Spinach Pear Cranberry Salad

Recipe Copied from Epicurious


Dressing

• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 2 teaspoons whole-grain mustard
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon kosher or sea salt
• Freshly ground pepper

• 1 cup thinly sliced red onion
• 1/3 cup sweetened dried cranberries
• 8 cups lightly packed fresh baby spinach leaves, stemmed if needed
• 2 firm but ripe Bosc pears (do not peel), quartered lengthwise, cored, and cut into long, thin slices
• 2/3 cup hazelnuts, toasted (see Cook's Notes) and chopped (I've used pecans and walnuts)

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preparation

To make the dressing, in a small jar with a tight-fitting lid, combine the olive oil, vinegar, mustard, sugar, salt, and pepper to taste. Cover tightly and shake vigorously to blend. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Set aside.

Place the onions in a medium bowl and cover with cold water. Let stand for 30 minutes. This crisps the onion and takes away the raw onion taste. Drain well and pat dry on paper towels.

In a small bowl, toss the cranberries with 2 tablespoons of the dressing to soften them. Set aside for at least 20 minutes or until ready to serve the salad.

To assemble the salad, place the spinach, onions, and pears in a large bowl. Give the remaining dressing a last-minute shake and pour over the salad. Toss to coat evenly. Arrange the salad in a large serving bowl or divide it evenly among 8 salad plates. Scatter the cranberries and hazelnuts over the top(s). Serve immediately.

Cook's Notes
Try to buy shelled hazelnuts (also called filberts) with the brown, papery skins removed as well. To toast, spread the hazelnuts in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet and place in a preheated 375°F oven. Toast for about 12 minutes until lightly browned. If the nuts still have the skins on, transfer them while they’re hot to a clean kitchen towel. (Use a clean towel that is old or you don’t mind washing with bleach, because the skins tend to discolor the fabric.) Rub the nuts to remove most of the skins (they never come completely off).

You can substitute unsalted cashews for the hazelnuts. Toast cashews, as directed above for hazelnuts, for 8 to 10 minutes until lightly browned.

Do AheadThe dressing can be made up to 1 day in advance, covered tightly, and refrigerated. Remove from the refrigerator 2 hours before serving. The nuts can be toasted up to 1 day in advance; store at room temperature in an airtight container. The onions and cranberries can be prepared up to up to 4 hours in advance. Set aside at room temperature.

Read More http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Spinach-Salad-with-Bosc-Pears-Cranberries-Red-Onion-and-Toasted-Hazelnuts-355430#ixzz1cOqOrwyH

Creamy Tomato Gnocchi

This recipe is from Meatless Monday. I was a little skeptical about a vegan "Cream" sauce, but was pleasantly surprised. My kids and Dave all seemed to enjoy it too, and really, there is nothing terribly unusual about it. Ground nuts give it the creamy texture.

My notes:

--I didn't have raw cashews. After much deliberating amongst me, myself, and I whether I should try roasted cashews or another raw nut I went with raw almonds. I thought it turned out to be a good choice.

--Next time I will grind the nuts up a bit before I add the other ingredients. Almonds bouncing around in tomato sauce made a big mess.

--I have never heard of chunky tomato sauce so I used crushed tomatoes.

--2 tsp. of red pepper flakes seemed like a lot for my kids based on previous red pepper experiences so I reduced it to 1/2 tsp. Next time I'll use at least 1 1/2 tsp.

Serves 4

For the sauce:

• 3/4 cup low sodium chunky tomato sauce
• 1/4 cup water
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1/4 cup cashews, raw
• 2 teaspoons red pepper flakes
• splash of white wine

To complete the dish:

• 1 pack gnocchi, cooked according to package instructions
• 1 cup whole cherry tomatoes
• 1/2 cup zucchini, sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• basil, chopped for garnish

To make the sauce:

Combine tomato sauce, water, tomato paste, cashews, red pepper and white wine in a food professor and blend until smooth and creamy. You may need to add more water to get to the desired consistency.

To complete the dish:

Heat the olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the tomatoes, zucchini and sauté for 5-7 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté for 3-5 minutes more, or until garlic is golden.

Pour the sauce from the food professor into the sauté pan and mix thoroughly. Turn heat down to medium low and simmer for 4-5 minutes.

Add the cooked gnocchi to the pan for 3-5 minutes, or until gnocchi is heated. Remove from heat and garnish with chopped basil leaves.

Honey-Nut Green Beans

The original recipe is found on Sister's Cafe as Green Beans with Honey Cashew Sauce, but since we are such fans of Honey-Nut Cheerios around here, giving them a similar moniker boosted their credibility. Isaac was shocked to discover he liked these, and all three boys ate them up. Not a typical reaction to green veggie dishes.1 lb green beans, fresh or frozen, probably not canned though, steamed to your liking
1-2 Tbs butter (I used half olive oil due to the high butter content of my main dish)
1/2 cup coarsely chopped cashews
2 Tbsp honey

Melt butter in medium skillet over medium heat. Add cashews and toss until toasted golden. Stir in honey and cook 1 more minute stirring constantly. Remove from heat, add beans and toss in the hot pan (it helps to distribute the honey if the pan is still warm).