Layered Spring Salad

Sorry for this ridiculously generic post, but I put a photo of this salad on Instagram and my friend, who talked me into blogging in the first place asked me to please blog the salad, step by step.  So, I must oblige.

What you need:
zucchini
bag of salad greens
tomato
fresh mozzarella
maple spiced pecans (recipe link below)
baguette
olive oil
balsamic reduction
sea salt
garlic (optional)

Steps:

Cut zucchini on the diagonal and brush with olive oil and cook on the grill (or pan saute, if you do not have a grill or grill pan). Once the zucchini is a bit tender remove from heat and sprinkle with sea salt. Set aside to cool.

Slice tomatoes

Slice fresh mozzarella

Toast baguette (cut chunks of baguette roughly the circumference of the tomato and mozzarella you sliced). To toast the baguette, generously brush the bread with olive oil (or, place a bit of olive oil on a plate and dip one side of the bread) and sprinkle with sea salt and crushed garlic (optional), bake at 350 for 10 minutes (the bread with be crunchy, like a crouton) **you can do this step a several days in advance, just place in an air tight storage container until needed.

Now you are ready to build on the platter.

Start by piling a  heap of your favorite greens (I love the spring mix blend) on the platter

Top the greens with Maple Spiced Pecans (recipe) **this can also be made days in advance.  I always have a jar of them in my pantry.

Around the edges of the platter create stacks, topping the toasted baguette with the mozzarella then the tomato.  Sprinking sea salt and a light drizzle of olive oil atop the tomato stack. 

Tuck a slice of grilled zucchini between each baguette stack, around the edges of the platter.  

Generously drizzle with a balsamic reduction.  I used to make my own, but my daughter told me it makes her eyes burn, so I started buying it at Trader Joe's.  You can find it at any market, in the balsamic section!!!

Again, many apologies for this crapTastic blog post.  But for my sweet Tanya, I hope this helps. 

Maple Spiced Pecans

 The maple spiced pecans are the perfect addition to a roasted

butternut squash and quinoa hot dish.

Oh my goodness, these are the absolute best thing to ever happen to salads, snack mix and the palm of your hand (as you shovel in a hand full)...and making them is super easy too!

 Place 1 cup roughly chopped raw pecans in a saute pan, over 

medium heat.  Watch closely.  You want to heat them until the pan

starts to smell a bit nutty.  Watch closely though, as it can go from 

tasty to burnt very quickly.

 With the pan still on the heat, add 3 T. pure maple syrup, a pinch

of cayenne pepper and a generous crack of sea salt to the warm 

nuts.  Stir until all of the nuts are coated.  Remove from heat.

Pour the warm pecans onto a parchment paper lined baking sheet

and pop in a 300 degree oven for 7 minutes.  

Remove from oven, allow to cool, and then store them in an air tight

container.  They are seriously delicious.

 

Layered Salad: Squash, Quinoa, Candied Nuts, Feta & Balsamic Reduction. Oh My!

I picked up a butternut squash at the market, because I planned on spending sometime in the 

kitchen today, making baby food.  Well, that plan fell by the wayside, as it was ridiculously

 lovely outside, and I opted instead to spend that time playing outside with my little Logan.

The butternut squash was just screaming to be gobbled up today, 

so I  raided the  pantry and found some other goodies that I thought would be

 ridiculous, with the squash, on a bed of greens.

Clean out the butternut squash, remove the skin, and cut up in 1/2

 inch chunks.  Toss the chunks with 3 tablespoons of olive oil, sea 

salt and pepper on a baking sheet and bake for 35-45 minutes in a 

400 degree oven. 

In a pan heat 1 cup of balsamic vinegar to boil and reduce to simmer,

until the vinegar thickens into a syrup that coats a spoon.  It will

continue to thicken up a bit, after simmering. 

 In a dry saute pan, over medium heat, combined 1/2 cup chopped raw 

pecans, 1 tablespoon brown sugar, pinch of cayenne pepper.  

Watch like a hawk, the nuts and sugar can burn in an instant.  

Use a spoon to coat the nuts in the lightly spiced sugar.

Pile spinach and other baby greens on a platter.

Top the greens with quinoa. I had prepared quinoa in the refrigerator, 

from the night before. I cooked it according to directions and tossed 

with a bit of sea salt and olive oil.

Top with chunks of feta or goat cheese.

 Top with the sweet and spicy pecans.

Top with the roasted butternut squash.  Pour any olive oil from the 

pan on the salad as well.  I like to think of it as a deconstructed vinaigrette,

as the oil and vinegar marry together on the greens and goodies!

Yummers!

 Drizzle with the syrupy balsamic vinegar.

 Enjoy!

Here's me thinking this will be delicious, leftover...as the greens wilt a bit.