Pear Stilton Bacon Salad W Honey Glazed Pecans Recipes

Steps:

• In a small heavy skillet, melt butter. Add brown sugar; cook and stir over medium heat until dissolved. Add pecans; cook for 3-5 minutes or until toasted, stirring frequently. Spread onto foil to cool., In a small bowl, whisk the oil, sugar, lemon juice, onion and salt; set aside. Just before serving, in a large salad bowl, combine the spinach, pears, cheese and candied pecans. Drizzle with dressing and toss to coat.

Steps:

• In a small heavy skillet, melt butter. Add pecans; cook over medium heat until toasted, about 4 minutes. Sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon; cook and stir for 2-4 minutes or until sugar is melted. Spread on foil to cool., For dressing, in a blender, combine 1/2 cup pomegranate seeds, vinegar, mustard, honey, salt and pepper; cover and process until smooth. While processing, gradually add oil in a steady stream. , Cut pear into thin slices; sprinkle with lemon juice. In a salad bowl, combine the greens, pears, blue cheese and candied pecans. Drizzle with dressing and toss to coat. Sprinkle with remaining pomegranate seeds. Serve immediately.

Steps:

• Use kitchen scissors or a sharp knife to snip the bacon crossways into fat matchsticks. Heat a small, dry frying pan on a medium heat and add the bacon. Cook for about 10 mins, until the fat has run and the bacon is crisp.
• To make the dressing, reduce the heat in the pan to low and stir in 1 tbsp water, then the vinegar, honey and mustard. Stir well, scraping up any residue on the base of the pan. Stir in the oil, taste and season.
• Meanwhile, heat a ridged griddle pan or grill and cook the pears for about 5 mins on each side, until browned. Place in a bowl and mix with the cubes of cheese (this melts the cheese a little, making it nice and squidgy). Tip the spinach into a serving bowl, and scatter the cheese and pear mixture over. Top with the warm bacon dressing and serve immediately.

Steps:

• In a small bowl whisk together the vinegar, the mustard, and salt and pepper to taste, add the oil in a stream, whisking, and whisk the dressing until it is emulsified. In a bowl toss the lettuce with half the dressing and divide the salad among 4 plates. Halve and core the pear and cut it lengthwise into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Arrange one fourth of the pear slices decoratively on each plate, divide the Stilton and the pecans among the salads, and drizzle the remaining dressing on top.

Steps:

• To make the honey-glazed pecans, tear off a 10-inch sheet of aluminum foil. Place the nuts in a small skillet and heat over medium heat, stirring, until hot. Decrease the heat to low and drizzle with the honey. Cook, stirring and adjusting the heat as needed to boil the honey. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until the honey has coated the nuts and they begin to caramelize. Spread the nuts on the foil. Sprinkle with the salt and a grinding of black pepper. Set aside to cool. To make the dressing, whisk the honey, vinegar, and salt in a large bowl until well blended. Place the sliced pears in a separate bowl and add 2 tablespoons of the dressing. Reserve the remaining dressing for the greens. Add the salad greens to the large bowl with the remaining dressing and toss to coat. Spread the dressed salad greens on a serving platter or in a large shallow bowl. Top with the crumbled bacon and the Stilton. Arrange the pears around the edges and pour any dressing left in the bowl over the top of the salad. Break the pecans into pieces and use to garnish the salad. Variation: Instead of using bacon, substitute four slices of prosciutto, cut into 1-inch pieces. Have ready a strainer set over a heatproof bowl. Heat ¼ inch of olive oil in a small skillet until hot enough to sizzle a piece of the prosciutto. Add the remaining prosciutto and cook, stirring, over medium heat for about 30 seconds, or until it is crisped and "frizzled." Pour the contents of the skillet into the strainer. Reserve the oil for another use. Sprinkle the prosciutto over the salad.