Friday, January 7, 2011

Winter Salad w/ Lemon Poppy Seed Dressing



This salad is my new all time favorite salad. The dressing, oh the dressing! I simply adore it. The combination of the lemon and dijon mustard along with the other ingredients is just too good. I have already made it four times since discovering it and am certain I will make it many, many more times. There is a blog that I read, Pedaling Fast and I Just noticed that she has a recipe section, it looks like I have been missing out! This salad came from there.

Winter Fruit Salad with Lemon Poppy seed Dressing
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup lemon juice
2 tsp diced green onion (or just onion)
1 tsp Dijon-style mustard
1/2 tsp salt
2/3 cup veg oil
1 Tbs poppy seeds
1 head Romain lettuce or a mixture of different kinds of lettuce
4 oz shredded Swiss cheese
1 cup slivered almonds. (or you can use cashews if you want)
1/4 cup dried cranberries (I actually used Craisins)
1 apple-peeled, cored and diced1 pear-peeled, cored and diced


Directions:
1. In a blender or food processor, combine sugar, lemon juice, onion, mustard and salt. Process until well blended. Add oil in slow steady stream until mixture is thick and smooth. Add poppy seeds and process just a few seconds more to mix.
2. In a large serving bowl combine the lettuce, shredded Swiss cheese, almonds, dried cranberries, cubed apple and cubed pear. Toss to mix then pour dressing over salad just before serving and toss to coat.