Arugula Salad with Goat Cheese and Candied Walnuts

I didn’t make any resolutions for 2013, or maybe I just don’t want to call them resolutions.

Whatever the case, I do have a few goals:
I want to qualify for the Boston Marathon (high hopes), and I want to make this blog a bit more consistent – posting every Tuesday and Thursday, etc. Also I want to test out a few new segments. Running topics for example, and overall “favorite things” from the month. We’ll see how they go, but hopefully you like them!

I posted a big a beautiful cookie recipe last, but I wanted to give you some green stuff. This particular salad makes me swoon. It’s full of candied walnuts, goats cheese, buttered croutons and fancy arugula. Get in my belly! Also, it’s another recipe from Shutterbean, who has been filling my weekly menus lately. Thanks Tracy!

To start making this, get your candied walnuts ready. Combine brown sugar, water, butter and salt in a heavy large skillet. Bring to boil, whisking. Boil 1 minute. Add walnuts and stir.

Toss until syrup forms glaze on nuts, about 3 minutes.

Transfer nuts to sheet of foil sprayed with oil and quickly separate nuts with fork. Cool.

Whisk oil and vinegar in small bowl. Season dressing with salt and pepper. Place arugula in large bowl. Drop in croutons, and goat cheese.

Add the candied walnuts on top and then toss with enough dressing to coat lightly. Enjoy!

Arugula Salad with Goat Cheese and Candied Walnuts
Recipe adapted from Shutterbean
Serves 4

Ingredients:
Candied walnuts:
1/3 cup golden brown sugar, packed
1/4 cup water
2 tablespoons butter
Pinch of salt
1 1/2 cups walnut halves

Salad:
5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 5-ounce packages baby arugula
1 5-ounce packages soft goat cheese, broken into 1/2-inch pieces, chilled
4 tablespoons of packaged croutons (I used honey-butter flavour)

Directions:
For candied walnuts:
DO AHEAD: Can be made the day before or 1 hour ahead.
Combine first 4 ingredients in a heavy large skillet. Bring to boil, whisking. Boil 1 minute. Add walnuts; stir. Toss until syrup forms glaze on nuts, about 3 minutes. Transfer nuts to sheet of foil sprayed with oil and quickly separate nuts with fork. Cool.

For salad:
Whisk oil and vinegar in small bowl. Season dressing with salt and pepper.

Place arugula in large bowl. Drop in nuts, croutons, and goat cheese. Toss with enough dressing to coat lightly. Enjoy!

Strawberry Salad with Sugared Almonds

This salad makes me feel good all over. I feel womanly. I feel thin. I feel sexy.

I like this salad so much because it has all that I need to fill me up, and taste great at the same time. I love the way that the sweet poppyseed dressing goes with the strawberries, sugared almonds, goats cheese, and cranberries. The lettuce adds a little green and screams “you are healthy, baby – strut it”.

So eat this for lunch with a cocktail in hand and sunscreen on your skin. You’ll feel unstoppable. Oh, and make sure to wear cute sandals too. That’s always a good idea.

For the dressing, in a small bowl, whisk sugar, mayonnaise, milk, vinegar and poppy seeds.

Pour that dressing over the rest of your ingredients and enjoy!

Strawberry Salad with Sugared Almonds
From the Bite me cookbook
Serves 6

Ingredients:
Poppy Seed Dressing
¼ cup sugar
¼ cup mayonnaise
2 tbsp milk
1 tbsp white vinegar
2 tsp poppy seeds

8 cups romaine lettuce, torn into bite sized pieces
1 recipe of sugared almonds
1 cup sliced strawberries
½ cup dried cranberries
¼ cup crumbled goats cheese (I used goat cheese balls)

Directions:
Prepare sugared almonds.

For the dressing, in a small bowl, whisk sugar, mayonnaise, milk, vinegar and poppy seeds.

In a large bowl, combine lettuce, strawberries, cranberries, and sugared almonds. Toss with dressing and goats cheese and serve.

Note: A BIG thanks to Alicia Leroux for taking all of these photos. You rock my world! AND…I want your camera.