Strawberry Asparagus + Goat Cheese Salad with Peppered Dijon Vinaigrette

Vinaigrette

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

6 tablespoons olive oil

Kosher salt

Fresh ground pepper

Whisk together ingredients until emulsified. (Use 1 pinch of salt and several grinds of pepper, or to taste.) Set aside.

Toss together

Baby kale

Baby Spinach

Baby Chard

Strawberries, sliced in half

Blanched asparagus, cut into 1 inch segments

Candied pecans

Cranberries

Crumbled goat cheese

To prepare asparagus, cut off tough ends and discard. Add apsaragus to boiling water. Cook for 2 minutes. Drain hot water and transfer asparagus to ice water until cooled. Drain well.

To prepare pecans, add 1 tablespoon sugar to a sauce pan with 1/2 cup pecans. Let nuts and sugar warm until sugar starts to melt. Watch carefully, as nuts can burn quickly. Once most of the sugar has melted, stir nuts to coat well. Continue stirring until all sugar granules have melted and adhered to pecans. Add a pinch of kosher salt and stir. Remove from heat and cool completely. Save any unused nuts in airtight bag/container in freezer. 

Add dressing (you may not need all of it) and goat cheese to salad just before serving. Toss to coat well.

To serve approximately 4-6, I use about 4 to 5 ounces of mixed greens (kale, chard and spinach) and 1/2 bunch asparagus. 

Oatmeal Cranberry Cookies

Ingredients
1 cup butter, room temperature
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar

2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 1/2 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 cups quick oats

1 cup dried cranberries
3/4 cup sweetened flaked coconut
3/4 cup chopped pecans


In large mixing bowl, beat butter and sugars until creamy. Add eggs and vanilla and mix until well combined. In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, soda, cinnamon and salt. Slowly add to butter mixture until combined. Mix in oats. Then add dried cranberries, coconut and pecans.

Scoop dough onto wax paper and roll into a log, about 2 inches in diameter. Refrigerate until firm. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Slice dough into 1/2 inch pieces and bake for 9 minutes.

apple pecan salad

 You'll need for 2 large or 4 small servings:

About 3 oz. chopped Romain lettuce

About 1 cup baby spinach, stems removed

1/2 apple (Fuji or McIntosh are best), skin removed & chopped

2 Tablespoons candied pecans 

2 Tablespoons Craisins

2 or 3 small white (button) mushrooms, chopped

1 green onion, chopped

Perfect Poppy Seed Dressing

Combine all ingredients and drizzle with dressing just before serving.