I'm getting off easy this Thanksgiving. All I have to bring to the family gathering at Heather's house, other than 3 super excited boys and my appetite, is a green salad. Woo hoo!In the past I've felt like green salad was not a culinary challenge worthy of my skills. I tried all kinds of salad recipes to show my range and creativity hoping to get promoted to something more glamorous like rolls, funeral potatoes, or the peach of all food assignments, dessert.
After a food catastrophe or two, however, I've decided that salads are a good assignment for me to have. I can love the green salad...I can OWN it. My green salad recipes can be closely guarded family secrets passed down from generation to generation. Maybe one day I can open up a salad restaurant or have my own Salad TV show! Maybe everyone will start calling me Aunt Salad, or better yet....the salad Queen.
(OK, focus...)
Here is the recipe for the salad I will be bringing to tomorrow's feast. I got the recipe from my sister Allyson, but she didn't tell me the recipe's name. So I'm going to call it "Candy Salad,"because there is candy on it, and it proves that candy goes with everything...even lettuce.
Candy Salad
Candy Topping
1 TB butter
3/4 cup sugar
1 cup sliced almonds
Dressing
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
1 cup sugar
1 tsp salt
1 tsp dry mustard
1/4 cup red onion, finely chopped
1 tsp poppy seed
1/2 cup vegetable oil
Salad
Craisins (may substitute any fruit such as raspberries, mandarins, dried apricots, apples, etc.)
feta cheese
mixed greens
Cook 3/4 cup of sugar and 1 tablespoon of butter over medium heat. Stir constantly until sugar begins to liquefy. Once the sugar has liquefied, add 1 cup sliced almonds and quickly turn out onto a plate or piece of foil sprayed with Pam. Spread thin and let cool, then break into small pieces. Store in an airtight container until ready to use.
Blend together dressing ingredients. I use an immersion blender. Refrigerate until ready to use.
When you are ready to make the salad, toss your salad greens with some of dressing. Fill salad plates with the greens and top with Craisins, feta and candy topping.
This salad can also be tossed together in a big bowl and served family style, but the candy toppings tend to sink to the bottom which means that the last person to serve themselves will get all the good stuff. Totally unfair.
5 comments:
Yummmy! My mouth is salivating already. Can't wait! :) (P.S. The reason you are always asked to bring salads is because you always make such great, beautiful ones! I'd say the way to change that is to throw a bag of iceburg lettuce in a bowl & serve it plain. ;)
Sounds de-lish! Have a great Thanksgiving!
Did you know you can also add flavorings to "candy"? I've done both sweet and savory flavors. Sweet = cinnamon, nutmeg, just a touch of clove or allspice. Savory = ginger, chili powder, cayenne (not much) or even garlic & parmesean. MMMMM!
You can also toss the nuts with an egg wash then with the sugar and spice and bake them on a cookie sheet stirring occassionally. Then you don't risk burning the sugar.
I love this salad! Your restaurant could be called "The Salad Bowl" and your show could be called "Tilting Violets."
Dear Aunt Salad,
I'm sorry I missed getting to enjoy your salad, but there was a fairly decent salad at our Thanksgiving feast, complete with candied walnuts. So it was a little taste of home!
And thanks for the "Twilight" clip. Nice eyebrows!!!
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