Spinach Salad With Caramelized Pecans Recipes

SPINACH SALAD WITH CARAMELIZED PECANS

Steps:

• Melt butter in small frying pan over low heat.
• Add pecans and brown sugar.
• Cook 2 to 3 minutes, stirring constantly until mixture is caramelized.
• Spread out on wax paper to cool.
• In bowl toss together spinach, pecans, apple and cheese.
• Add oil and vinegar and toss again until everything is coated.
• Chef's note: To make ahead for a special dinner--toss apple with dressing. Layer on greens, cheese and pecans. Cover with plastic wrap and put in refrigerator until needed, tossing just before serving.

SPINACH SALAD WITH PEACHES AND PECANS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Arrange pecans on a single layer on a baking sheet and roast in preheated oven for 7-10 minutes, until they just begin to darken. Remove from oven and set aside.
• Peel peaches (if desired) and slice into bite-sized segments. Combine peaches, spinach and pecans in a large bowl. Toss with dressing until evenly coated, adding a little additional dressing, if necessary.

SPINACH SALAD WITH PEARS & CANDIED PECANS

Steps:

• In a small heavy skillet, melt butter. Add brown sugar; cook and stir over medium heat until dissolved. Add pecans; cook for 3-5 minutes or until toasted, stirring frequently. Spread onto foil to cool., In a small bowl, whisk the oil, sugar, lemon juice, onion and salt; set aside. Just before serving, in a large salad bowl, combine the spinach, pears, cheese and candied pecans. Drizzle with dressing and toss to coat.

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 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.

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 SALAD WITH MANGO AND CANDIED PECANS

Steps:

• Spray sheet of foil with nonstick spray. Stir sugar, 1 tablespoon oil and 1 tablespoon vinegar in heavy medium skillet over medium heat until sugar melts and syrup bubbles, about 3 minutes. Mix in pecans. Stir until nuts are toasted and syrup coats nuts evenly, about 7 minutes. Turn nuts out onto prepared foil. Using fork, separate nuts and cool completely (coating will harden).
• Combine spinach, mango and cooled pecans in large bowl. Whisk remaining 5 tablespoons oil and 2 tablespoons vinegar in small bowl to blend. Season dressing with salt and pepper. Toss salad with enough dressing to coat.

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.