Super Salad

Have you tried the product Salad Pizazz?  It turns a salad into a dessert and puts an extra crunch in your salad.  This is what I had for supper last night and I loved it.  I highly recommend it to anyone that loves salads.   I sound like a walking commercial don’t I?  They packaged dried raspberries and cranberries and added candied walnuts to make a very tasty topping that takes your salad over the top.  I just used a simple homemade salad dressing I made with some cranberry raspberry juice and a little red wine vinegar, salt and pepper to finish off iceberg lettuce, celery, and slices of cucumber.  I like to always keep cranberry juice in the refrigerator for a healthy drink and I really like the combination of raspberry and cranberry already so I always get the cran/raspberry combination.  I guess that is why I like the Frisco also.

You can buy dried cranberries or cherries and you could candy your own nuts and make your own mix.  It would be much cheaper.  What ever you do, just try it.

Cran/Raspberrry Vinaigrette 

½ cup cran/raspberry juice

¼ cup red wine vinegar

¼ cup water

2 tablespoons of sugar

Good pinch of Kosher salt and pepper

Put all ingredients into a jar and shake well.  You can store for weeks in the refrigerator. 

Candied Nuts

Butter or nonstick cooking spray

3 cups roasted walnuts (or cashews, roasted peanuts, whole almonds, or pecan halves)

½ cup sugar

2 tablespoons butter

½ teaspoon vanilla

Line a baking sheet with foil.   Lightly coat the sheet with nonstick cooking spray and set baking sheet aside.

Spread nuts evenly in a shallow baking pan. Bake in a 325 degree F. oven for 10 minutes, stirring once.

Meanwhile, place sugar in a heavy 10-inch skillet. Heat over medium heat, shaking skillet several times to heat sugar evenly (do not stir). Heat until some of the sugar is melted (it should look syrupy). Begin to stir only the melted sugar to keep it from overbrowning and stirring in remaining sugar as it melts. Reduce heat to medium to low.  Continue to cook until all the sugar is melted and golden, about 5 minutes more.  Add 2 tablespoons butter to the skillet and if the nuts are not salted, put in a pinch of salt, stirring until the butter melts and the mixture is combined.  Remove from heat and add the vanilla.   

Add the warm nuts to skillet, stirring to coat. Pour nut mixture onto the prepared baking sheet. Cool completely. Break into clusters. Store tightly covered at room temperature for up to 3 weeks or freeze for up to 3 months.

Makes about 4 1/3 cups.

Note:  If the nuts are toasted before sugar is melted in step 2, leave nuts in oven and turn oven off to keep nuts warm until needed.

These candied nuts also make a great topping for desserts or ice cream, but that is why I liked them on a salad isn't it?

I picked green tomatoes from my garden this morning and I'm making fried green tomatoes.  I'll share with you tomorrow.  

Be happy and may God bless you and yours.