Chicken, Pear & Candied Walnut Salad with Sweet Italian Vinaigrette

This recipe yields 2 completed salads.

Sweet Italian Vinaigrette – ½ cup salad oil, ½ cup red wine vinegar, ½ tsp Italian seasoning, 1 tsp dry basil, ¼ tsp oregano, 1 tbsp dried parsley, ½ tsp tarragon, pinch of salt, pepper & sugar, 1 tbsp Dijon mustard, 1 tsp maple syrup, 4 cloves garlic, ½ cup sliced red onion & ½ freshly juiced lemon. (add all ingredients to food processor and turn on) – As it is processing add 1 cup olive oil until emulsified.

Preparation of Candied Walnuts and Caramelized Pears – Place 1 tbsp of butter in a sauté pan with a pinch of salt. Turn on low heat until butter is melted and add 1 cup of chopped walnuts, 1 tsp honey, ½ tsp cinnamon, ¼ tsp nutmeg & 2 tsp of brown sugar. Cook of low heat until the walnuts are caramelized – Not Burnt!

Caramelized Pears and Red Onions - Slice 1 whole pear in ¼ inch sliced wedges and ½ of a red onion, put aside. Place 1 tbsp butter in a sauté pan with a pinch of salt. Turn on medium-low heat until butter is melted and add sliced pears and onions, 1 tsp honey, ½ tsp cinnamon, ¼ tsp nutmeg & 2tsp brown sugar. Cook until pears are caramelized light brown – Not Burnt!

For preparation of the chicken you can either cook 2 breast on the grill or sauté in a pan with olive oil. You can season the chicken as you like best!

Plating the finished salads – I like to use a fresh spring mix of lettuce. Place lettuce on 2 full plates. Add half of the walnuts over the top of each salad, ½ cup of crumbled gorgonzola cheese, half of the caramelized pears and onions and 1 sliced cooked chicken breast. Drizzle sweet Italian vinaigrette dressing over the top of the salad and serve with your favorite bread. Bon Appetit!