Pear Salad

This is a popular salad that's popping up on menus at just about every restaurant I go to. I add grilled chicken to this pear salad for some protein and to make it a more filling meal but most any meat will work with this salad. It's also tasty without meat. The combination of the pear, nuts, dried cranberries, and blue cheese makes this salad so deliciously perfect!

Ingredients:

Mixed greens

Dried cranberries

Pecans (walnuts work well too)

Red grapes, halved

1 pear, thinly sliced

Blue-Cheese

Grilled Chicken

Dressing of your choice (I recommend this one)

Use the amount of each ingredient depending on your liking. Toss all ingredients together and enjoy!

Balsamic Vinaigrette

Making your own salad dressing is really easy and saves a lot of money too. I very rarely buy salad dressing unless I'm in a pinch. Balsamic vinaigrette is one of my favorite dressings. It works well on mostly all salads and works as a great marinade too. This is a really simple recipe especially since you probably have all the ingredients in your pantry.  This recipe makes 1 cup. If you're making a big salad or marinading meat or vegetables you might want to double the recipe. You can store the vinaigrette in the refrigerator in an airtight container for 1 week.

This recipe below comes from Sara Foster's Fresh Every Day Cookbook

Ingredients:

4 garlic cloves

Sea salt

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

1.Using a mortar and pestle or the flat side of a chef's knife on a cutting board, mash together garlic and 1/2 teaspoon salt to form a paste.

2.In a medium bowl, stir together garlic paste, mustard, balsamic and red wine vinegars. Add oil in a slow, steady stream, whisking until incorporated. Season with salt and pepper.