Spinach Salad With Caramelized Pecans Recipes

GINA'S SPINACH SALAD WITH SPICED PECANS

Steps:

• Pecans: Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Stir in all the spices and the pecans. Stir and toast the pecans for about 5 minutes. Transfer them to a plate to cool.
• Salad: Whisk together the Dijon mustard, shallots, and balsamic vinegar in a small bowl. Drizzle in the olive oil in a continuous stream, whisking to emulsify. Season with a pinch of sugar, and salt and pepper, to taste.
• Add the spinach to a large serving bowl. Toss the greens with the prepared dressing, the bacon, blue cheese, cherry tomatoes and spiced pecans.

SPINACH, APPLE AND PECAN SALAD

Steps:

• In serving bowl, whisk oil, vinegar, mustard, sugar, salt and pepper until thick.
• Add apple and onion.
• Toss until apples and onions are covered with dressing.
• Place spinach on top, then pecans.
• Just before serving, toss.

SPINACH SALAD WITH ORANGES, DRIED CHERRIES, AND CANDIED PECANS

Steps:

• Cut and peel white pith from oranges. Cut between membranes to release orange segments into a small bowl.
• Combine shallot with balsamic vinegar in bowl. Whisk in olive oil and season with salt and pepper to taste.
• Place orange segments, spinach, and cherries in salad bowl, and toss with dressing. Break apart pecans and add to salad. Sprinkle goat cheese on top and serve.

SPINACH AND BLUE CHEESE SALAD WITH SLICED APPLES AND SPICED CARAMELIZED PECANS

Steps:

• Cut the apple into quarters, remove the stem and the seeds, and cut into very thin slices. Sprinkle lemon juice over the slices and set aside.
• When ready to serve, in a salad bowl, combine the apple, spinach, radicchio, and blue cheese. Season lightly with salt and pepper and toss with the dressing. Adjust seasoning, to taste.
• To serve, divide the salad among 4 plates and sprinkle the pecans around each salad.
• In a small bowl, whisk together the shallots and the mustard. Whisk in the vinegars, and then the olive and vegetable oils. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Transfer to a covered container and refrigerate until needed.
• Yield: 1 1/4 cups
• Recipe courtesy Wolfgang Puck, "Adventures in the Kitchen", Random House, 1991
• In a deep-fryer or a deep pot, heat the oil to 350 degrees F. (A deep-frying thermometer can be clipped to the side of the pan so that you can tell when the proper temperature has been reached).
• Meanwhile, in a large saucepan bring 2 quarts of water to a boil. Add the pecans and boil for 2 minutes. Drain in a large strainer, shaking off all excess water. Sprinkle the salt and cayenne pepper over the nuts and then coat with the confectioners' sugar, a little at a time, allowing the sugar to melt into the pecans. Toss the nuts by shaking the strainer, adding a little more sugar each time, until all the sugar is used and all the nuts are coated. Do not use hands or a spoon to toss. The nuts should have a glaze of sugar.
• Carefully add the nuts to the heated oil, keeping the oil at 350 degrees F. Cook until golden brown, about 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove with a slotted spoon to a baking tray to cool.
• Yield: 2 cups
• Recipe courtesy Wolfgang Puck, "Pizza, Pasta & More!," Random House, 2000

SPINACH AND BLUE CHEESE SALAD WITH SLICED APPLES AND SPICED CARAMELIZED PECANS

Steps:

• Cut the apple into quarters, remove the stem and the seeds, and cut into very thin slices. Sprinkle lemon juice over the slices and set aside.
• When ready to serve, in a salad bowl, combine the apple, spinach, radicchio, and blue cheese. Season lightly with salt and pepper and toss with the dressing. Adjust seasoning to taste.
• To serve, divide the salad among 4 plates and sprinkle the pecans around each salad.
• In a small bowl, whisk together the shallots and the mustard. Whisk in the vinegars, and then the olive and vegetable oils. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Transfer to a covered container and refrigerate until needed.
• Yield: 1 1/4 cups
• Recipe courtesy Wolfgang Puck, "Adventures in the Kitchen", Random House, 1991
• In a deep-fryer or a deep pot, heat the oil to 350 degrees F. (A deep-frying thermometer can be clipped to the side of the pan so that you can tell when the proper temperature has been reached).
• Meanwhile, in a large saucepan bring 2 quarts of water to a boil. Add the pecans and boil for 2 minutes. Drain in a large strainer, shaking off all excess water. Sprinkle the salt and cayenne pepper over the nuts and then coat with the confectioners' sugar, a little at a time, allowing the sugar to melt into the pecans. Toss the nuts by shaking the strainer, adding a little more sugar each time, until all the sugar is used and all the nuts are coated. Do not use hands or a spoon to toss. The nuts should have a glaze of sugar.
• Carefully add the nuts to the heated oil, keeping the oil at 350 degrees F. Cook until golden brown, about 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove with a slotted spoon to a baking tray to cool.
• Yield: 2 cups
• Recipe courtesy Wolfgang Puck, "Pizza, Pasta & More!," Random House, 2000

SPINACH SALAD WITH STRAWBERRIES AND CARAMELIZED PECANS

Steps:

• CARAMELIZED PECANS: In a small saucepan, combine the sugar and water. Heat and stir on low until the sugar is dissolved.
• Increase heat to medium-high and boil mixture for 5-10 minutes without stirring; until syrup is golden brown. Watch boiling process carefully! Please be careful not to burn yourself!
• Arrange the pecans in a single layer on a lightly greased baking sheet.
• Drizzle the simple syrup over the pecans. Stir to coat. Allow to stand 20 minutes or so to cool and harden. Chop coarsely once cooled.
• STRAWBERRY DRESSING: Combine all dressing ingredients in a tight fitting jar with a lid and shake well. Yield 1/2 cup.
• SALAD: Meanwhile, arrange the washed spinach leaves on six individual salad plates. Top with pecan mixture, strawberries, cheese and shallots. Serve dressing on side.

SPINACH SALAD WITH JAMAICAN VINAIGRETTE AND CARAMELIZED PECANS

Steps:

• Place the spinach and watercress in a large bowl. Pour some of the vinaigrette on top and toss. Top with the chopped caramelized pecans and sprinkle the scallions over the top. Drizzle some more vinaigrette on top. If you have leftover vinaigrette, you can eat it with a spoon!

SPINACH PECAN SALAD

Steps:

• Wash and dry the spinach until you're absolutely sure it's clean; spinach can hold a lot of grit. When you're sure it's clean and dry, put it in a salad bowl, and sprinkle it with salt, and squeeze the leaves gently with your hands. You'll find that the spinach "deflates," or sort of gets a bit limp and reduces in volume. Add the scallions to the bowl. Pour on the olive oil, and toss the salad thoroughly. Add the lemon juice, and toss again. Top with the pecans, and serve.

PECAN SPINACH SALAD

Steps:

• In a large salad bowl, combine the spinach, pecans, bacon and blue cheese. In a small bowl, whisk the dressing ingredients. Pour over salad; toss to coat.

STRAWBERRY SPINACH SALAD WITH CANDIED PECANS

Steps:

• Melt butter in a large heavy skillet over medium heat.
• Add pecans and sugar; stir to combine.
• Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until sugar melts around pecans and is caramel-colored.
• Remove pecans with a slotted spoon and spread in a single layer on a sheet of lightly greased aluminum foil.
• Cool completely and break up pieces as needed.
• Remove and discard stems from spinach.
• Wash spinach and pat dry with paper towels.
• Tear into bite-size pieces.
• Combine spinach, celery and strawberries in a large bowl.
• Pour 1 cup dressing over salad mixture; toss gently.
• Add reserved candied pecans; toss gently.
• Serve immediately with remaining dressing.
• Dressing: Combine first 5 ingredients in container of electric blender; cover and process until smooth.
• With blender running, gradually add oil in a slow, steady stream through opening in lid.
• Process until thick and smooth.
• Transfer dressing mixture to a bowl; stir in poppy seeds.
• Cover and chill.

SPINACH SALAD WITH SWEET ROASTED PECANS AND GORGONZOLA WITH SHERRY SHALLOT VINAIGRETTE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
• Place spinach in serving bowl.
• Toss pecans with vegetable oil, sugar and salt. Lay out on baking sheet. Roast until shade darker and aromatic, about 7 to 8 minutes. Set aside.
• Make dressing by combining olive oil, vinegar, shallots and salt and pepper in a bowl and whisking together or place in sealable container and shake.
• Toss spinach with dressing, Gorgonzola and pecans.