture, coating them well. Spread on the prepared baking sheet.
- 3. Bake for 15 minutes in the center of the oven. Remove and cool. When they’re cool enough to handle, chop coarsely.
- 4. Combine the spinach, radicchio, pear and brie in a large serving bowl.
- 5. Whisk the juice concentrate, oil, vinegar, garlic, honey and mustard together in a small bowl. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss to coat. Garnish with the candied pecans.
Per Serving: Calories 189; Protein 4.2 g; Fat 12 g; Saturated Fat 2.7 g; Carbohydrates 13 g; Cholesterol 9 mg; Sodium 105 mg; Fiber 2.6 g
Shrimp, Avocado and Feta Salad
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 3 minutes
This amazing salad is so filling you’ll need only a small portion. Dice the avocado just before you’re ready to serve, or squeeze some lemon juice over it to prevent browning if you prepare it earlier in the day. Always be sure to weigh your shrimp after it has been peeled. For each pound of peeled shrimp, you need to purchase approximately 1¼ pounds of shrimp in the shell. Purchase cooked cocktail shrimp if you don’t want to bother cooking raw shrimp. Serves 6
Ingredients
• 16 oz large shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 3 cups diced and seeded plum tomatoes
• 1 cup diced ripe avocado
• ¹/³ cup chopped cilantro or parsley
• ¼ cup diced red onion
• ½ cup light feta cheese, crumbled
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 2 Tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1 ½ tsp minced fresh garlic
• 1 tsp minced jalapeño pepper or 1 tsp hot sauce pinch salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method
- 1. Spray a non-stick skillet with cooking oil and place over medium-high heat. Cook the shrimp just until pink, about 3 minutes. Remove from the heat, cool and dice.
- 2. Combine the shrimp with the remaining ingredients in a large serving bowl and mix thoroughly. Serve immediately.
Per Serving: Calories 229; Protein 19 g; Fat 13 g; Saturated Fat 3.6 g; Carbohydrates 6 g; Cholesterol 127 mg; Sodium 334 mg ; Fiber 2.6 g
Rose Reisman is an author, media personality, nutritionist, and the inspiration behind a fresh food delivery service, Personal Gourmet, and new website, The Art of Living Well. Visit Rose at rosereisman.com & personalgourmet.ca
