Spinach Salad With Blue Cheese Spiced Walnuts Pears And Port Vinaigrette Recipes

Steps:

• Place dressing ingredients in a sealed jar or cruet and shake well to mix.
• Toss all the salad ingredients to mix well.
• Do not add dressing until just before serving.

Steps:

• FOR SPICED WALNUTS: Preheat oven to 300. Line baking sheet with foil. Spray foil lightly with nonstick spray. Whisk egg white and next 7 ingredients in medium bowl to blend. Add walnuts and toss to coat well. Spread walnuts in single layer on prepared baking sheet. Bake until walnuts are dry, about 14 minutes. Cool walnuts completely. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Store in airtight container at room temperature.) FOR SALAD: Bring Port, sugar, cloves, allspice, and cinnamon to boil in heavy small saucepan, stirring until sugar melts. Reduce heat to medium-low. Add pears; cover and simmer until tender when pierced with knife, turning pears every 5 minutes, about 20 minutes. Remove pan from heat. Let cool uncovered 20 minutes, turning pears once. Refrigerate pan uncovered until pears are chilled, turning every 1/2 hour, about 1 1/2 hours. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and keep refrigerated.) Remove pears from poaching liquid; reserve liquid. Cut pears lengthwise into quarters and core. Cut lengthwise into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Set pear slices aside. Boil 1/2 cup pear poaching liquid, shallots, and garlic in small saucepan over medium-high heat until reduced to 1/4 cup, about 3 minutes. Transfer mixture to medium bowl and cool to room temperature. Whisk in vinegar and mustard. Gradually whisk in olive oil. Season dressing to taste with salt and pepper. Arrange pear slices around edges of 4 plates. Sprinkle crumbled blue cheese between pear slices. Toss spinach and 1/2 cup dressing in large bowl to coat; mound in center of plates. Serve, passing remaining dressing separately.

Steps:

• In a small bowl, whisk together the shallot, vinegar, mustard, thyme, honey, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and a grind or two of pepper. Continue to whisk as you drizzle in the olive oil. Dip a spinach leaf into the dressing and taste. Add more vinegar or salt as needed. Set aside.
• Put the pear and apple in a large bowl, drizzle the lemon juice over them, and toss gently until the slices are evenly coated. Add the spinach and all but a tablespoon each of the walnuts and cheese, and drizzle with 1 tablespoon of the dressing. Toss and taste the salad. Add more dressing or vinegar, salt, and pepper as needed. Sprinkle the remaining walnuts and cheese over the salad.

Steps:

• With a vegetable peeler or sharp paring knife, shave the pears, rotating the fruit as you work to form thin, even pieces.
• In a small bowl, whisk together lemon juice and oil; season with salt and pepper. Divide spinach, pears, and blue cheese among four serving plates; sprinkle with almonds and drizzle with lemon vinaigrette. Serve immediately.

Steps:

• Place pear on bed of fresh spinach.
• Mix blue cheese with heavy cream, and fill the center of the pear.
• Sprinkle with roasted walnuts.

Steps:

• Mash the blue cheese, crème fraîche and some seasoning in a bowl with 50ml water until smooth and pourable.
• Put the spinach onto a serving plate, scatter over the walnut pieces and drizzle with the blue cheese dressing.

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.