Let's agree to buy less so-so bottles of expensive salad dressing in favor of superior homemade dressing. First up: strawberry vinaigrette.
Ingredients
STRAWBERRY VINAIGRETTE
8oz.fresh strawberries, tops removed
2Tablespoonsapple cider vinegar
2Tablespoonssugar
2Tablespoonsextra virgin olive oil
kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste
SALAD
1½cupspecan halves
¼cupsugar
pinch of cayenne pepper
5oz.mixed greens (about 5-6 cups)
¼red onion, thinly sliced
2oz.blue cheese
Instructions
Make the salad dressing by blending all of the ingredients in a blender (including a pinch or two of salt and a few cranks of cracked black pepper) until smooth. Set aside.
Make the candied pecans: heat the pecans, sugar, and cayenne over medium heat in a nonstick pan. Toss continuously with a spatula. Continue tossing until pecans are toasted and sugar is melted. It’s okay to have scant amounts of visible white sugar here and there, but the majority of the sugar should be melted and now a light brown color. Be careful not to burn. Remove from heat, pour nuts onto parchment paper, spread, and allow to cool. Once fully cooled, break pecans apart with hands prior to using in salad.
Assemble the salad: Using a large serving bowl, place the greens in first, then the red onion, then the candied pecans, and finally crumble the blue cheese on top. Pour the strawberry vinaigrette into a small bowl or ramekin and toss with salad just before serving.