Recipe: Mixed Greens with Cranberries, Apples, Caramelized Walnuts and Fig Balsamic Vinaigrette

Photo by Bryn Wallace

This salad is perfect for the fall.  All of the best ingredients including cranberries, apples, and fig.  You can also find this recipe and more in the Capital Cooking Cookbook.

Mixed Greens with Cranberries, Apples, Caramelized Walnuts and Fig Balsamic Vinaigrette

As seen on Lunch with a Lobbyist

Caramelized Walnuts:

½ cup Walnuts

Honey

Blackening Seasoning (Paul Prudhomme)

Toast walnuts under broiler, watching carefully so as not to burn them.  Meanwhile, heat a nonstick pan over medium heat.  Add enough honey to coat the bottom.  Just as the color starts to darken, add the toasted walnuts and shake to coat.  Add the Blackening Seasoning and toss to coat.  Put the mixture on a parchment paper lined baking sheet to cool and harden, separating the nuts as much as possible.

Fig Balsamic Vinaigrette

1/4 cup Fig Balsamic Vinegar

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon minced garlic

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1 1/4 cup walnut oil (or other nut oil)

Freshly ground pepper (to taste)

In a medium bowl, whisk together all ingredients except walnut oil. Then slowly drizzle walnut oil while whisking until fully incorporated. Serve on a salad or refrigerate up to a week. This is a perfect dressing to add to mixed greens with fruit and nuts.

If you don’t have fig balsamic vinegar, use regular balsamic vinegar with a touch of honey.

Greens:

10 ounce package of mixed greens

1 cup of dried cranberries (or other dried fruit)

1 apple diced

8 ounces of crumbled Feta

Toss ingredients together in a large bowl.  Add caramelized walnuts.  Drizzle dressing over the salad and serve.