Let me start by saying, that I am not a huge fan of salads. Growing up, salads were not often served and given a choice, I would have picked anything else. I have often wished I had a love for them!
As an adult, I have finally come to adore a few salads. My favorite green is romaine lettuce. I like spinach in my smoothies, sauteed, and sometimes in a salad (with the right toppings and dressing.) I have never been a fan of arugula. Some people LOVE it, so I keep trying, but it has yet to surprise me. And yet, it has such a beautiful, dark-green leaf…
Part of the reason I have trouble enjoying salads is because I’m not a huge fan of dressing. I like vinegar on french fries, but my enjoyment of vinegar pretty much ends there. I set out to create a dressing without any vinegar. I do really enjoy the flavors of cranberry and lime, so those served as the base for my dressing. Then, I added some sweetness to balance out the tart flavors.
This dressing becomes the PRETTIEST pinkish-red color! It’s gorgeous!! AND, it’s delicious!!! 🙂
Truthfully, I still did not enjoy the bitter after-flavor of the arugula, but otherwise, this salad was AMAZING (and coming from such a picky salad-eater, it MUST be true!) Next time, I’m going to try spinach or romaine.
Winter Cranberry Salad 10-15 minutes
Serves 2
3-4 c. baby arugula (spinach/romaine)
1 lime, halved
3 Tbsp. dried cranberries
6 pecans, chopped
1-2 clementines, peeled
Cranberry-Lime Dressing
1/2 c. fresh cranberries
2 Tbsp. sugar
Zest of 1/2 a lime
Juice of 1 lime
Juice of 1 clementine
1 tsp. honey
1-2 Tbsp. olive oil
- In a small saucepan, heat the cranberries and sugar over medium heat. Once softened, mash with a potato masher. Then, add the lime zest, lime juice, clementine juice, and honey. Allow to cook for 2-3 minutes. Next, remove from the heat and pour into a blender. Add the olive oil and blend (be careful with the steam when blending.) Finally, pour into a small ramekin or bowl.
- Squeeze the juice of 1/2 a lime over each plate of greens. Then, garnish with dried cranberries, chopped pecans, and clementine sections. Finally, top with the dressing and enjoy!
Just looking at this salad makes my mouth water…
And that is saying a LOT!
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