A Winter Salad

I needed a salad to take to my book group last week and decided this combination of ingredients would be a delicious cold weather salad. It’s very similar to my Harvest Salad but it’s meatless and I used a different cheese.

Salad:

Greens-combination of red lettuce and spinach

1 red apple, cut into bite sized pieces

1/2 red onion, sliced very thin

blue cheese crumbles

maple walnuts (see below)

Honey mustard vinaigrette (see below)

 

Vinaigrette:

• 1/2 cup olive oil

• 3 tablespoons vinegar

• 1/4 cup honey

• 1/4 cup Dijon Mustard

• 1 teaspoon salt

• dash of black pepper

 

Maple Walnuts:

• 2 cups walnut halves and pieces

• 1 tablespoon butter

• pinch of salt

• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

• 1/3 cup pure maple syrup

In a heavy or non-stick skillet over medium-high heat, melt butter. When butter is melted, quickly stir in the salt and cinnamon. Stir in maple syrup and then stir in the nuts.

Continue stirring over medium-high heat as the nuts are getting hot and the syrup is bubbly. Stir constantly as the syrup bubbles and then begins to thicken around the walnuts.

The nuts are done when the syrup is a thick glaze on the nuts. Remove pan from heat and lay nuts on a plate to cool.