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This is the perfect salad to start off your New Year, since we all have those resolutions to eat better. The ingredients are fresh and healthy, the recipe is simple to prepare. This can be a nice salad for lunch, or even a main course if you add some sliced chicken breast.

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup of olive oil
  • 1/4 cup of grapeseed oil
  • 3 tablespoons of Balsamic vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon of salt
  • 1 large shallot, minced
  • 2 heads of endive
  • 1 large head of Boston lettuce, torn into pieces
  • 1 small head of radicchio
  • Approximately 3 cups of arugula
  • 1 or 2 ripe pears, preferably Bosc or Comice, peeled and sliced (Comice pears should not be peeled)
  • 1 cup of pomegranate seeds
  • Approximately 3 ounces of crumbled goat cheese
  • 3/4 cup of peppered pecans (recipe below)

Directions

  1. Combine vinegar, salt, and shallot in a small bowl. Slowly drizzle in oils while stirring with a whisk.
  2. Combine all ingredients, except pecans, about 15 minutes before serving. Allow to marinate for 10 minutes.
  3. Toss in pecans and serve.

Serves 6

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Peppered Pecans

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup of sugar
  • 1 teaspoon of kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon of coarse ground or cracked pepper
  • 1 cup (4 ounces) of pecan halves

Directions

  1. Combine sugar, salt, and pepper in a small bowl, and stir to blend well. Set a baking sheet next to the stove.
  2. Heat a heavy skillet or wok over high heat until it is hot enough to vaporize a bead of water on contact. Add pecans and toss for about one minute.
  3. Sprinkle half of the sugar mixture into skillet and shake until sugar melts, about 1 minute. Add the remaining sugar mixture and shake until sugar melts.
  4. Immediately pour out pecans onto the baking sheet. Spread out the pecans and allow to cool completely. Store well sealed.

Makes 1 cup

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