Pear Salads
As the warm months roll around, you might be searching for healthy and refreshing recipes that will fill you up but not weigh you down. Pears come in many varieties of complex tastes and can be paired with dozens of salad ingredients for a tasty appetizer or main dish. The lettuces, spices, cheeses and dressings you choose can be paired with perfection. Does this Spark an idea?
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Pear and Roquefort Cheese Salad
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Roquefort cheese resembles bleu cheese -- it is white with dark spots, crumbly, white and has a tangy, potent taste. These characteristics make it a great pairing for the subtle tastes of most pears. To prepare this salad, choose your favorite lettuce or leaf, from romaine to spinach. Cut up the entire head and three pears. Crumble up to 5 oz. of Roquefort cheese, or more or less depending on personal preference. Chop regular or caramelized pecans into small pieces. Dress the lettuce with each ingredient and a vinaigrette dressing.
Pear and Arugula Salad
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Pears and arugula lettuce have complementary tastes that are great to combine into a salad dish. For this recipe, prepare 1/2 cup of chopped walnuts, about 6 cups of arugula lettuce, a thinly sliced Bosc pear and up to 8 oz. of crumbled Gorgonzola cheese. You have the option to toast the nuts over medium heat. If you do toast them, stop when you can smell their fragrance. Throw ingredients into a bowl and dress with lemon and olive oil, and salt and pepper to taste.
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Mixed Greens, Sweet Pecans and Pear Salad
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When making a pear salad, you do not always have to combine the ingredients with a strong cheese or an overpowering dressing, Pears can help the natural, subtle tastes of the lettuce stand out, and together they can create a wonderful dish almost on their own. For this more subtle option, combine mixed salad greens, 1/4 cup dried cranberries and one thinly sliced pear into a bowl. Spray pecan halves with cooking butter and sprinkle cinnamon sugar over them. Microwave on high for one to one and a half minutes, turning the nuts over after every 30 seconds. When cool to the touch, sprinkle pecan halves over salad and enjoy with a light Italian style dressing.
Bleu Cheese, Pecan and Pear Salad
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For this recipe, slice two Asian pears. Crumble 3/4 cup of Bleu cheese, chop 3/4 cup of pecans, and chop two heads of Romaine lettuce or the lettuce you prefer. This recipe is made unique through the dressing, which consists of balsamic vinegar, garlic, fresh basil, honey, olive oil, salt and pepper. To make the dressing, stir together 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar, three cloves of crushed garlic, five minced basil leaves, 1 tbsp. of honey and 1/4 cup of olive oil, and salt and pepper to taste. Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl and drizzle dressing over to taste.
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References
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